AI forecasting model targets healthcare resource efficiency

An operational AI forecasting model developed by Hertfordshire University researchers aims to improve resource efficiency within healthcare.

Public sector organisations often hold large archives of historical data that do not inform forward-looking decisions. A partnership between the University of Hertfordshire and regional NHS health bodies addresses this issue by applying machine learning to operational planning. The project analyses healthcare demand to assist managers with decisions regarding staffing, patient care, and resources.

Most AI initiatives in healthcare focus on individual diagnostics or patient-level interventions. The project team notes that this tool targets system-wide operational management instead. This distinction matters for leaders evaluating where to deploy automated analysis within their own infrastructure.

The model uses five years of historical data to build its projections. It integrates metrics such as admissions, treatments, re-admissions, bed capacity, and infrastructure pressures. The system also accounts for workforce availability and local demographic factors including age, gender, ethnicity, and deprivation.

Iosif Mporas, Professor of Signal Processing and Machin...