Can modeling and simulation enable collaborative innovation?
I was watching the Master's Tournament this weekend and enjoyed the incredible high-definition television images from Augusta National. As a true geek wannabe I was most impressed with the use of a simulation model of the entire golf course and how it enhanced my viewing experience. If modeling and simulation technology can improve the experience of watching a golf tournament surely it can help to improve more important experiences for us as patients, students, citizens, and consumers.
I believe that modeling and simulation has an important role to play in enabling system innovation in the areas that matter most - little problems like healthcare, education, public safety, and quality of life. These tools can help the BIF community accomplish our mission to enable collaborative innovation by accelerating the transition of new business model ideas from the white board on to a real world test bed.
Today I have the opportunity to welcome many like-minded geeks at the plenary session of a national conference "Modeling and Simulation Innovation at the Intersections" which is hosted by two national leaders in this space SISO (Simulation Interoperability Standards Organization) and BRIMS (Behavior Representation in Modeling and Simulation).
I like this quote from the conference organizers: "It's time for us to converge, to explore our common and diverse interests by exploring the intersection and seeking an explosion of ideas." Sound familiar?
In my plenary session welcoming remarks I will ask all of the conference participants:
"How can modeling and simulation help our BIF community to enable collaborative innovation?"
and even more specifically
"How can it help us in our Nursing Home of the Future project to explore and test better ways to deliver care to our growing elder population?"
I hope they are receptive because we can use their help. I welcome your thoughts - please add your input or comments below.
Posted April 14, 2008 08:15 AM by Saul Kaplan | Permalink
There are obviously many types of simulations, from those that "mimic" the greens at Augusta to those that replicate complex processes and systems. I believe that the latter has a tremendous role to play in healthcare, as healthcare leaders realize the ability to accurately analyze what has heretofore been perceived as "chaotic randomness". We are slowly moving towards a more "engineered" solution to critical issues of capacity and throughput in hospitals and healthcare systems. However, I have seen simulation help and hurt these situations. Only through the "humble" use of tools like discrete event simulation (e.g. simulation as a tool in the bag of the performance improver) can we begin to bring strategically viable and important tools to the table to aid in solving healthcare's most pressing issues. Otherwise, simulation will remain an expensive and "academic" exercise in the "validation of the obvious".
Posted by: Pierce Story | April 14, 2008 10:30 PM