Project to measure the contribution of AI in optimizing hospital stays
Vitalité Health Network, Friday, May 22, 2026 - The team from the Université de Moncton’s Research Chair in Artificial Intelligence in Health, in collaboration with Vitalité Health Network, is leading a project to assess the contribution of artificial intelligence (AI) in improving patient flow in hospitals.
Pressure on hospital services remains a major challenge in Canada, where the average occupancy rate is close to 92%, with some provinces occasionally exceeding 100%. This increased pressure results in longer wait times, a heavy workload for care teams and reduced operational capacity.
More than 30% of beds may be occupied by patients who no longer require acute care, resulting in significant clinical, organizational and financial impacts.
Initial data analyses conducted as part of the project, along with preliminary algorithmic testing, show strong potential for the development of a decision-support tool. This tool could help better predict hospital discharges and optimize the allocation of resources.
The initiative is being carried out jointly by the Université de Moncton’s Research Chair in Artificial Intelligence in Health and Vitalité Health Network’s Health Analytics and Predictive Intelligence team.
“Initial analyses clearly show that AI can become a strategic tool to reduce pressure on our hospitals. Our goal is to develop a reliable solution adapted to the New Brunswick context, in order to support health professionals in their decision-making and improve the patient experience,” said Professor Moulay Akhloufi, Director of the Research Chair in Artificial Intelligence in Health at the Université de Moncton.
The overall objective of the project is to support clinicians and managers in bed planning, reduce unnecessary hospital stays and contribute to the sustainable improvement of care quality in the province.
“This collaboration allows us to explore innovative approaches to optimizing patient flow management. The preliminary results are promising. AI represents an important opportunity to improve the anticipation of needs, the fluidity of operations and, ultimately, the quality of care provided in our facilities,” said Richard Levesque, Director of Health Analytics and Predictive Intelligence at Vitalité Health Network.
