How Many of Those Things Do We Really Need? Discrete Event Simulation

Managing health care delivery systems requires deep understanding of the underlying dynamics of clinical and hospital care, from patient flow to policy to care pathways. Discrete Event Simulation (DES) is a computer modeling tool which can assist in this understanding, elucidate systems dynamics for key stakeholders, and provide insight into how and where improvements can be made rapidly and for minimum investment. We describe the technology, methods, and procedures necessary to build, validate, and deploy DES in health systems, using specific case studies from the literature, in order to advocate for a rigorous approach to systems improvement.

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