Examining the Hospital as a Complex Dynamical System: Using Agent-Based Modeling to Gain Insight into Potential Process Bottlenecks

On May 1st, 2018, the University of Chicago Medical Center became a level 1 trauma center. This was the latest major hospital system to transition from a non-trauma medical center to a level-one trauma center. It was a reflection of what could be accomplished when the university came together with the community to tackle trauma, specifically gun violence, through a public health lens. To re-engineer the hospital departments to accommodate a level 1 trauma center, it was necessary to better understand the hospital as a complex dynamic system and its functions. In this chapter, we discussed the hospital as a complex dynamic system, using the Agent-Based Model and simulation (ABMS) to gain insight into the hospital dynamic systems and examine the scope of the challenge. We discussed the proto-hospital agent-based model (HABM) as an experimental aid for major trauma center planning. At the end of the chapter, we will understand that though remaining a ‘Toy Model’, the HABM does provide a system-level insight and qualitative suggestions as to where problems may arise when opening a trauma center.