A Multi-Objective Optimization Model for Nurse Scheduling in Home Health Care

In recent years, demographic changes such as population growth, an aging society, and rising chronic disease prevalence have substantially increased the demand for Home Health Care (HHC) services. Service providers face the challenge of developing efficient scheduling and planning strategies that simultaneously enhance patient care, improve nurses' working conditions, and ensure cost efficiency. Patients often request visits at preferred times based on their medical requirements, while nurses have their own preferred time windows for service provision. The scheduling process must also consider various constraints, including contractual working hours, soft and hard time windows, and mandatory breaks for nurses. This study introduces a multi-objective optimization model aimed at minimizing total travel time and overtime for nurses, while maximizing satisfaction levels for both patients and nurses. The model integrates the preferences of both parties and includes provisions for mandatory breaks after a specified period of work. The model aims to assign qualified nurses to patients, optimize scheduling and routing, and deliver high-quality care. The effectiveness of the proposed model is evaluated using a set of randomly generated test instances, with solution time serving as the stopping criterion. The results offer valuable insights for HHC providers seeking to improve operational planning and meet key performance objectives.

Keywords:

Mathematical programming , Multi-objective optimization , Home health care , Scheduling , Routing , Cost efficiency