Attain and SIMUL8 joined forces in 2020 to introduce a groundbreaking initiative – a free COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU) preparation simulation. This simulation aimed to provide hospitals with a valuable tool for assessing their capacity to handle COVID-19 patients by evaluating bed availability, ventilator supply, and necessary staffing levels.
ICUs played a crucial role in treating severely ill COVID-19 patients, utilizing equipment like ventilators and bedside machines. However, hospitals often faced resource limitations, making it challenging to determine if they could adequately meet the demand during the pandemic. The availability of ICU beds equipped with necessary machinery significantly impacted the mortality rate of COVID-19. As healthcare systems worldwide struggled to cope with the disease, many countries canceled non-urgent surgeries and redirected resources to increase ICU bed capacity for critically ill patients.
With the mounting number of patients requiring intensive care, healthcare professionals within the National Health Service (NHS) expressed a keen interest in utilizing simulation to forecast the demand for ICU beds and the associated staffing requirements as severe cases continued to rise.
Attain and SIMUL8 developed this simulation model based on their collective experience in assisting hospitals with bed capacity planning and management using simulation techniques.
Learn more about their collaboration here.
The significance of simulation tools for ICU preparation and capacity planning remains relevant in 2023. As the COVID-19 pandemic persists, hospitals continue to confront the ongoing challenges and potential surges in cases. Simulation models like the one provided by Attain and SIMUL8 can still play a valuable role in assisting healthcare organizations in assessing ICU requirements, optimizing resource allocation, and forecasting demand. Also, as new variants of the virus emerge and vaccination campaigns progress, the simulation model can be adapted and updated to reflect the changing landscape. This ensures that hospitals stay prepared and equipped to handle future waves or outbreaks.
The collaboration between Attain and SIMUL8 in launching the free COVID-19 ICU preparation simulation serves as yet another example highlighting the important relationships between technology, innovation, and the pursuit of a healthier world.
