Adaptive resource allocation for efficient patient scheduling.

Area of Science:

• Operations Research
• Healthcare Management
• Computer Simulation

Background:

• Efficient scheduling of patient appointments on expensive resources is a complex and dynamic task.
• Resource capacity allocation must be flexible due to demand fluctuations for optimal resource utilization.
• Resources are often shared by multiple patient groups, requiring dynamic management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an adaptive approach for automatic optimization of resource calendars.
• To enable flexible and adaptive capacity allocation to different patient groups based on current and future demand.
• To determine optimal resource opening hours over a larger time frame.

Main Methods:

• An adaptive approach to automatic optimization of resource calendars was developed.
• Capacity allocation to patient groups is flexible and adaptive to current and expected future situations.
• Extensive case analysis at the Academic Medical Hospital Amsterdam informed the model and parameter values.

Main Results:

• A comprehensive computer simulation of the application case was implemented.
• Simulation experiments demonstrated improved performance in scheduling patient groups with different attributes.
• The adaptive capacity allocation approach ensures efficient use of resource capacity.

Conclusions:

• The adaptive capacity allocation strategy enhances the efficiency of scheduling diverse patient groups.
• The developed approach leads to more effective utilization of expensive healthcare resources.
• This method provides a dynamic solution for optimizing resource calendars in healthcare settings.