- Lucerne Cantonal Hospital (LUKS) partners with Microsoft Switzerland and Polypoint to pioneer AI-driven scheduling, reducing planning effort by two-thirds.
- Best practice initiative positions LUKS as a leader in Swiss healthcare, optimizing staff scheduling for enhanced efficiency and patient care.
Zurich, Switzerland, 22 April 2024 – Lucerne Cantonal Hospital (LUKS), a leader in Swiss healthcare, sets a new standard in healthcare operations by pioneering an innovative AI-driven scheduling system developed in partnership with Microsoft Switzerland and Polypoint. This positions LUKS as one of the first hospitals in Switzerland to leverage AI for optimized scheduling.
Healthcare facilities around the world face a multitude of challenges, including staffing shortages, a high workload among medical professionals, and increasingly medically complex patient cases. Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming the healthcare industry and can help healthcare professionals meet the increasing demands and challenges of their work.
Creating staff schedules that balance patient needs, employee preferences, and legal requirements is a complex and time-consuming task. Traditionally, this process relies on manual work, consuming valuable time that nurses and administrators could dedicate to direct patient interaction.
Catrin Hinkel, CEO of Microsoft Switzerland, said: «By pioneering AI-driven scheduling with Microsoft Switzerland and Polypoint, Lucerne Cantonal Hospital (LUKS) is not just optimizing staff allocation, but transforming the very landscape of healthcare efficiency in Switzerland. This initiative reflects our commitment to embracing innovative solutions that prioritize both patient care and staff well-being, setting a new standard for healthcare excellence in our country.»
Pioneering AI Scheduling with Microsoft Switzerland and Polypoint: More Time for Direct Patient Care
Recognizing the labor-intensive nature of traditional scheduling methods and the growing demand for streamlined processes, Lucerne Cantonal Hospital (LUKS), one of the largest and most innovative hospitals in Switzerland, took proactive steps to address the complexities of shift scheduling. LUKS has partnered with Microsoft Switzerland and Polypoint to develop an AI-powered solution, aimed at reducing administrative burden and optimizing resource allocation. This positions LUKS as one of the first healthcare institutions in Switzerland to implement an AI-powered scheduling system.
The easy-to-use hospital scheduling app is integrated into Microsoft Teams. The app uses AI technology to generate draft schedules that account for staff preferences and legal requirements. Pilot tests have shown that thanks to the use of automated duty scheduling, the planning effort can be reduced by around two thirds. This relieves the burden on employees, who can concentrate more on their core tasks, and promises greater employee satisfaction thanks to the greater consideration of duty requests. Following the successful pilot, LUKS plans a phased rollout across all departments starting mid-2024, with full implementation by 2026.
Balancing AI with Human Expertise
While AI provides the framework, human expertise remains irreplaceable in finalizing the schedules. Their experience and understanding of individual needs and team dynamics remain essential for optimal patient care and staff well-being. AI acts as a powerful assistant, not a replacement, for human judgment in healthcare scheduling.
A Win-Win for All and a Blueprint for the Future
The project exemplifies successful collaboration between healthcare providers, technology companies, and staff. This collaboration between LUKS, Microsoft Switzerland, and Polypoint demonstrates how AI can empower healthcare professionals, improve efficiency, and ultimately benefit patients. By streamlining scheduling and reducing administrative burdens, nurses can spend more time on their core tasks, such as caring for patients, resulting in a more positive experience for everyone involved. This innovative approach positions LUKS as a leader in staff scheduling, paving the way for a future where technology complements human expertise in healthcare.
Read the LUKS story here.
Further press assets can be found here.
