Researchers Developing Tool to Simulate and Observe Impact of Changes on Effectiveness and Efficiency of Health Care Services for Osteoarthritis
A research team in Alberta is developing a decision support tool using system dynamics and computer simulation to show how health care system performance would be altered as resources or practices and protocols for treating patients with osteoarthritis are altered.
The new tool will enable administrators, care providers and policy planners to simulate changes and immediately observe their impact on the effectiveness and efficiency of health care service. This will help planners to identify approaches that can be used to resolve or manage problems in the health system, such as lengthy wait times, bed shortages and staffing constraints.
The enhanced planning capability offers opportunity to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of care, with positive results for patient outcomes and health system sustainability. This capability is highly sought after, especially in developed countries where aging populations and an obesity epidemic are driving up health care costs while economic turmoil is reducing the capacity of governments and individuals to pay.
The University of Calgary research team is led by Dr. Deborah Marshall and is working in partnership with Alberta Bone and Joint Health Institute and Alberta Health Services, the health service delivery agency for the Province of Alberta. Funding is provided through Alberta Innovates – Health Solutions and The Arthritis Society.
The tool will be capable of evaluating system changes in at least four dimensions: the projected health service needs of the population, the clinical pathway, human and capital resources, and financial resources.
The tool is being developed initially for services related to treating osteoarthritis (OA) in the hips and knees.
Investigators
- Deborah Marshall
Principal Investigator
- Cy Frank
- Tom Noseworthy
- Paul Rogers
- Tom Rohleder
- Mike Carter
- Colleen Maxwell
- Dianne Mosher
- Sonia Venderby
Decision Support Tool Being Developed for Hip and Knee Osteoarthritis Treatment
The Alberta research team is developing the decision support tool initially for services to treat patients who have hip or knee osteoarthritis (OA). In Alberta, joint diseases account for more than half of all chronic conditions in the population over the age of 60. Hip and knee OA is the most common joint disease. The incidence and prevalence of hip and knee OA are rising as Alberta’s population ages, further straining OA-related health care resources. Wait times for care are long and improvement in this area is a key priority for Albertans.
Computer Simulation Will Demonstrate How Altering Variables Changes Health Care Performance
The tool will employ a system dynamics model using powerful mathematics-based analysis and computer simulation to identify how health care system performance when treating osteoarthritis would be altered as variables, such as elements of a care path or resources, are changed.
For example, users could input a change in the number of surgical facilities or operating room hours and immediately see the impact on patient outcomes, cost, wait times and other critical aspects of health system performance. In addition to identifying how system performance would be altered, the system dynamics model will generate numerous outputs that could be used to measure and evaluate the system’s performance over time.
Relevant Data from Multiple Sources
To ensure the decision support tool is accurate and useful, the system dynamics model will be populated with relevant data on the demand and the available supply of services and resources for osteoarthritis health care. These data will be obtained from multiple sources, such as Alberta Bone and Joint Health Institute, Alberta Health Services, Alberta’s Ministry of Health and Wellness, and Statistics Canada.
All data will be aggregated and non-identifiable and the care delivery system will be examined at the Alberta population level to inform service planners. The tool will be updated and the system dynamics model populated with new data as they become available, providing decision makers with the information they need to make informed choices. The research team will expand the decision support tool’s applications as new questions and priorities emerge.
Decision Support Tool for Osteoarthritis Being Developed in Four Phases
