Overbooking Surgical Blocks

Christopher T. B. Strömblad (), Upasana Raval (), Kristy Zhou (), Shok-Jean Yee (), Thomas C. Barber () and Martin R. Weiser ()
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Christopher T. B. Strömblad: Center for Surgical Science, Zealand University Hospital, 4600 Køge, Denmark
Upasana Raval: American Airlines, Fort Worth, Texas 76155
Kristy Zhou: Department of Strategy & Innovation, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York 10065
Shok-Jean Yee: Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York 10065
Thomas C. Barber: University of San Francisco Medical Center, San Francisco, California 94143
Martin R. Weiser: Department of Surgery, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York 10065

Interfaces, 2025, vol. 55, issue 4, 344-359

Abstract: Operating rooms (ORs) are some of the most expensive and critical resources for hospitals, and therefore OR access and utilization are of high importance. We developed a unique method to overbook surgeon blocks: assigning more OR block time than we have OR capacity available, to improve OR access. The challenge lies in managing the process of overbooking and ensuring fairness so that no one surgeon is more affected by overbooking compared with others. Using mixed-integer quadratic programming, we enable block overbooking while applying a consistent definition of fairness. This effort was implemented into routine operations through our simplified process, and it was deployed as a web tool for the surgical staff to manage and communicate decisions. Overbooking blocks contributed an additional 2% and 3.5% to OR utilization at the two campuses where it was deployed. This work enables surgeons, scheduling managers, and surgical leadership to manage operating room use beyond physical capacity, reliably and optimally.

Keywords: healthcare management; operating room efficiency; math programming; overbooking (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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