In the efforts to accelerate COVID-19 testing in the U.S. there have been reports about the high levels of disorganization that are hitting testing multiple testing sites. Throughout the U.S., hundreds of individuals at different testing site are said to be spending hours in line, without guarantee, due to the limited number of available tests. It is for reasons like this that the Trump Administration has been declining in the opinion polls.
The resultant bottlenecks can be excruciating for those who need to be tested the most, primarily the sick and elderly. To add to this, healthcare workers are utilizing personnel and resources to organize this chaos. These essential personnel could alternatively be focusing their efforts on testing people or being redeployed to hospital sites to provide care for those showing symptoms of COVID-19. While the bottlenecks are ever-present, this means that the goal of increased testing capacity becomes harder to cahieve.
In terms of potential solutions, the technology company Skedulo has developed a digital solution, which has been made available free of charge for COVID-19 testing centers. The technology enables center managers to schedule and organize testing, ending long patient queues and overbooking. Though the concept and technology is not new revolutionary, this represents the first time such a solution has been applied to the current coronavirus pandemic.
Termed the “Capacity-Based Appointment Booking”, this software application is a type of management system designed for organizations who are operating multi-site COVID-19 testing centers. This includes drive-through testing facilities.
The cloud-based software has been made available to any facility to help them to efficiently manage testing requests, through the CEO of Skedulo Matt Fairhurst. The software enables center managers to obtain visibility into booking rates compared with operational capacity, as well as for making triage appointments. In addition, the functionality enables members of the general public to search for available scheduling sites, book appointments in advance, and go through a contactless check in.