AI Solutions Revolutionize Health-Care Scheduling Amid Workforce Challenges

Artificial
Intelligence
(AI)
is
making
significant
strides
in
healthcare,
particularly
in
the
realm
of
staff
scheduling.
This
innovation
is
addressing
the
chronic
issue
of
nurse
shortages
and
the
heavy
administrative
burden
on
healthcare
professionals,
according
to
Source
EMEA.

From
Paper
Sheets
to
AI
Tools

The
development
of
an
AI
scheduling
application
has
been
a
collaborative
effort
involving
visionary
hospital
executives,
a
Swiss
company
specializing
in
healthcare
scheduling
software,
staff
at
Luzerner
Kantonsspital
(LUKS),
and
Microsoft
technology
experts.
Andri
Puorger,
a
Microsoft
Switzerland
Account
Technology
Strategist
for
Healthcare,
played
a
pivotal
role
in
this
project.

Puorger’s
interest
in
healthcare
was
piqued
by
his
partner,
a
station
lead
in
the
intensive
care
unit
at
a
Zurich
hospital.
Through
her,
he
became
aware
of
the
nurse
shortage,
retention
challenges
due
to
heavy
workloads,
and
outdated
scheduling
practices.
This
realization
led
him
to
explore
technological
solutions
to
improve
efficiency.

“It
can’t
be
that
you
work
like
this,”
Puorger
remarked,
highlighting
the
inefficiency
of
traditional
scheduling
methods
that
required
significant
time
investment.
He
identified
Polypoint,
a
Swiss
company
with
expertise
in
healthcare
scheduling
software,
as
a
potential
collaborator
for
creating
a
more
streamlined
system
using
AI.

Collaboration
and
Innovation

Thomas
Buerdel,
Head
of
Innovation
at
Polypoint,
recalls
the
initial
discussions
with
Puorger
and
Senior
Program
Manager
Teams
Paul
Cherbin.
Despite
Polypoint’s
modest
size—90
employees
and
around
1,000
clients
in
healthcare—there
was
a
shared
vision
for
innovation.
Buerdel
noted,
“We
had
quite
a
few
questions
in
our
minds,
but
we
saw
the
potential
impact.”

Puorger
reassured
Buerdel
that
Microsoft’s
collaboration
would
leverage
Polypoint’s
deep
understanding
of
Swiss
healthcare
regulations
and
their
extensive
experience.
The
proposal
involved
integrating
Polypoint’s
AI-driven
scheduling
system
into
a
Microsoft
Teams
app,
making
it
accessible
to
hospital
staff
via
smartphones.

“I
thought
we
could
make
a
huge
impact
working
together,”
Puorger
said.
The
idea
was
well-received
by
both
LUKS
and
Polypoint,
leading
to
what
Puorger
described
as
a
“win-win-win
situation.”

Positive
Impacts
and
Future
Prospects

The
collaboration
fostered
a
sense
of
trust
and
respect
between
Microsoft
and
Polypoint.
Buerdel
emphasized
that
this
partnership
not
only
provided
Polypoint
with
greater
visibility
but
also
positively
impacted
their
image.
“The
collaboration
with
Microsoft
is
quite
cool,
and
it
helps
us
as
a
small
company
to
have
a
little
bit
of
awareness,”
he
said.

This
initiative
is
part
of
a
broader
trend
in
healthcare
where
AI
and
other
digital
tools
are
being
employed
to
reduce
administrative
burdens
and
allow
healthcare
professionals
to
focus
more
on
patient
care.
The
success
of
such
collaborations
could
pave
the
way
for
more
innovative
solutions
in
the
healthcare
sector,
addressing
longstanding
issues
and
improving
overall
efficiency.

For
more
detailed
information
on
this
development,
visit
the

Source
EMEA.

Image
source:
Shutterstock

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