Simulation modeling movable hospital assets managed with RFID sensors

Abstract

Discrete Event Simulation (DES) is often used to test the operational efficiency of new systems before they are used in practice. Our focus is on tracking movable assets with Radio Frequency IDentification (RFID) sensors to enable efficient sharing of the assets between hospital departments. In a hospital, patients, equipment, and personnel interact in complex ways. Different types of assets require different models of usage in a simulation program. This paper presents a taxonomy for different movable assets, proposes appropriate simulation models for each asset type, and presents the results of simulating an asset tracking system for one particular movable asset type. In addition, the taxonomy in this paper can help other researchers understand the ways different assets are used, and develop software applications based on RFID sensor data.