System, method, and computer program product for reducing the burden on scheduling systems by forecasting a demand for medical resources

A method for optimizing a schedule of at least one medical resource in at least one medical facility using a medical staff data set from a medical staff system, the medical staff data set corresponding to at least one medical procedure being performed using the at least one medical resource in the at least one medical facility during a first time period, the data within the medical medical staff data set being indicative of a utilization of the at least one medical resource during the first time period, the method comprising:

• retrieving the medical staff data set from the medical staff system using a computer processor;
• converting data within the medical staff data set into a utilization data set corresponding to a historical demand for the at least one medical resource in the at least one medical facility during the first time period using a computer processor;
• determining a forecast factor using data within the utilization data set, the forecast factor corresponding to an expected demand for the at least one medical resource in the at least one medical facility during a second time period, the second time period being subsequent to the first time period using a computer processor;
• and
• generating a schedule for the at least one medical resource based on the determined forecast factor indicating when during the second time period the at least one medical resource is expected to be utilized using a computer processor.

A computer program product for optimizing a schedule of at least one medical resource in at least one medical facility by retrieving a medical staff data set from a medical staff system, the medical staff data set corresponding to at least one medical procedure being performed using the at least one medical resource in the at least one medical facility during a first time period, the data within the medical staff data set being indicative of a utilization of the at least one medical resource during the first time period, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code instructions stored therein comprising:

• first computer instruction means for retrieving the medical staff data set from the medical staff system;
• second computer instruction means for converting data within the medical staff data set into a utilization data set corresponding to a historical demand for the at least one medical resource in the at least one medical facility during the first time period;
• third computer instruction means for determining a forecast factor using data within the utilization data set, the forecast factor corresponding to an expected demand for the at least one medical resource in the at least one medical facility during a second time period, the second time period being subsequent to the first time period;
• and
• fourth computer instruction means for generating a schedule for the at least one medical resource based on the determined forecast factor indicating at least a date and time during the second time period when the at least one medical resource is expected to be utilized using a processing element.