Emergency care: designing for shorter waits
No new beds. No new doctors. Better flows.
A large regional hospital receives on the order of 100,000 emergency visits a year, with waits of several hours at peak (order of magnitude). Staff are at capacity. Design an operational change that cuts waiting without adding people.
Who stands behind this
AGORA in-house scenario
Written by AGORA; not endorsed by any organisation. Figures are estimates.
Context
The question
With no new beds and no new doctors, which operational change actually cuts emergency waiting?
The situation
A large regional hospital receives on the order of 100,000 emergency visits a year, with waits of several hours at peak (order of magnitude). Staff are at capacity. Hiring is not an option in this scenario.
Why it is hard
- Waiting often starts downstream — inpatient beds, tests — not at the front desk.
- Every minute saved at triage must cost the patient no safety.
- A predictive model is only worth it if the night shift can use it.
What you deliver
- 1.A predictive flow model.
- 2.An operational intervention plan.
- 3.A real-time dashboard mockup.
What the jury looks for
One precise, measurable lever that is safe for patients and workable for staff.