Drive-Through Vaccination Clinic Modelling Using VBA

Abstract

With the strain placed on healthcare systems due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Canadian healthcare system needed to adopt creative ways to immunize communities. Adopting models from drive-through vaccination clinics in other jurisdictions, providers in Canada adapted to delivering vaccines in drive-through clinic settings. However, the novelty of this delivery mechanism made planning for an efficient drive-through clinic challenging. Planning and organizing a drive-through vaccination clinic is an intricate process involving thoughtful assessment of various factors. This includes the availability of space and infrastructure, staffing requirements, vaccine supply, and communication strategies, all of which must be meticulously planned and executed to ensure a successful and efficient vaccination process. The presented model is a valuable tool for healthcare providers looking to streamline the design and planning process of drive-through vaccination clinics. Its user-friendly interface, built on the widely used Microsoft Excel program, requires no additional software or specialized simulation skills, making it accessible to a wider range of users. The model creates a resource-intensive clinic layout while adhering to bottleneck limitations using an M/M/s/K (limited/finite capacity) queuing network model. This method provides a picture of how the clinic runs, allowing for efficient clinic performance adjustment. A feasibility study that verified the concept gave decision-makers the assurance they needed to plan for an effective clinic. A feasibility study was carried out to validate the concept, showing its effectiveness in practice and giving decision-makers the assurance to design and operate an effective clinic. This model is an important addition to the planning and design tools used by the healthcare industry because of its usability, which ultimately raises the standard of care provided to patients.