A Review on Discrete-event Simulation and System Dynamics Studies for Healthcare Problems

Eylül Damla Gönül-Sezer, Zeynep Ocak

2015

Abstract

Modeling is the major necessity to enhance the existing systems. Healthcare systems also need to model for advancing delivered services without compromising any other objectives. Thus, simulation techniques are frequently preferred in healthcare problems. As was to be expected, simulation has various applications which yields result in different perspectives. This study discusses two popular simulation techniques; discrete event simulation and system dynamics techniques in healthcare system applications. The applications are examined under four main branches based on their scopes. As a result, this paper evaluates which of these simulation techniques is more practical for different natured healthcare problems.

References

  1. Ahmed, M. A., Alkhamis, T. M. 2009.Simulation optimization for an emergency department healthcare unit in Kuwait. European Journal of Operational Research 198(3), 936-942.
  2. Ansah, J. P., Eberlein, R. L., Love, S. R., Bautista, M. A., Thompson, J. P., Malhotra, R., Matchar, D. B. 2014.Implications of long-term care capacity response policies for an aging population: A simulation analysis. Health Policy,116(1), 105-113.
  3. Barber, P., López-Valcárcel, B. G. 2010.Forecasting the need for medical specialists in Spain: application of a system dynamics model. Human resources for health, 8(1), 24.
  4. Brailsford, S. C. 2008. System dynamics: What's in it for healthcare simulation modellers. In Simulation Conference, 2008. Winter (pp. 1478-1483). IEEE.
  5. Brailsford, S. C. 2014. Modeling human behavior: an (ID) entity crisis?. In Proceedings of the Winter Simulation Conference (pp. 1539-1548). IEEE.
  6. Brailsford, S. C., Desai, S. M., Viana, J. Towards the holy grail: combining system dynamics and discrete-event simulation in healthcare. 2010. In Simulation Conference (WSC), Proceedings of the 2010 Winter(pp. 2293-2303). IEEE.
  7. Brailsford, S. C., Harper, P. R., Sykes, J. 2012.Incorporating human behaviour in simulation models of screening for breast cancer. European Journal of Operational Research, 219(3), 491-507.
  8. Brailsford, S.C., Hilton, N. A. 2001. A comparison of discrete event simulation and system dynamics for modeling healthcare systems. In: Riley J (ed). Proceedings from ORAHS 2000. Glasgow: Scotland, pp 18-39.
  9. Chahal, K., Eldabi, T. 2008.Applicability of hybrid simulation to different modes of governance in UK healthcare. In Simulation Conference, 2008. Winter pp. 1469-1477. IEEE.
  10. Chen, Y. 2003. A system dynamicsbased study on elderly non-acute service in Norway. In Proceedings of the 21st International Conference of the System Dynamics Society, System Dynamics Society, New York.
  11. Clark, D. N. 1999.Strategic Level MS/OR Tool Usage in the United Kingdom and New Zealand: A Comparative Survey. Asia-Pacific Journal of Operational Research 16 (1): 35-51.
  12. Cochran, K. J., Bharti, A. 2006.A Multi-stage Stochastic Methodology for Whole Hospital Bed Planning Under Peak Loading. International Journal of Industrial and Systems Engineering (1 (1/2)), 8-35.
  13. Denton, B.T., Miller, A.J., Balasubramanian, H.J., Huschka, T.R. 2010. Optimal Allocation of Surgery Blocks to Operating Rooms Under Uncertainty. Operations Research, 58(4), 802-816.
  14. Diaz, R., Behr, J. G., Tulpule, M. 2012.A system dynamics model for simulating ambulatory health care demands. Simulation in Healthcare, 7(4), 243-250.
  15. Dong, Y., Chbat, N. W., Gupta, A., Hadzikadic, M., Gajic, O. 2012.Systems modeling and simulation applications for critical care medicine. Annals of intensive care, 2(1), 1-10.
  16. Faezipour, M., Ferreira, S. 2011. Applying systems thinking to assess sustainability in healthcare system of systems. International Journal of System of Systems Engineering, 2(4), 290-308.
  17. Fialho, A. S., Oliveira, M. D., Sá, A. B. 2011.Using discrete event simulation to compare the performance of family health unit and primary health care centre organizational models in Portugal. BMC health services research,11(1), 274.
  18. Fildes R., Ranyard, J.C. 1997.Success and Survival of Operational Research Groups - A Review. Journal of the Operational Research Society 48 (4): 336-360.
  19. Fone, D., Hollinghurst, S., Temple, M., Round, A., Lester, N., Weightman, A., et al. 2003. Systematic review of the use and value of computer simulation modelling in population health and health care delivery. J Public Health, 25(4):325-335.
  20. Forsberg, H. H., Aronsson, H., Keller, C., Lindblad, S. 2011. Managing health care decisions and improvement through simulation modeling. Quality Management in Healthcare, 20(1), 15-29.
  21. Geranmayeh, S., Iyer, A. S. 2008. Capacity Analysis of Critical Hospital Resources Using System Dynamics Approach. Unpublished Manuscript.
  22. Griffin, J., Xia, S., Peng, S., Keskinocak, P. 2012.Improving patient flow in an obstetric unit. Health care management science, 15(1), 1-14.
  23. Guizzardi, G., Wagner, G. 2012.Tutorial: Conceptual simulation modeling with Onto-UML. In Simulation Conference (WSC), Proceedings of the 2012 Winter (pp. 1-15). IEEE.
