Simulation of the Strabismus Care Pathway at the Rotterdam Eye Hospital

Every year in the Rotterdam Eye Hospital, about 600 patients are operated for strabismus. They follow a long lasting process until they undergo a pos- sible surgery. This is due to the long access times at various departments of the strabismus care pathway, because demand exceeds capacity. To lower the access times, the effects of different resource allocations on the access times have to be determined. We devise a double-transition model of the logistical system of the strabismus care pathway based on Markov chains. After the simulation of this model with different variables and parameters, the results are analyzed using regressions. It appears that in general, an increase in the capacity level at a certain department decreases the access times of that department. However, the effects on the access times of other departments are not unambiguous. The eye hospital can use these results to decide which resource allocation to implement.