The hidden costs of outdated on-call scheduling in hospitals

Effective on-call management ensures timely patient care, care team coordination, and operational efficiency in healthcare settings. Yet many hospitals and health systems still rely on manual processes, including digital spreadsheets, paper calendars, and whiteboards, or outdated technology to create their employee schedules.  

These procedures may seem like a minor administrative detail, but they’re a silent disruptor to effective communication in every corner of a healthcare organization. In these four areas, it becomes clear how outdated setups for on-call scheduling might be doing more harm than you think.  

1. Fragmented systems delay care and worsen patient experiences  

Care teams need accurate and up-to-date information from on-call scheduling software, or they’re wasting precious time tracking down the right provider instead of delivering exceptional patient care. This loss of productivity is especially critical during emergencies, when every minute counts towards saving a person’s life.  

Delayed care from ineffective on-call management methods can lead to extended hospital stays, which slow patient recovery and negatively impact outcomes. The American Hospital Association has noted a growing trend with the average length of stay increasing by 19 percent from 2019 to 2022.  

On-call scheduling software—especially when connected to your enterprise directory—enables faster coordination when it matters most and boosts patient satisfaction. 

2. Ineffective procedures increase employee burnout and turnover  

Manual processes for on-call management fail to account for workload balances or last-minute changes, potentially leading to confusion among staff, with some clinicians having extra shifts while others are underutilized.  

Inconsistent schedules can cause stress and lower morale, leading to clinician burnout and turnover to other healthcare organizations that have better on-call scheduling procedures. 

When asked about this professional problem during our 2024 State of Healthcare Communications research report, 62% of participants described themselves as feeling work-related stress “a great deal, considerably, or moderately.”  

The effects of burnout also lead to higher costs for hospitals and health systems; a JAMA study estimates that they account for $4.6 billion annually.  

3. Manual processes contribute to administrative burdens and labor costs 

Relying on digital spreadsheets, paper calendars, or other fragmented procedures for managing complex schedules will create significant administrative burdens. Administrators or clinical leaders are wasting hours each week coordinating shift swaps, updating schedules, communicating changes, and performing other repetitive tasks. It’s not just inefficient; it’s expensive.  

Physician on-call scheduling software automates this effort by collecting preferences, alerting staff for updates, and syncing real-time information across teams. Reducing this manual lift can save hospitals thousands of hours in admin work, allowing employees to focus more on higher-priority tasks while reducing overtime and staffing inefficiencies.  

4. Obsolete systems add to compliance risks 

The EMTALA (Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act) requires hospitals with emergency departments to have “an on-call panel of backup physicians in a manner that best meets the needs of its patients.” 

If on-call management records are inaccurate and cause scheduling conflicts, they pose serious compliance challenges as mandated by federal and state regulations. They can also become a liability during an audit or malpractice claim.  

The latest on-call scheduling software provides detailed audit trails that ensure every change, update, and assignment is logged and time-stamped. This level of transparency protects your hospital or health system during audit and legal reviews.  

Physician on-call scheduling: Not just an upgrade, a strategic imperative  

Outdated on-call scheduling setups may seem like a minor inconvenience, but in reality, they are creating ripple effects in almost every part of hospital operations. It’s simply not sustainable.  

Switching to physician on-call scheduling software isn’t a technology upgrade, but a strategic move that improves care team collaboration, reduces administrative costs, and supports the well-being of your employees.