SIMULATION FOR PLANNING SERVICES FOR PATIENTS WITH CORONARY-ARTERY DISEASE

Simulation models were developed in Pascal to predict the resource use and costs arising from the treatment of patients with coronary artery disease in Guy's Hospital, London. Results from the simulations indicated that number of cardiology beds was inadequate, causing a bottleneck in the system. There was predicted to be an overall increase in demand for treatment causing costs to rise initially, but then, unless more beds were made available, to level off. The software, which was designed to be of general application to health problems, includes facilities for the scheduling of operating theatres and the combined modelling of demands made by different groups of acute and chronic patients.