A multidisciplinary simulation tool for healthcare emergency management

The aim of this research is to propose a multidisciplinary and integrated solution for healthcare system analysis. The specific goal of the simulation model is the development of an analytical algorithm to support healthcare rescuers to define how to make optimal choices in the face of risk (or uncertainty). The methodological approach integrates three aspects: 1) triage algorithm, to assess patients' condition 2) multicriteria analysis, to define a ranking of hospitals and 3) emergency simulation. Medical staff, through the mathematical application of the triage algorithm, assesses patients' condition by assigning them a severity code. Then, through a multi-criteria approach a ranking of hospitals is defined. Thus, the decision maker can easily find the most suitable hospital where transfer patient. Finally, the model is simulated through Flexsim Software(c). The research tries to overcome the qualitative evaluation that characterize the traditional healthcare models. The model is implemented in a real case study concerning an emergency scenario in a petrochemical plant.