Reflections on two approaches to hybrid simulation in healthcare

Hybrid simulation, the combination of simulation paradigms to address a problem is becoming more popular as the problems we are presented with become more complex. This is evidenced by an increase in the number of hybrid papers published in specific domains and the number of hybrid simulation frameworks being produced across domains. This paper focuses on two hybrid simulation models from a healthcare context. The first uses system dynamics and discrete-event simulation and was developed using two separate software tools (Vensim and Simul8). The second uses agent-based and discrete-event simulation and was developed in a single software environment, Anylogic. The reflections on these models add to the debate about the viability of hybrid modelling and suggest future steps to support the take up of the approach.