Surgical Block Scheduling Optimizer

The Surgical Block Scheduling Optimizer measures how each surgeon and service uses its allocated block time, predicts which blocks are likely to go unused, and suggests release in time for other surgeons to book. It estimates case durations from your own historical cases, so schedulers can compare the booked time with a data-based estimate. People decide every release, allocation and schedule change; the Optimizer proposes and records the reasoning.

The problem it solves

Block allocations are often set once and reviewed rarely, unused time is released late or not at all, and surgeons waiting for time cannot see what might open up. Case durations are booked from surgeon preference cards or habit, so some days run late and others finish early. When the perioperative committee reviews allocations, utilization figures are assembled from EHR reports and argued over, because each service measures them differently.

Who it’s for

• 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

1. MeasureScheduled 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.
2. Predict and releaseFor 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.
3. ScheduleWhen 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.
4. Review allocationsBefore 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.

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.

OR scheduler

Books cases, uses duration estimates, offers released time and manages the waitlist

Perioperative director

Owns block policy and the schedule, approves exceptions, and sees all utilization reporting

Surgeon or surgeon office

Sees their own blocks and scorecard, releases time and requests open time

Service chief

Manages the service's blocks among its surgeons and reviews service utilization

Perioperative committee member

Reviews utilization and modeled allocation changes and records allocation decisions

Analyst

Maintains utilization definitions, reviews prediction accuracy and prepares committee analysis

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.

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.

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.

Data mapping

We map your EHR's block templates, bookings and case events and agree the interface or extract schedule. We need data extracts and a contact from your EHR and integration teams.

Definitions and policy

Utilization definitions, release deadlines and automatic release rules are configured with your perioperative director and documented for the committee.

Model training and validation

Duration and unused-time models are trained on your historical cases, and their accuracy is reviewed with your team on a held-back period before they are shown to schedulers.

Workflow and roles

Release routes, open-time requests, notifications and roles are configured to match how your services and surgeon offices work.

Pilot

The Optimizer can start with a few services or one facility, with results reviewed before it is extended.

Training and go-live

Schedulers, surgeon offices, service chiefs and committee members are trained on their own workflows.

• 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.

• Load a period of your own historical schedules and compare the Optimizer's utilization figures with those your committee uses
• Check the duration estimates against actual times on a held-back period of your cases
• Ask a surgeon office to review a release suggestion and decide on it
• Ask a scheduler to book a case using the estimate and the room fit view
• Model an allocation change your committee has recently discussed
• Confirm role separation: what surgeon offices, service chiefs and schedulers can each see and change