[Computer-assisted process simulation: a suitable instrument for process optimization in hospitals].

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Operations Research
• Health Informatics

Background:

• Hospitals face financial pressures due to healthcare system changes.
• Detailed cost and earnings knowledge is crucial for strategic hospital management.
• Structured cost-unit accounting is essential for identifying savings and rationalization.

Purpose of the Study:

• To illustrate the use of computer-assisted process simulation for hospital process optimization.
• To identify potential savings and rationalization measures within hospital treatment pathways.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of simulation in improving hospital efficiency.

Main Methods:

• Computer-assisted process simulation using Coral iGrafix Process 2003.
• Simulation based on the treatment process 'operative procedure' for the clinical pathway 'Coronary Artery Bypass Graft' (CABG).
• Analysis focused on eliminating waiting times and parallelizing partial processes.

Main Results:

• Simulation of 1000 processes showed a significant reduction in patient lead-time.
• Eliminating waiting times and parallelizing processes led to improved efficiency.
• Overall treatment duration shifted from triangular to normal distribution with minimized durations.

Conclusions:

• Computer-assisted process simulation is a valuable tool for hospital process optimization.
• Simulation contributes significantly to strategic controlling in healthcare settings.
• This method aids in revealing and implementing efficiency improvements in hospitals.