Simulation modeling in the social care sector: A literature review

Research into the application of simulation modeling in healthcare is thriving. This is not the case for its step sister, social care, although it has long been recognized that the interface between healthcare and social care often causes problems that affect the performance at both sides. This paper presents a literature review of simulation modeling for the provision of social care services. It discusses the gap between findings from the literature and challenges in social care policies. Potential areas to which simulation modelers can contribute are highlighted. The literature shows that simulation modeling has contributed in areas such as demand, supply, service delivery methods (including the interface between care services and other services), and cost/financial modeling. However, a gap between the work reported in the literature and the challenges in social care policies exists. Hence, more work needs to be done to close the gap.