Simulation of a hematology department

Abstract

The model described characterizes standard hematological tests by the elementary steps composing them and permits study of the time required to process blood samples under various modes of laboratory organization and sample input schedules. The model was validated by use of one day's data from the hematology section of the clinical pathology laboratory at Passavant Memorial Hospital; different laboratories may be simulated by changing the relevant parameters. The basic purpose of the simulation is to generate a transformation function representing the clinical pathology laboratory as part of a general model of a complete hospital.