Modelling and simulation for behavioural analysis in healthcare
Modelling & Simulation (M&S) studies have been broadly used to gain insights necessary for coping with systems with high levels of complexity. Healthcare systems are an example of such complex systems, and therefore it comes as no surprise that an increasing number of healthcare-focussed M&S studies have been reported in literature over the years. According to our literature review, some of the existing complex and sophisticated M&S studies evaluate new medical treatments or interventions in terms of economic and clinical efficiencies and lack to incorporate human factors in their underlying systems. In reality, the outcomes from those simulation models may not be fully reliable for healthcare decision makers because they are unable to reflect the whole real system.
Although the application of OR techniques for behavioural analysis is gaining increased attention among researchers and practitioners, there is still a lack of research in this area, particularly in healthcare M&S. M&S for behavioural analysis seeks to understand and explore the behaviour of individuals and how they react to certain interventions within underlying systems.
This research argues that due to the high level of uncertainty and complexity dealing with human behaviour particularly in the healthcare context, modellers must incorporate the behavioural aspects of patients and staff to reflect on the quality of services provided and improve healthcare outcomes. In order to ensure that the results of simulation are applicable to the real world, modellers must understand the assumptions, conceptualizations, and implementation constraints of this human behaviour. In this research, we will report on the key findings from a comprehensive literature review on using M&S for behavioural analysis in the healthcare context. We discuss the current developments and challenges application of simulation techniques for behavioural analysis. This study also explores the specific characteristics of patients’ behaviour in order to investigate the issues that are usually being neglected by modellers in this area.
Modelling & Simulation (M&S) studies have been broadly used to gain insights necessary for coping with systems with high levels of complexity.
Modeling and Simulation (M&S) studies are used in healthcare to gain insights into different systems of
interest and assist decision-makers. There is a lack of studies that focus on…