Research Reports from the Department of Operations
Document Type
Report
Publication Date
1-1-1977
Abstract
This paper describes the structure of an interactive dental practice management game, with special emphasis on its design and computer implementation. The game covers a wide spectrum of management decisions in setting up and in running a dental practice. The decisions considered include practice location, the form of practice, staffing mix and salaries, and the purchasing or leasing of equipment. The game also covers major daily, monthly, and yearly decisions, including forecasting patient load, economic analysis, and scheduling of patients, workers, and operatories. As three levels of decisions (daily, monthly, yearly) are considered, the game has a multi-level structure. The program system is modularized based on this time level, and also from a functional point of view. The game is designed so that it can be used both as an educational tool and as a planning tool. The game incorporates a random mechanism to reflect random aspects of real-world. The program is written in interactive FORTRAN and is implemented at several dental schools.
Keywords
Operations research, Dental offices--Management, Dentistry--Practice--Management, Computer-generated simulations as evidence, Dentistry--Study and teaching--Simulation methods, Management games, Computer-assisted instruction
Publication Title
Technical Memorandums from the Department of Operations, School of Management, Case Western Reserve University
Issue
Technical memorandum no. 428
Rights
This work is in the public domain and may be freely downloaded for personal or academic use
Recommended Citation
Morito, Susumu; Reisman, Arnold; Emmons, Hamilton; and Rivaud, Juan, "On Designing and Implementing a Dental Practice Management Game" (1977). Research Reports from the Department of Operations. 353.
https://commons.case.edu/wsom-ops-reports/353