Can health care benefit from modeling and simulation methods in the same way as business and manufacturing has?

Abstract

It has been increasingly recognized that the application of simulation methods can be instrumental in addressing the multi-faceted challenges health care is facing at present and more importantly in the future. But the application of these methods seems not to be as widespread as in other sectors, where such methods when used as part of their core operation, reap significant benefits. This paper examines the potential use of modeling and simulation in health care, drawing the parallels and marking the mismatches from the business and manufacturing world. Methods from the latter sectors will be reviewed with the intention to assess their potential usefulness to healthcare. To focus this discussion, we propose and discuss seven axes of differentiation: patient fear of death; medical practitioners (for example approach to healing, investigation by experimentation and finance); healthcare support staff; health care managers; political influence and control; 'society's view'; and Utopia.