Testing the Hypothesis Part 2

The opportunity is needing a better system to manage the flow of a hospital, preferably a software or electronic system. The opportunity exists because patient wait-time is so high, in the ER specifically, and not all hospital or ER staff are on the same page for communication. The solution to this opportunity, which will improve the patient experience and the efficiency of the hospital overall, is a flow management application that updates real-time status of rooms and assignments. Then presents this to patients in wait-time and status via a personal app.

Interview 1: 
Who falls outside the boundary: I am a citizen, not a business-man, and I have experienced a positive experience with minimal wait time. I experienced this when it was a better time of day, before midnight.

What is the need you have that is similar to this but not the same, at what point does that shift happen: As an administrator, I have had the problem of inefficiency in the hospital through needing labor but not having it. Not having proper staffing. The point that this shifts is in labor and in correct info. There is too long of wait time because of labor. The other, there is a problem with communication being too slow.

Why do you have this need but not the other: As mentioned, one is a labor issue, which increases wait time. The other is a problem with communication between hospital doctors/staff and testing staff. Testing staff takes a while to get back with the results which causes a delay in diagnosis.

Interview 2: 
Who falls outside the boundary: I went to the ER once and did not have any wait time, this is because I had my gallbladder removed and they took me in right away. I am a regular citizen.

What is the need you have that is similar to this but not the same, at what point does that shift happen: The need is waiting at a Drs office instead of in the ER. I waited for an hour and a half before I was seen. This shift happens in that at the Drs office, it is due to poor planning and in the ER it is due to staffing and certain liabilities they have to rule out. The other time I have waited for a while is at the airport, but that depends on when you travel.

Why is the cause of this need different from the other: It is different because one is due to poor planning and just a perception that people usually show up late to the appointment. The other is caused by poor staffing and ruling out liabilities for ER patients.

Interview 3: 
Who falls outside the boundary: I am a student at UF, not a professional, and I am outside of this boundary. I went into the ER here at UF health and did not experience any extreme wait time. I was one or two people in the ER at the time, at 2p or 3pm. This was one of the smaller, not main, Shands locations.

What is the need you have that is similar to this but not the same, at what point does that shift happen: I do not have any other need that is similar to this one. The only other one that is close is going to the Dental College.

Why do you have this need but not the other: Knowing what I know, they have to serve many people. It is a low-income type service as well. So many people use that service, and it was only open for a short period of time.

Interview 4: 
Who falls outside the boundary: I am a student and not a professional. I went to the ER once where I did not have a long wait time and was seen quickly. I split my lip open that time. This was at an ER in Jacksonville, a smaller one, not a main one.

What is the need you have that is similar to this but not the same, at what point does that shift happen: I had to wait at an urgent care for a few hours when I split my hand open. The DMV in Gainesville is another time where I have had this wait time need but not related to the hospital or healthcare.

Why do you have this need but not the other: I think the DMV, given it is a government run operation, does not take in the needs of the customers very well. The ER on the other hand, takes into consideration the severity of accident.

Interview 5: 
Who falls outside the boundary: I am a student, I was 17 when I went to the ER for heart issues. I did not experience a long wait time.

What is the need you have that is similar to this but not the same, at what point does that shift happen: I bought a bat in high school and tried to send it back and it took much longer than needed to be. I bought it through Easton. It was a busy time of the year, during bat season.

Why do you have this need but not the other: When I did have to wait in the ER, it was a busy time in the day. When returning the bat, it was a matter of the time in the year.These findings show that the opportunity is more exploitable at later times in the day and in smaller cities. The wait time issue is still exclusive to the ER, at least in this way.

Inside the boundary	Outside the boundary
Who is In: Any person who has physical ailments and any hospitals that are currently inefficient in processing	Who is Not: People who went to smaller hospitals, in smaller cities. And they went in times earlier in the day
What the Need Is: More efficient management of beds and patients in ER	What the Need Is Not: The need is not just long wait time needing to be shorter. It is a need to manage staffing and space better.
Why the Need Exists: Because management does not have an efficient system for communicating and tracking patient inflow and outflow. And because they are understaffed	Alternative Explanations: The need exists because hospitals have this system but don't use it correctly. Or because hospitals have not automated the system they have.