It can be used to analyse medical decision-making in relation to patient admission and discharge, and it can also be utilised as a learning-training tool. The discrete event simulation model developed matches real-world ICU admission and discharge processes, as well as patient health status, utilising real-world clinical data (instead of using a single value for the length of stay). ICU physicians and nurses from four hospitals have utilised and validated this versatile tool, which allows them to recreate ICUs with various features (number type of patients who come, congestion level, etc.). We demonstrate the heterogeneity among physicians in their decision-making regarding the issue of the last bed, which are dealt with in a broad sense: it is not simply about the last bed. It's not just about assigning the final available ICU bed; it's also about how the physician makes decisions about patient admission and discharge when the ICU fills up.
