Software– DynamicPlanner
While not a means by itself, the IT component of the offering is key to a successful deployment.
For this purpose, Care Dynamics developed a sophisticated software toolkit, that has 3 unique elements:
- A simulation module for forward visibility, supported by a data model and methodology for describing care-paths;
- An optimiser for managing bottlenecks; and
- Rich reporting for monitoring performance.
A comprehensive data model underlies the entire software framework. This includes a novel method to define logistic care profiles for all patient care delivered by the facility. This method is an amalgam of data-intensive techniques and expert judgment that create a unique representation of care-paths for patient groups. The forward-visibility module allows hospital planners to project and simulate hospital-wide resource utilisation in the 1-3 month tactical planning time horizon. This forecast is based on estimated arrivals of patients and a dynamic representation of the current patient population.
The special-purpose optimiser helps derive planning blueprints for key bottleneck resources (e.g. operating rooms, beds and ambulatory clinics), thereby reducing the fluctuation in their utilisation and facilitating greater efficiency.
The reporting module supports multi-faceted analysis of historical data, allowing hospital planners to evaluate past performance and use this feedback-loop as an integral part of their planning cycle.