  24. Günal, M. M., Pidd, M. 2010.Discrete event simulation for performance modelling in health care: a review of the literature. Journal of Simulation, 4(1), 42-51.
  25. Hafner, T., Shiffman, J. 2013.The emergence of global attention to health systems strengthening. Health policy and planning, 28(1), 41-50.
  26. Hilton, N. A. 2001.Exploration into the behavior of cardiac waiting lists (Doctoral dissertation, University of Southampton).
  27. Hirsch, G., Homer, J., Milstein, B., Scherrer, L., Ingersoll, C., Landy, L., Fisher, E. 2012.ReThink Health Dynamics: Understanding and influencing local health system change. In 30th International Conference of the System Dynamics Society, St. Gallen, Switzerland.
  28. Homer, J., Jones, A., Seville, D., Essien, J., Milstein, B., Murphy, D. 2004.The CDC's diabetes systems modeling project: Developing a new tool for chronic disease prevention and control. In 22nd International Conference of the System Dynamics Society, pp. 25- 29.
  29. Hosking, M., Roberts, S., Uzsoy, R., Joseph, T. M. 2013.Investigating interventions for increasing colorectal cancer screening: Insights from a simulation model. Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, 47(2), 142-155.
  30. Hsiao, C. T., Huang, H. H. 2012.A causal model for the development of long-term facilities: a case in Taiwan. Quality & Quantity, 46(2), 471-481.
  31. Jahangirian, M., Eldabi, T., Naseer, A., Stergioulas, L. K., Young, T. 2010.Simulation in manufacturing and business: A review. European Journal of Operational Research, 203(1), 1-13.
  32. Jeffrey, P., Seaton, R. 1995.The Use of Operational Research Tools: A Survey of Operational Research Practitioners in the UK. Journal of the Operational Research Society 46 (7): 797-808.
  33. Jun J.B., Jacobson S.H., Swisher J.R. 1999.Application of discrete-event simulation in health care clinics: A survey. J Oper Res Soc, 50:109-123.
  34. Kadri F., Chaabane S., Tahon C. 2014. Simulation-based decision support system to pre-vent and predict strain situations in emergency department systems. Simulation Modelling Practice and Theory, 42, 32-52.
  35. Kuhl, M. E. 2012.A simulation study of patient flow for day of surgery admission. In Simulation Conference (WSC) Proceedings of the 2012 Winter (pp. 1-7). IEEE.
  36. Lane, D. C., Monefeldt, C., Rosenhead, J. V. 2000.Looking in the wrong place for healthcare improvements: A system dynamics study of an accident and emergency department. Journal of the operational Research Society, 518-531.
  37. Lattimer, V., Brailsford, S., Turnbull, J., Tarnaras, P., Smith, H., George, S., Maslin-Prothero, S. 2004.Reviewing emergency care systems I: insights from system dynamics modelling. Emergency Medicine Journal, 21(6), 685-691.
  38. Lubyansky A. A system dynamics model of health care surge capacity. Proceedings of the 23rd International Conference of the System Dynamics Society, Boston, MA (2005).
  39. Marjamaa, R., Torkki, P., Hirvensalo, E., and O. Kirvelä. 2009. What is the Best Workflow for an Operating Room? A Simulation Study of Five Scenarios, Health Care Management Science, 12(2), 142 -146.
  40. Merrill, J. A., Deegan, M., Wilson, R. V., Kaushal, R., Fredericks, K. 2013.A system dy-namics evaluation model: implementation of health information exchange for public health reporting. Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association.
  41. Mittal, S. 2013.Emergence in stigmergic and complex adaptive systems: A formal discrete event systems perspective. Cognitive Systems Research, 21, 22-39.
  42. Rado, O., Lupia, B., Leung, J.M.Y., Kuo, Y.-H., Graham, C.A. 2014.Using Simulation to Analyze Patient Flows in a Hospital Emergency Department in Hong Kong. Springer Proceedings in Mathematics and Statistics 61, 289-301.
  43. Ramwadhdoebe, S., Buskens, E., Sakkers, RJB., Stah,l JE. 2009.A tutorial on discrete event simulation for health policy design and decision making: Optimizing pediatric ultrasound screening for hip dysplasia as an illustration. Health Policy, 93:143-150.
  44. Rauner, M. S. 2002.Using simulation for AIDS policy modeling: benefits for HIV/AIDS prevention policy makers in Vienna, Austria. Health Care Management Science, 5(2), 121-134.
  45. Rwashana, A. S., Nakubulwa, S., Nakakeeto-Kijjambu, M., Adam, T. 2014.Advancing the application of systems thinking in health: understanding the dynamics of neonatal mortality in Uganda. Health Research Policy and Systems, 12(1), 36.
  46. Steins, K., Persson, F., Holmer, M. 2010. Increasing utilization in a hospital operating de-partment using simulation modeling. Simulation, 86(8-9), 463-480.
  47. Sterman, J. D. 2006.Learning from evidence in a complex world. American journal of public health, 96(3), 505- 514.
  48. Townshend, J. R. P., Turner, H. S. 2000. Analysing the effectiveness of Chlamydia screening. Journal of the Operational Research Society, 812-824.
  49. Wu, M. H., Yu, J. Y., Huang, C. H. 2013.Theoretical System Dynamics Modeling for Taiwan Pediatric Workforce in an Era of National Health Insurance and Low Birth Rates. Pediatrics & Neonatology, 54(6), 389-396.
  50. Zulkepli, J., Eldabi, T., Mustafee, N. 2012.Hybrid simulation for modelling large systems: an example of integrated care model. In Simulation Conference (WSC), Proceedings of the 2012 Winter (pp. 1-12). IEEE.
Download


