Applications of Agent-Based Modeling and Simulation to Healthcare Operations Management

Abstract

Agent-based modeling (ABM) is rapidly gaining momentum in many fields, and it has added to the insights previously contributed by other modeling and simulation methods such as system dynamics and discrete event simulation. Healthcare operations management is one field that is particularly well-suited for ABM because it involves many individuals that interact in different ways. ABM is capable of explicitly modeling these individuals and the interactions among them, which facilitates the discovery of system behavior that cannot be observed using other methods. ABM has been applied successfully to several focus areas within the field of healthcare operations management, including, but not limited to: healthcare delivery, epidemiology, economics, and policy. In this chapter, we review and evaluate a selected body of research in which agent-based modeling and simulation techniques are applied to problems in healthcare. We also highlight specific areas where agent-based modeling and simulation filled a significant gap that was not addressed previously by other methods. Finally, we propose some new questions in the field which may be of interest moving forward.