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The importance of simulation is that any of the dozens of objects, interactions and durations can be revised and the simulation rerun, generating different results. In an Emergency Department, the effects of adding or subtracting a bed or a physician, modifying the length of time to discharge or admit a patient, or increasing or decreasing the rate of patient arrival, is often a matter of great debate, but with little science behind the debate. With simulation, changes to any of those dozens of objects, interactions and durations can be evaluated, often within seconds.
If simulation is so effective, why hasn't it been used more? Three reasons:
- It can be very time consuming to develop a model. In most simulation packages, it takes weeks or months to prepare all the various objects and activities.
- It can be very difficult to develop a simulation. There's usually significant programming involved and because simulation is such a specialized field, consultants usually need to be hired.
- It can be very expensive if you have to hire a consultant or assign an employee to the task for a significant length of time.
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