TY - JOUR
T1 - A reusable simulation model to evaluate the effects of walk-in for diagnostic examinations
AU - Braaksma, A.
AU - Kortbeek, N.
AU - Smid, K.
AU - Sprengers, M. E. S.
PY - 2017
Y1 - 2017
N2 - Enabling patients to walk in for their diagnostic examination without an appointment has considerable potential in terms of quality of care, patient service, and system efficiency. We present a model to evaluate the effect of implementing a combined walk-in and appointment system, offering appointments to all patients preferring or strictly requiring these, while enabling all other patients to walk in. In a combined system, appointments can be scheduled in periods with low walk-in demand to counterbalance the possible high variability in walk-in arrival rates. We develop a discrete event simulation model, combined with an intelligent algorithmic methodology for appointment schedule optimization, for evaluating the implementation of a combined walk-in and appointment system for diagnostic examinations. Our simulation model is reusable: its component-based structure and generic underlying logic enable it to automatically represent any type of diagnostic facility, for which it can then evaluate the effect of implementing a combined walk-in and appointment system. Applying this approach, we quantitatively investigate the impact of implementing a combined walk-in and appointment system for CT-scans, performing a case study at the Academic Medical Center (AMC) Amsterdam. Inspired by the results, the AMC CT-facility has implemented a combined walk-in and appointment system, thereby shortening patients' diagnostic trajectories, and decreasing the number of required hospital visits for many patients. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved
AB - Enabling patients to walk in for their diagnostic examination without an appointment has considerable potential in terms of quality of care, patient service, and system efficiency. We present a model to evaluate the effect of implementing a combined walk-in and appointment system, offering appointments to all patients preferring or strictly requiring these, while enabling all other patients to walk in. In a combined system, appointments can be scheduled in periods with low walk-in demand to counterbalance the possible high variability in walk-in arrival rates. We develop a discrete event simulation model, combined with an intelligent algorithmic methodology for appointment schedule optimization, for evaluating the implementation of a combined walk-in and appointment system for diagnostic examinations. Our simulation model is reusable: its component-based structure and generic underlying logic enable it to automatically represent any type of diagnostic facility, for which it can then evaluate the effect of implementing a combined walk-in and appointment system. Applying this approach, we quantitatively investigate the impact of implementing a combined walk-in and appointment system for CT-scans, performing a case study at the Academic Medical Center (AMC) Amsterdam. Inspired by the results, the AMC CT-facility has implemented a combined walk-in and appointment system, thereby shortening patients' diagnostic trajectories, and decreasing the number of required hospital visits for many patients. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved
U2 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.simpat.2017.07.004
DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.simpat.2017.07.004
M3 - Article
SN - 1569-190X
VL - 77
SP - 317
EP - 337
JO - Simulation modelling : Practice and theory
JF - Simulation modelling : Practice and theory
ER -