By leveraging data and technology smartly, Zuyderland gains control over care processes. This enables more effective deployment of staff and avoids unnecessary costs—leading to a range of positive side effects. 

One of the biggest challenges lies in the Emergency Department (ED), which is inherently unpredictable and a key junction within the hospital. Patients arriving at the ED often flow through to other departments. This unpredictability leads to pressure on downstream departments, unnecessary patient transfers and reliance on temporary staff. That makes it especially relevant to improve forecasting at the ED: how many patients are expected, with what complaints, and what level of care will they require? 

Building on the data platform, Zuyderland developed one of its most important predictive models: the ED prediction platform. This allows the hospital to forecast patient inflow at the ED with high reliability—around 90% accuracy. The model accounts for factors such as seasonality, day of the week, weather conditions and public holidays. 

Forecasts are broken down by location, specialty and triage code. This enables targeted planning, both short- and medium-term. The department knows in advance how many patients are likely to arrive, their expected condition and where they will be admitted. 

This allows Zuyderland to align staffing and resource planning with expected demand weeks in advance. Bed capacity, for example, can be anticipated more accurately. 

Strategic decisions—such as hiring temporary staff—can also be better substantiated. It’s the first time right principle in action: executing processes correctly from the start and avoiding rework or corrections. 

The result is less reactive decision-making and more stability within the organisation. The prediction model has now been in use for four years, and temporary staffing at the ED has decreased by 3 to 5%.