CLIENT:
Laser Spine Institute CASE STUDY
Cleveland, OH
Use discrete event simulation in facility design validation before starting construction. Industrial and Systems Engineers are playing a more prominent role as the healthcare industry looks to provide higher-quality, cost-effective care. In healthcare facility planning, discrete event simulation can determine the impact of varying layouts and new work flows before knocking down a single wall, saving valuable time and money.
CHALLENGE
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Sometimes a process looks good on paper,
Recently, Laser Spine Institute (LSI) in Cleveland, Ohio, decided to extend its services
but does not function as expected. When
by building satellite facilities across the country. These new facilities are smaller than
there are a number of variables in play,
the existing facility, and operate using a slightly altered process flow. To determine
each with a distinct distribution, it can be
the appropriate space requirements for the new, smaller scale model, Array built a
difficult to predict how a system will react.
discrete event simulation model. Two major project goals were to confirm that patients could recover completely in a PACU room without causing other patients to wait in the operating room, and
SOLUTION
determine whether the space was large enough to bring in an additional surgeon,
Design Validation
The study began with patient flow observation, allowing the Healthcare Systems
Array used a simulation study to determine
Engineer to gain an understanding of the ambulatory surgery center’s operations.
whether the newly designed process was
Array captured input data using the system’s electronic medical records; we
optimal, and whether the number of rooms
used validation and verification techniques to ensure the simulation accurately
was adequate for the patient volume the
represented the system. We then used the valid model to test different operating
outpatient spinal surgery center hoped
scenarios.
to serve. Basing the process design on
The linked publication goes into detail of how we used a simulation model to
efficient practices leads to an easier
determine the appropriate number of prep and recovery rooms for the expected
implementation of productive work flows,
patient flow.
potentially leading to the treatment of more patients.
staff movement and patient routing.
PUBLICATION
PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS
12
Scenarios Developed & Tested
8
Prep/Recovery Flex rooms
2
Objectives Defined by the Client