Simulation of patient flow in a picture archival and communications system network.

As hospital radiology departments expand their use of digitally formatted imaging devices, these machines will be connected in local area networks called Picture Archival and Communications Systems (PACS). The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the use of computer simulation to analyze the process of patients using a PACS. The flexibility of using simulation on a proposed PACS is shown, starting with the description of a basic model. Different machine networks are run and the results compared. Simulation modeling provides a valuable tool to hospital and department administrators in detecting possible problem areas which may occur with proposed PACS configurations under assumed patient loads.