The feasibility and impact on mobility and costs of transferring the administration of parenteral medication from the hospital to an external outpatient setting : A Discrete-Event Simulation study

Isala is the largest top-clinical hospital in The Netherlands, with its main location in Zwolle. To cope with the growing demand and shortages in healthcare and to adhere to the agreements made in the Integral Care Agreement, Isala has the ambition to transfer the administration of parenteral medication from the hospital close to the patient's home. Currently, Isala provides care for oncology and Immune Mediated Inflammatory Diseases (IMID) patients close to home by administering parenteral medication at patients' homes and in the external outpatient clinics. However, it is unknown what the feasibility and the impact on mobility and costs is of transferring the administration from the hospital to the external outpatient setting. A Discrete Event Simulation model was developed to estimate the feasibility and impact on mobility and costs of the transfer.