A Hierarchical Multi-objective Optimisation Model for Bed Levelling and Patient Priority Maximisation

Operating Rooms (ORs) are one of the highest cost drivers of hospital budget and one of the highest source of income. Several performance criteria have been reported to lead and to evaluate the OR planning decisions. Usually, patient priority maximisation and OR utilisation maximisation are the most used objectives in literature. On the contrary, the workload balance criteria, which leads to a smooth ward stay beds occupancy seems less used in literature. In this paper we propose a hierarchical multi-objective optimisation model for bed levelling and patient priority maximisation for the combined Master Surgical Scheduling and Surgical Cases Assignment problems. The aim of this work is to develop a methodology for OR planning and scheduling capable to take into account such different performance criteria.