A human behaviour-based simulation model for resource allocation at a multi-specialty outpatient clinic

Improving the performance of healthcare organisations and implementing management tools successfully depends heavily on understanding human behaviour. As a core behavioural dimension, stress affects outcomes in a variety of related decision-making and performance contexts, including resource and capacity planning. In this regard, this study proposes a human behaviour-based simulation approach for resource allocation in multi-speciality outpatient clinics. First, a stress model was developed for physicians, as the most critical resource in outpatient settings. Then, the resulting relationships were integrated into a discrete event simulation framework. To prove the relevance of our approach, we applied it to a case study conducted in a public multi-speciality outpatient clinic. Multiple “what-if” scenarios were tested and compared to the optimal exam room allocation. Findings show that, in contrast to a basic model, the proposed stress-driven model allocates effective numbers of exam rooms, setting physicians in their optimal stress zone, thereby leading to better performance.