An agenda for healthcare and information simulation

With healthcare systems around the world undergoing redesign and refocusing on patients, there is a strategic role that simulation modellers could play. The creation of strategic scenarios that work according to process philosophies--as used, for instance, in manufacturing--could help to deliver high quality care to millions of people. There may, in addition, be serendipitous synergies between some of these industrial process philosophies and known simulation techniques. This paper addresses some strategic issues around the processes of care delivery, and considers the resultant research agenda. Not only is this strategic agenda one that would help care providers, but it is possible to derive some concepts that enable technology to be valued as part of care provision. The paper explores how, in general terms, value propositions may be derived that are acceptable to commissioning agencies and accessible to technology vendors. Were it possible to formalise these, they would be of significant benefit both to healthcare service providers and to their suppliers.