Simulation and Digital Twins
In recent years, there has been a growing emphasis on the use of modeling and simulation methods to support decision-making in public health, especially for managing complex systems. At the forefront of this movement is the development of digital twins – real-time virtual representations of physical systems. In the healthcare sector, digital twins can be broadly classified into two types: Individual Digital Twins, which model a single patient, and Organizational Digital Twins (ODTs), which focus on simulating and managing healthcare delivery processes. This course focuses on Organizational Digital Twins. Participants will engage in a serious game, taking on the role of a surgical department manager. They will be challenged to respond to external events—such as sudden changes in demand—and make strategic decisions accordingly. To support these activities, participants will be provided with a prototype of a synchronous ODT and will also have the opportunity to contribute to the development of an asynchronous ODT. This asynchronous version will enable predictive simulations, allowing users to evaluate the performance of alternative organizational strategies under different scenarios.