Combining discrete-event simulation and system dynamics in a healthcare setting: a composite model for Chlamydia infection

Viana, J., Brailsford, Sally, Harindra, V. and Harper, Paul Robert ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7894-4907 2014. Combining discrete-event simulation and system dynamics in a healthcare setting: a composite model for Chlamydia infection. European Journal of Operational Research 237 (1) , pp. 196-206. 10.1016/j.ejor.2014.02.052

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Abstract

This paper presents a composite model in which two simulation approaches, discrete-event simulation (DES) and system dynamics (SD), are used together to address a major healthcare problem, the sexually transmitted infection Chlamydia. The paper continues an on-going discussion in the literature about the potential benefits of linking DES and SD. Previous researchers have argued that DES and SD are complementary approaches and many real-world problems would benefit from combining both methods. In this paper, a DES model of the hospital outpatient clinic which treats Chlamydia patients is combined with an SD model of the infection process in the community. These two models were developed in commercial software and linked in an automated fashion via an Excel interface. To our knowledge this is the first time such a composite model has been used in a healthcare setting. The model shows how the prevalence of Chlamydia at a community level affects (and is affected by) operational level decisions made in the hospital outpatient department. We discuss the additional benefits provided by the composite model over and above the benefits gained from the two individual models.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	Mathematics
Subjects:	Q Science > QA Mathematics R Medicine > RA Public aspects of medicine
Uncontrolled Keywords:	OR in health services; Simulation; Chlamydia; Composite model
Publisher:	Elsevier
ISSN:	0377-2217
Date of Acceptance:	22 February 2014
Last Modified:	31 Oct 2022 09:20
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/80662

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