Centralized Waiting List for Outpatient Physiotherapy in the Central Zone of the Nova Scotia Health Authority

Abstract

This thesis utilizes discrete event simulation to model four outpatient physiotherapy locations in the Central Zone of the Nova Scotia Health Authority. Centralization of intake is being considered to increase efficiency and allow for pooling of resources in the network. The model allows the user to modify the scheduling policy, effectively changing the queuing discipline, to schedule patients in to New and Return appointments. Management is considering sending low priority patients to locations other than their origin hospital to alleviate their long and volatile wait times. The model also allows the user to modify the master schedule of available appointments, e.g. change the number of appointments or adjust the mix of New and Return appointments. The importance of the model is that management can quantify the impacts of scheduling decisions before making them.