The document discusses using simulations to model patient populations and healthcare systems. It introduces Synthea, an open-source tool that allows users to simulate patient populations by defining demographics and models of medical conditions and processes. Synthea then generates synthetic patient data that can be output in formats like FHIR and used to test healthcare applications and estimate outcomes. The document explains how simulations are useful when real-world data is limited and describes Synthea's framework for modeling clinical conditions and transitions between states over time.