Fast track system optimization of emergency departments: Insights from a computer simulation study

Abstract

Healthcare systems engineering in emergency departments (EDs) are developing rapidly in the world nowadays. Fast track (FT) as a rapid treatment system is considered to facilitate ED patient flow. To know how FT can improve the performance of ED, one should study the best configuration of resources for implementation of FT. This research presents a pattern for implementation of FT systems in hospital EDs using healthcare simulation paradigms. Simulation-based optimization model uses modeling and simulation capabilities to generate configurations of FT resources and its patient prioritization pattern with Arena[Formula: see text] simulation software. A decision making method is used to select the optimal configuration based on pre-specified performance indicators. The results imply that the proposed FT implementation pattern is efficient and capable of improving patient flow.