Designing an Operational Dashboard for Data-Driven Capacity Management in Hospitals

This study examines how dashboards can support operational capacity management in hospitals. It includes creating a dashboard proof of concept to support outpatient clinic planning. The study is conducted at Saxenburgh, a general hospital in the Netherlands, and follows the Design Science Methodology. Interviews with internal stakeholders and experts at 8 organizations revealed five primary challenges in operational capacity management: insufficient planning insights, underutilization of patient forecasts, limited cross-departmental visibility, low dashboard adoption, and staffing misalignments. Hospital staff emphasized the need for dashboards that provide timely insights into capacity, scheduling, and interdepartmental effects. A prototype dashboard for outpatient clinics planning was developed that displays appointment fill rates, waiting lists, and operating room utilization. Three iterative feedback sessions with users ensured that the dashboard aligns with daily routines and practical needs. The results show that dashboards are most effective when they are simple, built collaboratively, and embedded into existing workflows. Based on these findings, the study offers five practical recommendations: keep designs simple, begin small and start with a focused use case, ensure data quality, minimize access barriers, and involve end users throughout development. These insights provide a blueprint for hospitals that want to improve operational capacity management using user-centered dashboards.