Use of simulation to evaluate resource assignment policies in a multidisciplinary outpatient clinic

Advances in facility design and technology are leading to novel uses of healthcare delivery space including flexible and shared clinical space increasing collaboration and communication in multidisciplinary care settings. With new outpatient care delivery facilities and plans emerging, the need to evaluate how flexible and shared resources are assigned arises. We present a discrete-event simulation model based on the daily operations of an outpatient clinic where multiple specialties share resources including support staff, exam rooms, and ancillary providers. Being a new clinical space, the primary objective is to design resource assignment and staffing policies which maximize the use of the new facility. While resource utilization is the primary objective, the simulation model results and analysis incorporate other competing performance criteria including patient waiting, provider idleness, and clinic length of day. Results are presented based on a multidisciplinary clinic at the University of Minnesota.