The Application of System Simulation in the Health Sector: A Rapid Review

Introduction: Implementation of applied mathematics aligned with evidence informed decision-making methods can be used for improving of health system performance. This research intends to help the policymakers decide on the use of simulation methods (with operations research techniques) in the health care by reviewing the available evidence. Methods: By such rapid-review, Cochrane, PubMed and Google Scholar databases have been searched by April 2023. The inclusion criteria were studies that investigated on the use of various kind of simulation (with operations research techniques) on the health policy context. Results: On the base of retrieved data, system dynamics (SD), discrete event simulation (DES), and agent-based modeling (ABM) were the most commonly used methods. SD is a way of creating computer models that show how complex systems work and change over time. DES refers to how things happen to one person, and what they experience in those situations. The ABM model looks at separate things and shows how they behave by following simple rules. Conclusion: These models (DS) can help combine feedback information with real-time data to create useful tools for managing health care and making health system policies. This new way of collecting information can help decision makers make better decisions.