Application of discrete-event simulation in health care clinics: A survey

Ln recent decades, health care costs have dramatically increased, while hea lth care organisations have been under severe pressure to provide improved quality health care for their patients. Several health care administrators have used discrete-event simulation as an effective tool for allocating sca rce resources to improve patient flow, while minimising health care deliver y costs and increasing patient satisfaction. The rapid growth in simulation software technology has created numerous new application opportunities, in cluding more sophisticated implementations, as well as combining optimisati on and simulation for complex integrated facilities. This paper surveys the application of discrete-event simulation modeling to health care clinics a nd systems of clinics (for example, hospitals, outpatient clinics, emergenc y departments, and pharmacies). Future directions of research and applicati ons are also discussed.