Surgical Block Scheduling Optimizer

Principal workflows

• Measure: Scheduled and completed cases flow in from your EHR's surgical module, and block utilization is calculated the same way for every service, using the definitions your committee agrees.
• Predict and release: For each upcoming block, the Optimizer estimates how likely the time is to go unused, based on booking patterns, and suggests release to the block owner in time for the time to be rebooked.
• Schedule: When a case is booked, the scheduler sees an estimated duration from your historical data for that surgeon and procedure alongside the requested time, and decides what to book.
• Review allocations: Before each allocation review, the Optimizer prepares utilization, release behavior and demand for open time by service, and models proposed allocation changes for the committee to decide.

Who uses it

• Perioperative services directors and operating room managers
• OR schedulers and surgeon office schedulers
• Surgical department chairs and service line leaders
• Anesthesia leadership who plan staffing against the schedule
• Perioperative governance committees who set block policy

Reporting

• Block utilization by surgeon, service, room and period, on one agreed definition
• Time released, when it was released and whether it was rebooked
• Booked durations compared with estimates and actual times
• First-case starts, turnover and overruns
• Open-time requests and waitlist demand by service
• Allocation changes with the committee's rationale

Features

• Consistent utilization: Block utilization calculated with one definition your committee agrees, including how turnover, releases and add-on cases are counted, and shown with the calculation.
• Unused-time prediction: Each upcoming block scored on how likely it is to go unused, with the booking patterns behind the score shown to the block owner.
• Release suggestions: Suggestions to release time sent to block owners before your release deadline, with one-step release, keep or partial release.
• Automatic release rules: Unbooked time released at the deadline your policy sets for each service, with exceptions recorded.
• Case duration estimates: Estimated durations for each surgeon and procedure from your own completed cases, with a range and the number of cases behind each estimate.
• Open-time requests and waitlist: Surgeons request open or released time in one place, and requests are matched to time as it becomes available.
• Room fit view: See how booked cases, estimated durations and turnover fit into each room's staffed hours before the day arrives.
• Allocation modeling: Model a proposed change to block allocations against past schedules and demand before the committee decides.
• Late start and overrun tracking: First-case start times, turnover and overruns measured by room, service and surgeon, with reasons recorded where staff enter them.
• Model monitoring: Estimates compared with actual durations over time, so you can see whether the predictions remain reliable and when they need retraining.
• Surgeon scorecards: Each surgeon and office sees their own utilization, releases and booking accuracy, using the same definitions as the committee.
• Audit trail: Every release, allocation change, booking adjustment and policy change is logged with the person, time and reason.

Integrations

• EHR surgical scheduling: Block templates, booked cases, case requests and case times from your EHR's surgical module, through HL7 SIU messages, FHIR or scheduled extracts mapped during implementation.
• Release and booking updates: Releases and booking adjustments decided in the Optimizer are sent back to the EHR scheduling module where your EHR supports it, or worked there by schedulers from a task list.
• Staffing and anesthesia scheduling: Staffed room hours and anesthesia coverage from your staffing system, so room fit reflects the rooms you can actually run.
• Integration engine: Feeds can be routed through the integration engine you already use, including a Moraph-managed integration engine.
• Email and messaging: Release suggestions and open-time notices reach surgeon offices by email or your secure messaging platform.
• Single sign-on: Staff sign in through your identity provider (SAML or OpenID Connect).
• Work API: Utilization, release and booking data available to your data warehouse and reporting tools through the Moraph Work API.

Deployment

• Moraph cloud: Hosted and operated by Moraph in the United States region. United Kingdom and Australia regions are available for organizations outside the US.
• Dedicated environment: A single-tenant environment for health systems whose policies require isolation, scoped in the proposal.
• With a managed service: Optionally run alongside Moraph's managed integration engine for interface monitoring and support.

Security and privacy

• Single sign-on: Staff sign in through your identity provider, so your password and multi-factor policies apply.
• Role-based access: What each person can see and do follows their role; a surgeon office sees its own blocks and cases, not other surgeons' patients.
• Business associate agreement: Case schedules contain protected health information, and Moraph signs a business associate agreement with you.
• Encryption and keys: Client data is encrypted, with keys Moraph staff cannot use without explicit, time-bound authorization.
• Complete audit trail: Every view, release, booking change, allocation decision and export is logged with the person and time, and cannot be edited.
• AI proposes, people decide: Predictions and suggestions are shown with their basis; releases, bookings and allocations are made by people, and the models are monitored for accuracy.

Limitations

• The Optimizer does not replace your EHR's surgical scheduling module. Cases remain booked in the EHR, and the Optimizer works alongside it.
• Predictions and duration estimates are suggestions. Releases, bookings and allocations are decided by your staff and committee.
• Estimates depend on the completeness and accuracy of recorded case times. Surgeons and procedures with few past cases get wider ranges or no estimate.
• Whether released time is rebooked depends on demand and on your staff acting on suggestions; the Optimizer cannot guarantee that time will be used.
• Writing releases and booking changes back to the EHR depends on what your EHR's interfaces support; otherwise schedulers apply them from a task list.
• It does not schedule staff, anesthesia or equipment, although it uses staffed room hours where you provide them.
• It is not a clinical decision tool and does not assess patients' fitness for surgery.
• Block policy, allocation decisions and release deadlines are your organization's decisions; the Optimizer records and models them.

Next steps

Book a demonstration or a technical briefing at www.moraph.com/solutions/surgical-block-scheduling-optimizer. Purchasing routes and company information: www.moraph.com/how-to-buy.