Abstract

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Long waiting time at the emergency department is a severe problem that plagues hospitals in Singapore. It has resulted in high patient dissatisfaction, overcrowding, and delays in treatment which can lead to increased mortality and morbidity. It is commonly caused by patients leaving the waiting areas for various reasons, and in extreme cases, leaving the hospital without informing anyone. So, nurses would have to find these patients, and this exacerbates the waiting time of other patients back in the queue. Although technological solutions are available, they tend to be costly and are more suited for asset-tracking purposes instead of location-tracking. Our proposed solution is simple as it utilizes fixed receivers installed in designated areas, and wearable mobile beacons with actuators issued to patients. So, nurses can track and alert waiting patients on demand and reduce the overall waiting time for all patients.

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Credits:

With collaboration with Thia Wei Soon, Terence Soo Wei Ming, Mah Siu Wen, Heng Chang Boon, Andre Eu, Kelvin Lum Wen Hui