Process Modelling with Petri Nets

The process:

PTSS applications are assessed by public hospitals and health facilities in line with the PTSS eligibility criteria.

In the following, a simplified process of Health Institution handling a PTSS application is described. 

• The patient journey starts with:

1. General Practitioner (GP) informing the person they need to see a specialist and that they may be eligible for PTSS;

2. Patients check their eligibility according to the eligibility criteria documented in step 1

• If they are eligible for the service and if they do not have a PTSS account, they then register for PTSS account by filling up form A.

• If they hold a PTSS account, they inform the doctor to fill in the application form B on their behalf.

• The GP will go online and use form B entering the patient’s details and needs during the consultation.

  Form B will be sent to the PTSS backend system.

• Once the form is sent to the PTSS backend, patients will receive a tracking number for the application.

• Using the tracking number, the patient can track their application’s progress from here until before the application is approved or rejected. For example, the patient can track and ensure the doctor has lodged form B and their Form A has been accepted.

• The application will then be processed by HHS Travel teams without the patient needing to mail or go in person to the hospital.

• The HHS will be provided status updates through the PTSS backend system before an outcome is issued.

• Once an outcome is known the Patient will receive an SMS notification, and also a notification via email if they request it.

• If the outcome is positive (i.e. the application is approved), patients can choose to

• HHS then book accommodation and travel, patients will be notified once the travel and

  accommodation arrangements are arranged.

• Upon confirmation of the accommodation arrangement, patients also receive a reminder from the PTSS backend system.

• If the outcome is negative (i.e. the application is rejected), the application ends here.

• With the accommodation and travel confirmed (either arranged by HHS travel team or by patients themselves), an email message will be sent to the Specialist offices informing them that their patient is a PTSS patient.

• By this stage of the process patients should receive an email confirmation of their specialist appointment with details such dates and time. Upon receiving such a confirmation, patients are ready to attend the appointment.

• After patients attend the appointment, if there are further appointments required, the Specialist offices let the patient fill in Form B which will be available online by logging in to the PTSS page.

• To confirm attendance of each appointment, the Specialist offices will be required to complete Form C using a PTSS backend system form.

• When patients return home after their appointment, patients who booked their own travel and accommodation will need to submit tax invoices. Payments will be paid to these patients once their invoices are received.

TASK 1:

You are a process consultant at the Department of Health. Model all the processes captured in the proposed scenario as a Workflow net. As this Workflow net will be used as a basis for implementing an information system to support PTSS applications, it must reflect the proposed scenario as close as possible. Ensure that your model is free of syntax errors and that every occurrence sequence in the resulting Workflow net can be extended to an occurrence sequence that leads to the marking that puts one token in the only terminal place of the Workflow net and no tokens elsewhere.

TASK 2
a) Analyse the workflow net you developed in task 1 and discuss possible improvements. For example, are there any bottlenecks in the process? If so, what can be done to remove them? Also, describe any subsystems identified.
b) Discuss any difficulties or limitations you may have experienced when capturing the scenario in a workflow net. Were there any aspects of the scenario that were difficult to effectively capture?* If so, explain why do you think Petri nets are not appropriate for modelling that aspect? Also, discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using a Petri net diagram, such as the one modelled, as a means of defining, analysing and communicating processes within an information system.
*note: We will be looking for points that are mentioned in the proposed scenario but are not modelled in your answer to Task 1. Your answers must cover the whole scenario, i.e., every fact from the proposed scenario should either be modelled in your answer to Task 1 or mentioned (and discussed) in your answer to Task 2. Finally, we will be looking at the proportion of information about the proposed scenario that you managed and not managed to capture in your Workflow net. All the information that relates to process steps and their dependencies must be modelled in your answer to Task 1.