ORAHS2024
Abstract Submission

131. Trade-off analysis of staffing decisions and shift systems with special consideration of flexibility

Contributed abstract in session FC-5: Healthcare Management /3, stream Regular talks.

Friday, 14:00-15:30
Room: Room S6

Authors (first author is the speaker)

1. Milena Grieger
Business Administration, Universität Augsburg
2. Stefanie Ebel
Chair of Health Care Operations/Health Information Management, Faculty of Business and Economics, University of Augsburg
3. Jens Brunner
Department of Technology, Management, and Economics, Technical University of Denmark

Abstract

Personnel in hospitals generate the most relevant and biggest cost block. In particular, physician staffing and scheduling are of crucial importance. We focus on staffing decisions subject to a (flexible) shift system considering break assignments. The number of required physicians is minimized subject to essential constraints, e.g. the coverage of forecasted demand in each planning period as well as various legal regulations. We formulate the problem as an integer programming model and solve it with standard software. Random data representing eight distinct demand profiles, each comprising 25 instances, are utilized for our calculations. We explore inflexible (e.g. two twelve-hour shifts and no break), determinable (e.g. a maximum of five different shifts and a flexible break), and flexible models (e.g. multiple shifts and breaks), allowing for a comprehensive understanding of varying hospital conditions. Our findings underscore the significance of including breaks in shift systems and highlight the benefits of system flexibility in personnel scheduling. The examination of different demand profiles offers insights into the strengths and weaknesses of hospital requirements. Furthermore, tailoring the model flexibly to individual hospital conditions can significantly enhance physician satisfaction.

Keywords

Status: accepted

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