Summary of simulation methods
| Study name | Simulation type | Rationale for simulation type | Model type | Simulation duration | Warm-up period | Simulation run | Simulation software |
| Anagnostou et al 21 | DES* | Yes | Specific | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | Repast Simphony |
| Au-Yeung et al 22 | DES† | Yes | Specific | Not reported | Not reported | 10 | Written in Java |
| Baboolal et al 23 | DES | Yes | Specific | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | Simul8 |
| Bowers et al 24 | DES | Yes | Specific | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported |
| Brailsford et al 10 | DES‡ | Yes | Specific | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | Simul8 |
| Coats and Michalis25 | DES | No | Specific | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | Simul8 |
| Codrington-Virtue et al 26 | DES | Yes | Specific | 52 weeks | Not reported | Not reported | Simul8 |
| Codrington-Virtue et al 27 | DES | Yes | Specific | 24 hours | 24 hours | 50 | Simul8 |
| Coughlan et al 28 | DES | Yes | Specific | 3 weeks | Not reported | Not reported | Simul8 |
| Davies29 | DES | Yes | Specific | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | Simul8 |
| Eatock et al 11 | DES | Yes | Specific | 3 weeks | Not reported | 20 | Simul8 |
| Fletcher et al 12 | DES | Yes | Generic | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | Simul8 |
| Günal and Pidd13 | DES§ | Yes | Generic | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | Micro Saint Sharp |
| Günal and Pidd30 | DES¶ | Yes | Generic | 52 weeks | 0 | 50 | Micro Saint Sharp |
| Hay et al 31 | DES | Yes | Specific | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | Arena |
| Komashie and Mousavi32 | DES | Yes | Specific | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | Arena |
| Lane et al 33 | SD** | Yes | Specific | 24 hours | Not reported | 6 | iThink |
| Lattimer et al 14 | SD†† | Yes | Specific | 52 weeks | Not reported | Not reported | Stella |
| Maull et al 34 | DES | Yes | Specific | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported |
| Meng and Spedding35 | DES | Yes | Specific | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | MedModel |
| Mould et al 36 | DES‡‡ | Yes | Specific | 3 months | 24 hours | Not reported | Simul8 |
*The authors used an agent-based simulation approach to model the ambulance service, but modelled the ED through a DES. These two individual models were then linked together to form a hybrid emergency services model.
†The authors used a Markovian queuing network, but computed the moments and densities of patient treatment time through a DES.
‡The authors used an SD model as part of a bigger picture, but modelled the ED through a DES.
§The authors used their ED model elsewhere37 to form a whole hospital DES model consisting of two other departments: inpatient and outpatient clinics.
¶The authors used their ED model elsewhere38 to form a whole hospital DES model consisting of three other components: inpatient bed management, waiting list management and outpatient clinics.
**The authors used their ED model elsewhere39 to explore the issues that arise when involving healthcare professionals in the process of model building.
†† The authors constructed the ED as a separate submodel which was not detailed in the paper. However, we believe this ED submodel14 is identical to the ED model reported in another included study.10
‡‡ The authors used their ED model elsewhere40 to illustrate the role of care pathways to the redesign of healthcare systems.
DES, discrete event simulation; ED, emergency department; SD, system dyamics.