A Simulation-Based Planning Methodology for Decreasing Patient Waiting Times in Pure Walk-In Clinics

Abstract

This article presents a simulation-based planning methodology that aims to improve patient service quality in pure walk-in clinics. Capacity planning is one of the major challenges in walk-in clinics because of the uncertainty in both patient demand and arrival times. This work presents a discrete-event simulation model for walk-in clinics that takes into consideration patient behavior in terms of arrival times for capacity planning at the clinic level. The goal of the model is to provide a tool that will allow clinics to develop protocols that will reduce patient waiting times by scheduling doctor and medical assistants considering demand uncertainties. A case study is presented to illustrate the benefits of the methodology. The results of the computational study show that by allocating the right number of resources at particular times of the day, walk-in clinics can achieve operational steady state while providing services to patients with minimum waiting times. The tool can be adapted and used to support any walk-in clinic.