Inside the Push to Bring Algorithms to the OR

Apella's new Horizon platform shows early promise in trimming surgical delays, though results remain pilot-stage

22 Aug 2025

Hospitals across the US are testing a new artificial intelligence platform designed to reduce surgical delays and improve operating room use, as health systems seek efficiency gains amid financial and staffing pressures.

Apella, a surgical technology company, has launched Horizon, an Al-based scheduling system intended to predict operating room demand and coordinate resources in real time. The tool analyses data on case types, surgeon availability, and procedure durations to reduce idle time and late starts, long-standing causes of hospital inefficiency.

In early pilots, the company reported average reductions of 69 delayed minutes per operating room on optimised days and capacity to schedule up to two additional procedures per room per month. The results, however, are based on company data and have not yet been verified through peer-reviewed studies.

"With hospitals under pressure to do more with less, predictive scheduling can help smooth peaks and valleys in surgical demand," said an Apella spokesperson. The company developed Horizon after years of feedback from surgeons and administrators frustrated with traditional "block scheduling" practices, which reserve operating time by department or clinician and can leave rooms underused.

Horizon combines scheduling, live coordination, and performance tracking on a single digital platform. Apella says this integration increases transparency and reduces administrative friction in one of the hospital's most sensitive areas.

Industry experts note that widespread adoption could take time. Hospital scheduling is intertwined with entrenched workflows and institutional politics, and clinicians may resist algorithmic tools that influence access to surgical time. Integration with existing electronic record systems, data privacy safeguards, and regulatory oversight will also shape uptake.

More broadly, debates around artificial intelligence in healthcare, particularly over safety, bias, and accountability, continue to influence how such systems are deployed.

As Horizon expands beyond pilot sites, its broader impact remains uncertain. The technology reflects a growing shift in hospital operations from passive monitoring to predictive management. If proven effective through independent validation, Al-driven scheduling could mark a significant change in how operating rooms are managed. For now, it remains an experiment in progress.