David Garfinkel
ABSTRACT
Possible applications of simulation and operations research to problems of optimal use of certain medical resources are analyzed. The problems considered include scheduling of the out-patient clinic, the private doctor's office practice, and work-up of hospital in-patients. In all of these situations traditional assumptions regarding the relative value of the doctor's and patients time have lost validity. The efficient use of space within a hospital, the minimization of travel time by members of a geographically fragmented activity, and optimization of transportation facilities are considered. A possible simulation and optimization of group practice is described. The need for interaction between clinicians and simulationists, and for joint training of personnel, is stressed.
- 1.Katz, J.H., "Simulation of Outpatient Appointment Systems", Commun. ACM, 12 215, 1969. Google Scholar
Digital Library
- 2.Fetter, R.B., and Thompson, J.D. "Patients' Waiting Time and Doctors' Idle Time in the Outpatient Setting" Health Services Research 66, 1966.Google Scholar
- 3.Covert, R.P., Lodwick, G.S., and Wilkinson, E.W. "Simulation Modeling of a Diagnostic Radiology Department", Proceedings of Conference on the Use of Computers in Radiology, p. C3, 1966, University of Missouri.Google Scholar
- 4.Hsieh, R.K.C. "Scheduling of Patients, Technologists and Facilities in a Hospital Radiology Department" Proceedings of Conference on the Use of Computers in Radiology, p. C36, 1966, University of Missouri.Google Scholar
- 5.Bergman, A.B., Probstfield, J.L., and Wedgwood, R.J. #"Task Identification in Pediatric Practice". Am. J. Dis. Child.,| 118, 459, 1969.Google Scholar
Index Terms
- Applications of computer simulation and related techniques to patient scheduling and medical administration
Recommendations
Simulation of outpatient appointment systems
An experimental computer program is described which simulates appointment systems employed by outpatient departments of hospitals. Both major kinds of appointment systems—individual and block—can be simulated. The purpose of the Simulator is to enable ...
Designing a Telemedicine Platform for Three Different Medical Applications
IMAC '95: Proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Image Management and Communication (IMAC '95)Abstract: This project is being undertaken between the Imaging Science and Information Systems (ISIS) Center of the Georgetown University Medical Center (GUMC) and the Departments of Internal Medicine, Surgery and Pediatrics at GUMC. It investigates the ...
Effect of an Online Appointment Scheduling System on Evaluation Metrics of Outpatient Scheduling System: a before-after MulticenterStudy
Online appointment scheduling systems have been designed in response to the problems of the traditional ones. In Iran, most outpatient clinics and our study population suffer from high patient' no-show rate and long waiting times because of not using ...
Comments