Innovative health app to be showcased at national exhibition

Professor Nav Mustafee from the University of Exeter Business School led the development of the NHSquicker platform. The platform was co-designed with the Health and Care IMPACT Network, which was founded through a collaboration between Torbay and South Devon NHS Trust and the University of Exeter Business School. The platform helps shape the demand for urgent care, and aims to reduce waiting times for patients with non-urgent conditions by distributing demand across the care network. It uses real-time data to inform the patients about the waiting times at different health care providers. It also provides information about conditions and treatments to help people decide whether, when or where to access healthcare. 

It is already used widely across Devon and Cornwall with plans to extend its coverage further around the UK. NHSquicker was among the nine research projects to be shortlisted for the inaugural Chartered Association of Business Schools (CABS) Research Exhibition, which will take place on Wednesday 20 March at the University of Edinburgh.

“NHSquicker has been realised through a collaborative effort that included the Business School and several health and care providers in Devon, Cornwall and Somerset. Being selected to present our work at the inaugural CABS exhibition, culminates almost two years of working towards a shared vision of empowering users through information transparency and digital innovation,” said Professor Mustafee, who is Associate Professor of Operations Management and Analytics.

“Data from Torbay and South Devon has shown a shift in demand for non-urgent patients away from the A&E department to minor injury units where wait times are usually lower. However, further evaluation is required to determine whether the availability of real-time data has an effect on patients’ A&E attendance behaviour.”

Alison Harper, post-graduate researcher, has been working on the evaluation aspects of the project.  She said: “It is a great opportunity to join with others to help show what business and management research can achieve and highlight the real benefits this work can bring to society.”

The Research Exhibition, “Solutions for a Fair and Prosperous Society”, will showcase the real impact that business schools can have on the economy and society. As well as covering health and social care impacts exhibits will also focus on how business and management research promotes sustainable growth and empowers communities, including leading research on uses of Big Data and encouraging corporate responsibility.

The Research Exhibition is free to attend, and all are welcome.