Porteroo (Deliveroo for porters)

Pitch

Improving efficiency of specimen collection in hospitals. Sometimes urgent deliveries - ensure urgent requests are dealt with efficiently as possible (could free up bed).

  • OPTIMISE WHEN SAMPLE ARRIVES (cost of delay)

Background

  • In University Southampton
  • Was a porter, worked there for about 6 months
  • Specimens (based on personal expereince) - blood samples in little tubes
  • Spread out better (many smaller deliveries)
  • Daily samples get lost - difficult to track (common case: hasn't sent the specimen)
  • Also speciments in buckets as well – sometimes can't carry more (too many to carry in one go - could be two trips)
  • Request form gets scanned - bar code - will bring up the form.
    • Southampton, was a central logging system for the speciments, had A5 bar codes on them (with patient details on it)
  • Plastic boxes that get put in, and sometimes sticker on the box which has times of when should be collected
  • Fixed times - box with sticker on side with list of times.
  • Some need to be send in special containers (in ice)
  • Some hospitals have pod system - but if not just pathology - anywhere on the hospital.
  • Send in patches of specimens - if knew all samples in box

Current porter system

ROUTINE PORTER

  • 8am until 6pm - go around - predefined route (2 hours or so), every two hours would be picked up. (Need to know all the departments)
  • All going to lab receptions - job was to sort to where was going (same destination each time). Only exception was the Mortuary.

URGENT PORTER

  • 24/7, 8 hour shifts. Handover at lunchtime. Guideline was get bleeped - answer within 5 minutes, and should drop off within 45 minutes of the call
  • If specimen still in the ward after 30 mins (not collected) - then the porter supervisor would be bleeped
  • Drop off points the same as routine porter
  • You calculate if you get bleeped 3 times how to navigate between wards etc
  • Didn't know schedule of the routine porter so wouldn't take into account
  • Paper list with you, then you phone back and jot down number called you down and the time. Record that you met.
  • Time suck here is if 4 people bleep you and need to phone back to find out where from etc
  • Want to have urgent one spend a lot less time on phone as can

Hospital network etc

  • 30 wards (floor plan). 50? different collection points. Was in groups of 4 or 5. Group is being emptied? 20 points
  • QR check in?
  • iPod touch tested - messaging type app. Message that said (now take ward said x to x and reply when done)
  • Before iPod touch, call an automated phone system, identify by 4 digital number, then spell name, then from and then two
  • Bleep system is old fashing pager. Central switch board. Rarely hospital moving away from this system
  • North Middlesex - uber style app being added
  • Wifi was being rolled out into hospitals
  • In general porters can all do same thing

Problem – IMPACT

  • What is the cost of samples not being in the lab?
  • Not wasting doctor time
  • Waiting - urgent lab requests not being collected fast enough
  • Maintenance not much financial burden, but urgent ones
  • what is the cost of missed deadlines?
  • Urgent request could mean freeing up a bed for the day

TLDR - base problem

  • One: VISIBILITY of what's going on with routine (whether urgent one needed or not).
    • this is for doctors/wards/nurses not just the porters
    • Box was last collected, should go to the next place by
  • Two: When urgent one needed - figure out re-route things or make a decision & feedback. Provide information.

SOLUTION IDEAS?

  • Going to re-think the portering system (not constraint by routine/urgent - since e.g. urgent one not having any more jobs)
    • move away from routine vs urgent - both porters do both. Two streams
    • One method that should go where/when

PORTER

  • QR code for porter
  • schedule on the the box. every box qr code opens web page
  • updates the pick up time on the box
  • QR code - can give you the next location after scanning it

LAB

  • Scan urgent or not
  • Go to place where see progress of samples
    • Box could also show - 'last collected, and will be collected'

CODING TIME

Variables system needs to take into account

  • how slow porters are
  • number of porters routine
  • numbor of porters urgent
  • number of collection points
  • travel times between all collection points
  • number of collection drop off points
  • deadlines for routine pickups
  • deadlines for urgeent pickups
  • empty collection points that can be skipped
  • when there is a large delivery - can't carry more/need to split to two? ho
  • ward is empty - no need to visit

Setting the example

  • Can show the time
  • Request pick up point
  • One drop off point?
  • Pick up points are fixed locations

Specimen

  • Will done urgent - 30mins
  • Routine one will be delivered within 2 hours

NEED matrix on wards etc

  • api definition?

Presentation

  • Aim: Improving efficiency of specimen collection in hospitals.
  • Problem: Expertise in the room, and this is how the hospital is currently delivering specimens:
    • There's an urgent and a regular porter -> not delivering efficienty (for example urgent one will collect something when the regular porter has just been?)
    • Wastes time
    • Prioritisation of urgent deliveries - to free up bed space
  • Solution: Porteroo - Deliveroo for Porters
    • VIDEO HERE
    • PART ONE: this is on the ward
      1. This is the label on the box
      1. Open on app and this what it will look like
    • PART TWO: this is for the porter
      1. App that shows you
    • – TALK ABOUT ALGORITHMS
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