Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf: Development of a digital appointment management tool

Self-description of the partner

The Institute of Osteology and Biomechanics is part of the UKE - and stands for competence in research, teaching and in the field of musculoskeletal medicine in our outpatient clinic. With the aim of maintaining and improving the health of our patients, we research the causes of diseases of the musculoskeletal system. Our results are recognized worldwide and achieve top international positions in some areas. The latest developments and findings are naturally incorporated into the treatment of our patients. Our institute has the only chair for osteology and biomechanics at a German university. At our institute, research results are directly linked to patient care, which is carried out by a team of top specialists.

Challenge: Development of a digital appointment management tool

Musculoskeletal diseases are widespread in the population. The daily flow of patients and the associated diagnostic measures are correspondingly high. This can lead to a loss of value due to uncoordinated workflows.

Over 12,000 patients visit the IOBM's osteology outpatient clinic every year. The daily flow of patients is currently scheduled analogously. This can result in long waiting times for individual patients due to not fully optimized processes in the diagnostic procedures. Coordinating the individual examinations is a major challenge. Individual patients have to be called, examined and then queued again correctly, which can increase their waiting time in the event of errors. Depending on the planned examinations, expected diagnostic times must be calculated and compared with the actual times in order to prioritize patients who are waiting too long for examinations in relation to the planned time.

Digitization should make it possible to relieve employees and still call patients in line with waiting times. A simulation for optimization can be carried out as part of the project if required. At the same time, it must be addressed that different patients require different numbers of examinations and should therefore be called as infrequently as possible. Important influencing factors here are the requested diagnostic measures, the patient's restrictions, the available staffing levels and the special diagnostics required. The aim is always to maintain error-free communication and reduce the workload of individual employees. The only data required at the start of the project is the average time taken for each examination. These can be easily collected at the start of the project.

Aim of the challenge

A digital management tool is to be developed. This should make it possible to manage patient flows as required in order to minimize waiting times while optimizing processes and relieving employees. The aim is to enable automatic scheduling depending on the planned diagnostic measures. To this end, it should be possible to track each patient anonymously across all diagnostic processes using a barcode. At the same time, there should be a visual and transparent display of waiting times and when they are exceeded so that automated scheduling can be carried out in real time in order to maintain an effective flow. At the same time, specific dispositions are to be recorded using barcode scanners at each station.

This project promotes students' multiple data literacy skills. It promotes both the ability of real-time data acquisition and dispatching, as well as database-oriented data management with simultaneous on-demand optimization depending on requirements with recurring dispatching.

Provision of data & infrastructure

Required data (barcodes) can be used. The individual process steps are recorded promptly if required. All data can only be used anonymously in the current project status. Theoretical use in non-anonymous form can be implemented, but only after all data security issues have been addressed.

There is a large number of software licenses (University of Hamburg), computers can be provided at a separate workstation if necessary. Additional hardware will be made available at short notice in accordance with the student concept. Particular attention is paid to the hardware equipment required to connect several workstations via a dedicated network and to enable the use of barcodes. The resources can be used.

Expected skills of teachers and students

Important for the implementation of the project are social skills such as the ability to work in a team, the ability to communicate, independence, responsible handling in connection with medical work. Technical skills are also of great importance. Network technology, database knowledge and the creation of a user-friendly front-end are necessary, as is the programming of demand-adapted algorithms for process optimization.

Project duration

One or two semesters.