PhD candidate: AI-driven operating room schedule optimization

Job description

Optimizing the utilization of operating room (OR) resources is critical for the sustainability of surgical care. The demand for surgical care is increasing and currently surpasses the supply, which is unable to grow due to budgetary restrictions, a shortage of personal staff but also limitations in OR availability. Further enhancing the effective utilization of these OR resources will lower the cost of surgical care and provide a sustainable outlook for the future.

This PhD position focuses on designing mathematical models to optimize the day-to-day scheduling across multiple operating rooms and disciplines to increase OR utilization.

Your day-to-day activities will include:

• Closely collaborating with surgeons and anesthetists to understand OR workflow.
• Analyzing surgery duration data.
• Use AI methods to co-design prediction models with end-users reflecting realization in practice.
• Use surgery duration predictions to co-design robust OR-schedules with operations research methods.
• Develop a tool indicating the probability of overtime for each operating room in real-time.

The result of this project will be an increase in efficiency, safety, and quality of care, and a decrease in perceived workload and healthcare costs.

Work environment

This position is part of the Sustainable Health Program 'Smart OR2030' within Convergence Health & Technology. 3 PhD positions will be available, which will focus on leveraging technological advancements to optimize the use of surgical care resources and thereby improve the sustainability of surgical care.

This project is a collaboration between Erasmus MC, Erasmus University, and Delft University of Technology.

You will be supervised by Theresia van Essen at Delft University of Technology. And be part of the Discrete Mathematics and Optimisation group of the faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science (EEMCS). Amongst others, the faculty pushes the limits of applied mathematics, for example mapping out disease processes using single cell data, and using mathematics to simulate gigantic ash plumes after a volcanic eruption. We educate innovative engineers and have excellent labs and facilities that underline our strong international position. In total, more than 1000 employees and 4,000 students work and study in this innovative environment.

Qualifications and skills

You have the following qualifications:

• A master's degree in mathematics, econometrics, computer science or closely related field.
• Experience with operations research and AI techniques.
• Good command of the Dutch and/or English language.
• Strong communication skills and the ability to work collaboratively in an interdisciplinary team.

Nice-to-haves:

• Strong affinity or experience within the field of health care.
• Passion for improving surgical efficiency and enhancing the well-being of healthcare professionals. Join us in shaping the future of surgery through innovative automation.

Terms of employment

• You will receive a temporary position for 4 years.
• The gross monthly salary is € 3.017,- in the 1st year and increases to € 3.824,- in the 4th year (scale OIO).
• Working from home is an option.
• Excellent fringe benefits, such as a 13th month that is already paid out in November and an individual travel expense package.
• An International Office which aids you in preparing for you arrival and stay.
• Pension insurance with ABP, we take care of approximately 2/3 of the monthly contribution.
• Special benefits, such as an in-company physiotherapist and bicycle repairer. There is also a gym where you can work on your fitness after work.