Simulation optimisation for mixing scheduled and walk-in patients

Area of Science:

• Operations Research
• Healthcare Management
• Simulation Modeling

Background:

• Mixed registration clinics accommodate both walk-in and scheduled patients, offering flexible access to care.
• Balancing patient access with provider efficiency is a challenge in these dynamic healthcare environments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and present a simulation optimization model for determining optimal patient scheduling in mixed registration type clinics.
• To apply this methodology to a real-world case study and demonstrate its benefits.

Main Methods:

• Simulation optimization techniques were employed to model stochastic elements inherent in mixed registration clinics.
• A general formulation was developed and applied to a collaborative emergency center in Nova Scotia, Canada.

Main Results:

• The model successfully determined patient scheduling strategies for clinics with multiple providers and objectives.
• Comparison with existing schedules revealed advantages for the collaborative emergency center using the simulation optimization approach.

Conclusions:

• The presented simulation optimization methodology provides an effective framework for optimizing patient scheduling in mixed registration clinics.
• Implementing these optimized schedules can lead to improved clinic efficiency and patient care delivery.