This paper provides an overview of a hybrid, discrete event simulation (DES) agent based model (ABM), simulation model of the overdue pregnancy outpatient clinic at the Obstetrics department of Akershus University Hospital, Norway. The model is being developed in collaboration with clinic staff. The purpose of the model is to better plan resources (e.g. staffing) to improve patient flow at the outpatient clinic given the uncertainty associated with demand. The uncertainty is due to an increase in the size of the hospital’s catchment area, changes to overdue pregnancy guidelines in Norway and that women can give birth before their appointments. The ABM model component represents the human parts of the system, the women and the clinic staff. The DES component represents the outpatient clinic’s physical location and processes/pathways that operate within it. The technicalities of the model are presented along with some illustrative results.
This paper present a hybrid simulation model of the overdue outpatient clinic at Akershus University Hospital, Norway (AHUS). Overdue pregnancy outpatient clinics are challenging to plan for due to the probability of women not requiring their appointments as they have given birth, physiological and psychological differences between mothers, changing demographics due to immigration patterns, and population growth, and policies and protocols associated with this group. The Health Services Research Unit (HØKH), the data acquisition group, part of the analysis department and the obstetrics department at AHUS have collaborated to develop simulation and statistical analysis tools, to analyze patient flow and resource utilization and to plan for future changes in demand and operating procedures.