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A decision support system for cyclic master surgery scheduling with multiple objectives

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Abstract

This paper presents a decision support system for cyclic master surgery scheduling and describes the results of an extensive case study applied in a medium-sized Belgian hospital. Three objectives are taken into account when building the master surgery schedule. First of all, the resulting bed occupancy at the hospitalization units should be leveled as much as possible. Second, a particular operating room is best allocated exclusively to one group of surgeons having the same speciality; i.e., operating rooms should be shared as little as possible between different surgeon groups. Third, the master surgery schedule is preferred to be as simple and repetitive as possible, with few changes from week to week. The system relies on mixed integer programming techniques involving the solution of multi-objective linear and quadratic optimization problems, and on a simulated annealing metaheuristic.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Research Center for Modelling and Simulation, Campus Economische Hogeschool, Hogeschool-Universiteit Brussel (HUB), Stormstraat 2, 1000, Brussels, Belgium

    Jeroen Beliën

  2. Departament of Decision Sciences and Information Management, Faculty of Business and Economics, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Naamsestraat 69, 3000, Leuven, Belgium

    Jeroen Beliën, Erik Demeulemeester & Brecht Cardoen

Authors
  1. Jeroen Beliën
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  2. Erik Demeulemeester
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  3. Brecht Cardoen
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Correspondence to Jeroen Beliën.

Additional information

J. Beliën as postdoctoral researcher supported by Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek—Vlaanderen.

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Beliën, J., Demeulemeester, E. & Cardoen, B. A decision support system for cyclic master surgery scheduling with multiple objectives. J Sched 12, 147–161 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10951-008-0086-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10951-008-0086-4

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