Case Study: Indiana University Health improves patient flow with AnyLogic

Improving Patient Flow at an Outpatient Clinic Using Discrete Event Simulation Modeling

Indiana University Health Arnett Hospital, part of Indiana University Health, faced rising no-show rates of up to 30% in its multispecialty outpatient clinic. Scheduling was heavily influenced by staff preferences, leading to inconsistent rules, poor flow, and the need for a more predictive appointment scheduling approach. AnyLogic simulation software was used to help address the challenge.

Using AnyLogic, contractors from Texas A&M University built a discrete-event simulation model of appointments, arrivals, and checkups, segmenting patients into five priority-based groups and allowing users to test different demand, no-show, and doctor-capacity scenarios. AnyLogic enabled fast what-if analysis of physician schedules and quantified key KPIs such as utilization, overtime, waiting time, lead time, and daily capacity, helping improve efficiency and patient experience.

Indiana University Health