Health · Healthcare & Policy · 2 hrs ago
Manitoba researchers test AI system to improve surgery scheduling
University of Manitoba researchers are testing AI to help hospitals schedule operations and reduce surgical waits.
More than 1,300 people are on Manitoba’s orthopedic surgery backlog, with a median wait of 170 days.
The system, called ORION, aims to predict surgical demand and help hospital teams plan operating room time.
The project’s first year will use 10 years of past patient data from Winnipeg’s Health Sciences Centre to test how well the system could have predicted demand.
In its second year, the team will test ORION prospectively, using it to inform future scheduling.
Researchers estimate it could enable 5 to 8 per cent more orthopedic surgeries and reduce waits by up to 15 per cent, but those are projections, not demonstrated results in Manitoba.
Some patients are still seeking surgery elsewhere: Manitoba resident Guy Arnel, who faces a wait of up to 18 months for hip surgery, is considering going to Regina.
The University of Manitoba is testing an AI system intended to improve surgery scheduling and help reduce wait times.
The system, called ORION, will be tested at Manitoba’s largest hospital, Health Sciences Centre.
Researchers will first analyze 10 years of historical patient data, then conduct prospective testing in the project’s second year.
The project’s lead says ORION could enable 5 to 8 per cent more orthopedic surgeries and reduce wait times by up to 15 per cent.
More than 1,300 people are facing Manitoba’s orthopedic surgery backlog, with a median wait of 170 days.
- Who
- University of Manitoba researchers, led by Dr. Jay Toor, are developing and testing the system.
- What
- They are testing an AI system called ORION to help predict surgical needs and improve operating room scheduling.
- When
- The project’s first year will involve analyzing historical data; prospective testing is planned for its second year.
- Where
- The test will take place at Health Sciences Centre in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
- Why
- Researchers aim to make operating room use more efficient and help reduce surgical wait times.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Guy Arnel travelled to Mexico and paid around $35,000 for surgery after waiting in Manitoba.
Researchers plan to use ORION to analyze 10 years of Health Sciences Centre patient data.
The team plans to focus on prospective testing of ORION.
- System
- Operating Room Intelligence and Optimization Network (ORION)
- Test site
- Health Sciences Centre, Manitoba’s largest hospital
- Orthopedic backlog
- More than 1,300 people
- Median orthopedic wait
- 170 days
- Potential increase in orthopedic surgeries
- 5 to 8 per cent
What people are saying
I’m very optimistic we’re going to be the first jurisdiction that uses a predicted and optimized AI model to schedule our surgeries
we were able to increase efficiency up to 30 per cent; that means 30 per cent faster
Eighteen months, to me, is terrible to hobble around. I’m so tired of hobbling around.