A system dynamics model for bed management strategy in health care units

Abstract

Hospital overcrowding is a universal problem. Currently, Lean thinking is focused on removing process waste and variation. However, the high level of complexity and uncertainty inherent to healthcare make it incredibly challenging to remove variability and achieve the stable process rates necessary for lean redesign efforts to be effective. In this work, in fact, we proposed the Agile logic, which was developed in manufacturing to optimize product delivery in volatile demand environments with highly variable customer requirements. Agile redesign focuses on increasing system responsiveness to customers through improved resource coordination and flexibility. Furthermore, we propose a new method of bed management through the use of DRGs. System dynamics simulation is used to explore the impact of following an agile redesign approach in healthcare on service access and on diagnostic system and the effect of the Bed Manager application to the hospital.