use 3 patients flows in one day

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question

FlexSim245 asked Oct 27, '21 Matthew Gillespie commented Nov 5, '21

use 3 patients flows in one day

Hi all,

In my model, healthcare model, i have three different patient flows and I wanted to alternate between them throughout the day. my model is for 24 hours (patient flow 1 to be used from 7 am to 10 am and patient flow 2 to be used from 10 pm to 4 pm, patients flow 3 from 4 pm to 12 am and then back to patient flow 2 from 12 am to 7am).

I thought about the source with the arrivals used, there is an option of offset/variability that has an option to use the parameters but I am not sure if there is a way to add a code for a new column and define a specific patient flow in each hour? thank you!

Software Version:

FlexSim 21.2.2

parameters patient flow operational hours

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Nathan B14 commented · Oct 29, 2021 at 02:16 PM

Hi @FlexSim245 was Jeanette's answer helpful? If so, please click the "Accept" button at the bottom of the one that best answers your question. Or if you still have questions, add a comment and we'll continue the conversation.

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Matthew Gillespie ♦♦ commented · Nov 02, 2021 at 03:22 PM

Why are you asking the exact same question you already asked and had answered?

https://answers.flexsim.com/questions/110077/use-multiple-patient-flows-throughout-the-day.html

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Answer 1 · 2021-10-27T21:00:49Z

Jeanette F answered Oct 27, '21 Jeanette F edited Nov 3, '21

Hello @FlexSim245,

You can add a label on the arrivals tableto be used to decide in what process flow the patient will be created.

1635368309956.png (9.7 KiB)

1635368395887.png (23.9 KiB)

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FlexSim245 commented · Nov 02, 2021 at 03:17 PM

@Jeanette F Thank you for the response! I tried to apply what was mentioned from your side, but I am confused since in my model I have the parameter as shown:

if we want to use the first patient flow, then the parameter is 1 , if 2 its 2 and so on. Also for the process flow I am confused what are the details of the decide activity, how to call the label name in this decide ? and the create patients also? I am not sure if we should add another 2 parameters (each one for a specific patient flow) . Could you please assist me in answering these questions also if its possible to send me the model?

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1635865816965.png (3.3 KiB)

Jeanette F ♦♦ FlexSim245 commented · Nov 03, 2021 at 11:03 PM

Hello @FlexSim245 ,

I apologize for not attaching my model. That would make replicating what I did a lot easier. In the Arrivals portion of the process flow, the source activity creates all the patients for the day at the assigned time. This then means you can assign the labels to correspond with the time of day they are created. The label will be used to decide what process flow the patients will use. In my example above, I used a decide activity to sort through the labels and then send the token to create the patient in the corresponding process flow. In the model I am attaching, the create patient activity has the logic to decide what process flow the patient is created in. This is very similar to Matthew Gillespie's answer to you.

One problem I could see with this method is if you use variability in the source. In that case a patient who was assigned to come before 10 could potentially arrive after 10. If that patient should use the patient flow for the time they actually arrived then the label for process flow should be assigned after. I created a custom code to assign the label depending on the time of day.

You can also assign the patient flow to be used by assigning a parameter in the table. You will have to change the parameter for the patients to be created in a different process flow.

Notice I changed the Case function to look at the parameter

Here is the model for you to examine. Please note that you should only have one source enabled at a time to clearly see the method work well. Also, please note that I set simulation stop times at 10 am and 4 pm so that you notice the exact time that the process flow should switch. When the simulation stops at these times just press run again.

HC- Change Patient Process Flows.fsm

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parameter.png (12.7 KiB)

hc-change-patient-process-flows.fsm (159.9 KiB)

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