MEDINFO2007 eHealth Simulation Tutorial

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1 S052 Tutorial: Systems Simulation in e-Health Policy and Practice
2 Relationship of this Tutorial to the Medinfo 2007 Theme of ‘Building Sustainable Health Systems’
3 Tutorial Content: Systems Simulation in e-Health Policy and Practice
4 Further information sources

[edit] S052 Tutorial: Systems Simulation in e-Health Policy and Practice

Monday 20th August 2007, 0900-1300, Venue P4, Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre, Queensland, Australia

Primary Presenter: Dr. Geoff McDonnell (Director, Adaptive Care Systems and Research Fellow, University of New South Wales)

Co-presenter: Mr. Steven Tipper (Project Coordinator, Medical & Scientific Unit, The Cancer Council NSW)

Abstract: e-Health experiments in the real world are often too expensive or impossible to reliably assess cause and effect in the presence of confounders. Dynamic systems simulation is being used to increase our understanding of climate change, environmental sustainability, systems biology and social networks, and to design and test new technologies. Newer techniques allow us to move between different scales of time and space, while maintaining the relevant interactions among context, process and human interactions. This workshop will introduce participants to the capabilities of new AnyLogic 6 software which combines system dynamics, discrete event, agent based and dynamical systems simulation within the eclipse framework and allows compelling and engaging animations accessible through web browsers. We will provide real world examples of using systems simulation to solve information and communications technology (ICT) problems, particularly in the interaction between policy, practice, workforce expertise and technology. These examples include realizing the benefits of national e-health infrastructure investment, improving health systems performance, sustainability and vulnerability analysis, dynamic supply and demand of health professionals with an ageing population and testing the impacts of ICT interventions on medication management and clinical team interactions.

Keywords: Systems Simulation; Multiscale modeling; System dynamics; Agent based modeling; Sustainability

Level: introductory

Description: e-Health experiments in the real world are often too expensive or impossible to reliably assess cause and effect in the presence of confounders. Dynamic systems simulation is being used to increase our understanding of climate change, environmental sustainability, systems biology and social networks, and to design and test new technologies. Newer techniques allow us to move between different scales of time and space, while maintaining the relevant interactions among context, process and human interactions. This workshop will introduce participants to the capabilities of new AnyLogic 6 software which combines system dynamics, discrete event, agent based and dynamical systems simulation within the eclipse framework and allows compelling and engaging animations accessible through web browsers. We will provide real world examples of using systems simulation to solve information and communications technology (ICT) problems, particularly in the interaction between policy, practice, workforce expertise and technology. These examples include:

realizing the benefits of national e-health infrastructure investment,
improving health systems performance,
sustainability and vulnerability analysis,
dynamic supply and demand of health professionals with an ageing population, and
testing the impacts of ICT interventions on medication management and clinical team interactions.

Attendee background: Participant interested in the application of computer simulation to health informatics policy and practice. Includes clinical, managerial, technical, policy and planning backgrounds

Learning Objectives: The participants will learn the current functionality of systems simulation software and how it is being applied to real world e-health policy and practice. They will also gain an understanding of emerging research, practice and educational activities in this maturing field.

Classification: Practice-oriented mostly, but will include update on current research and education in systems simulation.

[edit] Relationship of this Tutorial to the Medinfo 2007 Theme of ‘Building Sustainable Health Systems’

Facts:

Over the next 20 years our national health systems will have to treat proportionately more people, with more illness, higher expectations, and more expensive technologies, but using relatively less money and fewer workers.
Information, knowledge management and communication technologies are crucial enablers of system change.
If healthcare systems are to flourish in the coming setting of uncertain resources and increased demand, then they will have done so because we have explicitly designed and implemented new systems that are fundamentally sustainable.

Question: What form of health system can we envisage which is sustainable in the long run, and how do we set about building it?

Solution: From a System Simulation perspective we need to build sustainability models: helping us firstly understand the causes of unsustainable health practices and systems in health care, and design ones that will be able to manage in a world where demographics, burden of disease, and resources may not be available to provide the care we all aspire to give and receive.

[edit] Tutorial Content: Systems Simulation in e-Health Policy and Practice

What’s the problem? How do we make sense of and learn about complex interventions in complex systems? - Technology and Health - Diffusion of innovation - Social network analysis - Health reform dynamics - Rapid Learning (David Eddy)

What is Systems Simulation and Why Use it? Complex systems science meets clinical medicine Emerging health applications (examples will be shown)

What have we done? Recent technical modeling project for business case for National e-Health infrastructure (NeHTA) What were the results? What we learnt

Further work: Does it help understanding and policy decisions under uncertainty? How to improve its impact and usefulness?

Key Workshop Examples using AnyLogic® version 6.0