A Local Search Algorithm for the Assignment and Work Balance of a Health Unit

Néstor Díaz-Escobar, Pamela Rodríguez, Verónica Semblantes, Robert Taylor, Daniel Morillo-Torres, Gustavo Gatica

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contributionpeer-review

Abstract

In any healthcare service, guidelines regarding the number of staff and how to respond to patient demand must be followed. In Chile, to ensure there is 24/7 care, coordinators use a manual allocation model system called “The Fourth Shift” (TFS) to assign staff. The model has a four-day shift pattern which allocates 48 h of work and 48 h of rest. However, scheduling healthcare workers is always a challenge, as there are administrative, legal and individual constraints. A balanced shift assignment, meaning one that considers work hours and specific staff requests, has a significant impact on an overall work environment. To find a fair balance, this paper proposes a two-phase heuristic. The first is a constructive phase and the second is a local search phase. This paper simultaneously incorporates six Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and chance events aiming at leveling the workload for healthcare workers. The heuristics are validated with one-month shifts for a healthcare service with 12 nurses. The results validate the effectiveness of the proposed approach by disrupting the solution with five cumulative scenarios.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationService Oriented, Holonic and Multi-Agent Manufacturing Systems for Industry of the Future - Proceedings of SOHOMA LATIN AMERICA 2021
EditorsDamien Trentesaux, Theodor Borangiu, Paulo Leitão, Jose-Fernando Jimenez, Jairo R. Montoya-Torres
PublisherSpringer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH
Pages208-222
Number of pages15
ISBN (Print)9783030809058
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2021
Event1st Latin-American Workshop on Service-Oriented, Holonic and Multi-Agent Manufacturing Systems for Industry of the Future, SOHOMA LATIN AMERICA 2021 - Bogota, Colombia
Duration: 27 Jan 202128 Jan 2021

Publication series

NameStudies in Computational Intelligence
Volume987
ISSN (Print)1860-949X
ISSN (Electronic)1860-9503

Conference

Conference1st Latin-American Workshop on Service-Oriented, Holonic and Multi-Agent Manufacturing Systems for Industry of the Future, SOHOMA LATIN AMERICA 2021
Country/TerritoryColombia
CityBogota
Period27/01/2128/01/21

Keywords

  • Healthcare service
  • Heuristics
  • Nurse rostering
  • Shift assignment

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Artificial Intelligence

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