Publication detail

Simulation and Improvement of Patients' Workflow in Heart Clinics during COVID-19 Pandemic Using Timed Coloured Petri Nets

Zeinalnezhad, M., Chofreh, A.G., Goni, F.A., Klemeš, J.J., Sari, E.

Original Title

Simulation and Improvement of Patients' Workflow in Heart Clinics during COVID-19 Pandemic Using Timed Coloured Petri Nets

Type

journal article in Web of Science

Language

English

Original Abstract

The COVID-19 epidemic has spread across the world within months and creates multiple challenges for healthcare providers. Patients with cardiovascular disease represent a vulnerable population when suffering from COVID-19. Most hospitals have been facing difficulties in the treatment of COVID-19 patients, and there is a need to minimise patient flow time so that staff health is less endangered, and more patients can be treated. This article shows how to use simulation techniques to prepare hospitals for a virus outbreak. The initial simulation of the current processes of the heart clinic first identified the bottlenecks. It confirmed that the current workflow is not optimal for COVID-19 patients; therefore, to reduce waiting time, three optimisation scenarios are proposed. In the best situation, the discrete-event simulation of the second scenario led to a 62.3% reduction in patient waiting time. This is one of the few studies that show how hospitals can use workflow modelling using timed coloured Petri nets to manage healthcare systems in practice. This technique would be valuable in these challenging times as the health of staff, and other patients are at risk from the nosocomial transmission.

Keywords

healthcare systems; hospital; COVID-19; discrete-event simulation; waiting time; timed coloured Petri net; heart clinic

Authors

Zeinalnezhad, M., Chofreh, A.G., Goni, F.A., Klemeš, J.J., Sari, E.

Released

2. 11. 2020

Publisher

MDPI, ST ALBAN-ANLAGE 66, CH-4052 BASEL, SWITZERLAND

Location

MDPI, ST ALBAN-ANLAGE 66, CH-4052 BASEL, SWITZERLAND

ISBN

1661-7827

Periodical

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (printed)

Year of study

17

Number

22

State

Swiss Confederation

Pages from

1

Pages to

18

Pages count

18

URL

https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/22/8577

BibTex

@article{BUT171181,
  author="Abdoulmohammad {Gholamzadeh Chofreh} and Feybi Ariani {Goni} and Jiří {Klemeš}",
  title="Simulation and Improvement of Patients' Workflow in Heart Clinics during COVID-19 Pandemic Using Timed Coloured Petri Nets",
  journal="International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (printed)",
  year="2020",
  volume="17",
  number="22",
  pages="1--18",
  doi="10.3390/ijerph17228577",
  issn="1661-7827",
  url="https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/22/8577"
}