Workflow estimation of a radiology department using modelling and simulation

Abstract

Service delay has remained a persistent problem in the radiology departments of most Nigerian tertiary hospitals. This impact negatively on system efficiency and productivity, resource utilisation, and patient access to care. This work was designed to measure, analyse and forecast the workflow process in a radiology department using modelling and simulation. A prospective cross-sectional study was carried out in a tertiary hospital radiology department on randomly selected 768 adult ambulant patients that underwent routine radiographic investigations. Arrival time, service time and waiting time were measured for each patient and MATLAB Simulink was used to model and simulate the workflow process. The probability of n arrival is inversely related to the arrival rate. System utilisation increases with increase of the arrival rate and generally decreases with increase in the number of servers and mean service rate. The probability of the number of delays decreases at higher utilisation rates. A software program called 'MATLAB Estimator' was developed which showcases output parameters once the input parameters are known. Operations planning and control process can be enhanced by radiology service managers using forecasts of system demands which will enable work process improvement.