Patent ID: 8818832

Claim:
A system comprising: a decision support tool comprising one or more processors and one or more modules executable by the one or more processors, the one or more modules comprising: computer code configured to assimilate open seat data and practitioner data; computer code configured to transform the open seat data and practitioner data into seat attributes and practitioner attributes; computer code configured to assess viability of matching practitioners with seats based on predetermined matching criteria, and to thereupon determine feasible matches; computer code configured to determine preferred matches via integer programming and via employing the feasible matches as input, and further via: maximizing a utility function which employs a weighted summation of a number of already-assigned seats, a weighted summation of compatibility scores and a weighted summation of reward/penalty scores; each compatibility score relating to a matching of a practitioner-seat pair, and being derived from a weighted combination of at least one matching score and at least one other criterion; each reward/penalty score relating to a time factor with respect to a practitioner-seat pair; wherein a reward is applied to at least one of: an overdue seat, and a practitioner remaining unassigned for a period of time; wherein a penalty is applied to at least one of a seat and a practitioner being scheduled for implementation in the future; applying a first constraint to the utility function, the first constraint ensuring that a practitioner can be assigned to one seat only; applying a second constraint to the utility function, the second constraint ensuring that a seat is assigned, at most, as many practitioners as the number of open positions for the seat; and computer code configured to deliver the preferred matches to a user interface.