BGU AI Model May Ease ER Crowding
BGU researchers developed an AI model to route suitable urgent patients to community care and reduce ER crowding.
New Research Proposes a Solution for Emergency Department Overcrowding
A model developed at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, based on an analysis of more than 2.8 million visits to emergency medicine departments, may help refer suitable patients to community-based care and reduce pressure on hospitals. Artificial intelligence in the service of medicine: an innovative model based on big-data analysis, developed at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, may help reduce pressure on emergency medicine departments by more accurately directing patients to the most appropriate care setting. The research was conducted as part of Dr. Roman Leshinski’s doctoral work and earned him the 2026 Prof. Haim Doron Prize.
The model developed by Dr. Leshinski addresses one of the central challenges facing Israel’s health system: the growing burden on emergency medicine departments and the need to ensure that every patient is referred to the care setting best suited to their needs. As part of the study, a dedicated algorithm based on clinical data was developed to identify which patients can receive safe, effective and high-quality care in the community, without needing to arrive at an emergency medicine department.
To develop the model, approximately 2.8 million visits to emergency medicine departments across Israel were analyzed. “The scale of the data made it possible to build a predictive model with practical potential, which could in the future serve as a decision-support tool for medical teams in the community and in hospitals,” said Dr. Leshinski.
According to him, the research findings point to the possibility of reducing pressure on emergency medicine departments, shortening waiting times, improving the use of health-system resources and expanding community medicine’s ability to respond to urgent cases, without compromising the quality or safety of care. “The health system generates enormous amounts of information, and our challenge is to translate it into practical tools that support decision-making and improve the match between patients’ needs and the care setting,” Leshinski added.
The prize named for Prof. Doron is awarded annually to outstanding doctoral dissertations and theses that contribute to the advancement of community medicine and the development of health policy in Israel. The prize was awarded to the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev winner at the 18th annual conference of the Israel National Institute for Health Policy Research, held on June 10, 2026. The study, titled “Building a Model for Routing Patients in the Community,” was supervised by Prof. Ygal Plakht, director of the Recanati School for Community Health Professions.
Dr. Leshinski receiving the 2026 Prof. Haim Doron Prize | Photo: Faculty of Health Sciences
The research findings were published in the international journal BMC Health Services Research.