Paper Citation


in Harvard Style

Gönül-Sezer E. and Ocak Z. (2015). A Review on Discrete-event Simulation and System Dynamics Studies for Healthcare Problems . In Proceedings of the 5th International Conference on Simulation and Modeling Methodologies, Technologies and Applications - Volume 1: SIMULTECH, ISBN 978-989-758-120-5, pages 297-302. DOI: 10.5220/0005556302970302


in Bibtex Style

@conference{simultech15,
author={Eylül Damla Gönül-Sezer and Zeynep Ocak},
title={A Review on Discrete-event Simulation and System Dynamics Studies for Healthcare Problems},
booktitle={Proceedings of the 5th International Conference on Simulation and Modeling Methodologies, Technologies and Applications - Volume 1: SIMULTECH,},
year={2015},
pages={297-302},
publisher={SciTePress},
organization={INSTICC},
doi={10.5220/0005556302970302},
isbn={978-989-758-120-5},
}


in EndNote Style

TY - CONF
JO - Proceedings of the 5th International Conference on Simulation and Modeling Methodologies, Technologies and Applications - Volume 1: SIMULTECH,
TI - A Review on Discrete-event Simulation and System Dynamics Studies for Healthcare Problems
SN - 978-989-758-120-5
AU - Gönül-Sezer E.
AU - Ocak Z.
PY - 2015
SP - 297
EP - 302
DO - 10.5220/0005556302970302