Operational Research Society: Simulation Study Group and SORG
Joint One Day Meeting

Simulation in Health Care
Monday 31st March 2003, 10.00am-4:00pm
John Nike Lecture Theatre,
University of Reading

The recent debate on the problems within the National Health Service has highlighted the need to extend the range of issues tackled by the O.R community.  This one day event hosted by the Simulation Study Group and the Southern O.R Group, will demonstrate how one O.R technique – simulation, can contribute to more effective health treatment and care.  Speakers for the event come from both the health service and academia so it is expected that this event will be of interest to health care practitioners as well as academics working in this field.

An open forum is planned for the end of the meeting so that in addition to following up points raised during the day, ideas for further action can be discussed.  One proposal is to set up an EPSRC network grant to investigate low cost provision of simulation in health care.

10:00-10:30     Arrival and Coffee

10:30-10.40     Introduction: Key Issues in Health Care Simulation 
Sally Brailsford (School of Management, University of Southampton)
 
10.40-11:20     Successful Simulation in Practice: Healthy Lessons from the Service
David Bensley (Department of Health)

The presentation will discuss the use of simulation in the Department of Heath and the NHS together with the principles behind successful applications. The talk will be illustrated with various practical examples.

11.20-12.00     The Use of Simulation in Cost-Effectiveness Analyses
Ruth Davies (School of Management, University of Southampton)

The advantage of discrete event simulation over other modelling techniques is that it is flexible and able to describe the progress of large numbers of individuals, influenced by risk factors such as medical history and age, over many years.  Results may be sensitive to the system boundaries, the simulation time span, the discount rate and the quality of life indices.  Ruth gives illustrations from models of the treatment of coronary heart disease and of the screening and eradication of Helicobacter pylori.

 12.00-12.40    Simulation of Hospital Pharmacies
Jim Scanlan (University of West of England)

Hospital pharmacies are under increasing pressure to deliver a service that meets waiting time criteria and yet minimise dispensing errors. Many initiatives are being introduced that affect the way the pharmacy operates. 
                Jim will use this presentation to describe a simulation model that will allow managers to plan resources, to make changes to operating procedures and evaluate different workload patterns.

12:40-13:50     Lunch 

13:50-14:30     Priority Scoring for Surgery
Allan Cummings (Innovations in Care Unit, National Assembly of Wales)

In 2002 the Innovations in Care Unit were asked to address the implementation of priority scoring for surgery, in line with published policy. They were particularly concerned to understand the relationship between prioritisation and maximum waiting times.  Allan will demonstrate a simulation model developed in conjunction with the University of West of England. This model was used to explain the concepts and consequences of various prioritisation schemes to clinical staff.

14.30-15.10     Simulation on the Effects of Differing Care Scenarios for Thrombolysis 
Martin Pitt (University of Exeter)

There is overwhelming evidence and agreement that the effectiveness of Thrombolysis (a drug based treatment for Acute Myocardinal Infraction – AMI) depends critically on the speed at which it can be delivered to a patient after onset of AMI.  In this presentation, Martin will describe a simulation that he has developed to assess the impact of different ‘what-if’ scenarios of care for delivery of Thrombolysis

15.10-15.20 Tea

15:20-16:00     Open Forum chaired by Sally Brailsford and Les Oakshott

Booking a Place

To cover catering costs there is a *20 charge for this meeting.  Please reserve a place by sending a cheque (payable to SORG), giving your name and contact details, to:

Les Oakshott, CEMS Faculty, University of West of England, Frenchay Campus, Bristol, BS16 1QY 

Directions to the meeting can be found at:  http://www.rdg.ac.uk/maps/index.htm (the John Nike lecture theatre is in the Agriculture building of the Whiteknights campus and can be found using the Earley Gate entrance).
	
For further details please contact:
Les Oakshott (tel: 01454 884897; email: [log in to unmask]) or
Sally Brailsford (tel: 0238059 3567; email: [log in to unmask]




Dr Stewart Robinson
Senior Lecturer in Operational Research 
Warwick Business School
Warwick University
Coventry
CV4 7AL
UNITED KINGDOM

Tel: 44-(0)2476-522132
Fax: 44-(0)2476-524539
Email: [log in to unmask]
Home Page: http://www.btinternet.com/~stewart.robinson1/SR.HTM
Holiday in Spain: http://www.btinternet.com/~stewart.robinson1/House.htm