Creating work schedules with AI reduces physician burnout

Editor's Note

Artificial intelligence (AI)-based scheduling significantly improved physician engagement and reduced burnout, in this study presented by Ochsner Health researchers, January 28, at the American Society of Anesthesiologists’ ADVANCE 2022, the Anesthesiology Business Event, in Dallas.

The AI-based scheduling software, which created fair and flexible schedules that supported work-life balance, granted more vacation days, reduced ungranted vacation days, and provided flexibility and predictability, resulted in significantly improved engagement scores from anesthesiologists within 6 months—from 3.3 to 4.2 out of 5.

In the previous system, staff created the schedule via an Excel spreadsheet that took 60 to 75 hours per month. The AI system generates the schedule over a 14-hour period and provides an unlimited number of combinations to deliver the best options for the department.