Simulation Modeling in Planning Care Services

Today's health care administrator, nurse executive and manager are all confronted with a number of crucial decisions relative to the management of operations. Increasingly, pressure is mounting to maintain the availability of quality of health care while reducing costs through more effective resource utilization. Given the relative lack of work that has specifically addressed the use of computer simulation modeling relative to capacity management decision-making in an ambulatory pediatric clinic setting, this proposed study is aimed at (1) identifying those factors that influence resource consumption and utilization in an ambulatory clinic, and (2) developing and testing a model through application of computer simulation. Using a time-series design with a repeated measurements process, this study will be conducted in two phases. Phase I will address the first aim. During Phase II, a model that can be used for effective capacity management decisions will be developed and tested.