Simulation optimisation for mixing scheduled and walk-in patients.

Abstract

Mixed registration type clinics accept both walk-in and scheduled patients. Such clinics provide patients with an additional option for how they access care while patient bookings help providers ensure a full workday. The model described in this paper determines how many patients to schedule (and when) in mixed registration type clinics. The methodology, simulation optimisation allows stochastic features found in such clinic to be modelled and provides optimisation techniques to identify solutions. A general simulation optimisation formulation for mixed registration type clinics is presented. Furthermore, the methodology is applied to a case study of a collaborative emergency centre in Nova Scotia, Canada. We demonstrate how the model can be used in clinics with multiple providers and multiple objectives. We compare the simulation optimisation generated schedule with existing schedules and show the advantages the collaborative emergency centre can expect when using schedules developed with the presented methods.