Balancing Satisfaction and Efficiency
Designing a New Physician Scheduling Approach for a Pediatric Cardiology Department at a Dutch Children's Hospital
I.R. van der Heide (TU Delft - Technology, Policy and Management)
S. Hinrichs-Krapels – Mentor (TU Delft - Technology, Policy and Management)
M.E. Warnier – Graduation committee member (TU Delft - Technology, Policy and Management)
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Abstract
A pediatric hospital in the Netherlands is experiencing increasing dissatisfaction among its cardiologists, which is primarily related to the scheduling system. Physician scheduling is a highly complex process due to the involvement of multiple stakeholders with differing needs, where physician satisfaction and organizational efficiency often conflict. In addition, complexity arises from the existence of multiple subspecializations and the wide variety of clinical and non-clinical tasks that must be allocated within limited time resources.
The question addressed in this study is how the current scheduling approach can be improved to better balance stakeholder needs while maintaining acceptable levels of organizational efficiency. To address this, a Soft Systems Methodology approach was first used to gain a comprehensive understanding of the problem situation. Subsequently, a Design Science approach was applied to develop and iteratively refine prototypes, resulting in a proposed final design for an improved scheduling system.
The final design results in a slight decrease in organizational efficiency compared to the current situation. However, this trade-off appears unavoidable due to structural time constraints and the high workload required to complete all assigned tasks within the available time. This reflects a systemic imbalance between workload demand and available physician time.
Future work should focus on further development and implementation of the proposed design in practice. In addition, validation should be conducted with a broader range of stakeholders to better capture the different perspectives on the trade-off between organizational efficiency and physician satisfaction.