Simulation As a Tool to Assess the Vulnerability of the Operation of a Health Care Facility

Abstract

Health care systems are classified as critical infrastructure systems when responding to disaster events. Physical damage to health care facilities or disruption of their operations or supply chains could prevent an effective response and aggravate the outcome of an emergency situation. Even if a hospital or public health facility were not directly affected by the disaster event, these facilities are required to operate efficiently during an emergency in order to manage a surge of capacity. When infrastructure systems are damaged as a result of man-made or natural disaster events, insufficient supply of resources through these systems affects their performance. In this paper, a system dynamics simulation model will be used as a tool to represent the operation of a health care facility, including the interaction between the different service areas (emergency room, intensive care unit, wards, operating room), the flow of patients inside the facility, and the condition of the infrastructure systems that supply resources (i.e., water, power, transportation of medical supplies) to maintain the operation of the facility. The results of this study may assist hospital administrators in their disaster preparedness plans, providing information regarding the level of occupancy and patients waiting to enter the service areas.