Using simulation to reduce length of stay in emergency departments.

A growing number of hospitals are using health care-specific simulation technology to help identify process improvements, particularly when there are a number of alternatives under consideration. New software is now available which specifically meets the unique needs of health care. This paper describes how a team at one Emergency Services department in a SunHealth alliance hospital used simulation technology to test alternatives and choose a solution to significantly reduce the length of stay for patients in the Emergency Department.