Limerick tech-firm provides scheduling solution for Cork hospital visits during Covid-19

Software enables SIVUH to re-introduce patient visits in a controlled manner while also keeping sufficient records for contact tracing purposes

From left to right, Martina Skelly CEO Yellow Schedule, Susan Coleman Staff Nurse SIVUH, Niamh Allen CNM II Clinical Liaison Nurse Manager SSWHG, Patrice Sisk Staff Nurse SIVUH and Breda Kelly Assistant Director of Nursing/Project lead SIVUH.

A Limerick-based tech firm has provided the solution for a Cork hospital looking to re-introduce hospital visitations during the coronavirus pandemic.

YellowSchedule, an appointment scheduling platform, is enabling the South Infirmary Victoria Hospital (SIVUH) in Cork to re-introduce patient visits in a controlled manner that adheres to the latest public health guidelines, while also keeping sufficient records for contact tracing purposes.

Since SIVUH has started using the platform, it has led to a reduction of queueing at busy entrance points where social distancing may not be possible and reduced the administration burden on staff associated with scheduling visitors over the phone and conducting screening in-person.

It's also provided an accurate single source of data to enable contact tracing for infection control teams.

Collaborative Effort 

When SIVUH, a part of the South/South West Hospital Group was faced with the challenge of re-introducing visiting in a way that was safe for patients, their visitors and the hospital staff, it approached Health Innovation Hub Ireland (HIHI), a joint initiative of the Department of Health and Department of Business Enterprise and Employment, to find a solution.

HIHI worked with YellowSchedule, making targeted software design and modifications to the firm's software to meet the specific requires of the Cork hospital.

These included bottlenecks related to the flow of visitors, the resource burden of a manual system and reliable and timely contact tracing.

Breda Kelly (left) Assistant Director of Nursing/Project lead SIVUH and Martina Skelly (right) CEO Yellow Schedule.

Speaking at the “go live” day, Martina Skelly, CEO of Yellow Schedule said it has been “hugely rewarding” to work with SIVUH and HIHI to facilitate the reconnection of loved ones through their visitor scheduling and contact tracing platform.

Ms Skelly, who co-founded YellowSchedule with her brother Michael Skelly, said the Covid-19 pandemic has been “a very difficult and worrying period” for many and commended the commitment of SIVUH staff “to provide quality of care for their patients.” 

“They took every effort to ensure a system that would enable longer-stay patients to benefit from visits from loved ones in a safe and managed way while also building a single accurate source for effective contact tracing purposes,” she said.

“We’re very grateful to Health Innovation Hub Ireland for facilitating this project and supporting it with the resources and expertise required to ensure that it could be launched quickly and effectively”.

A Digital Solution 

Project Lead/ADON of SIVUH Ms Breeda Kelly said YellowSchedule’s software has “found a digital solution to a workflow problem with the healthcare system.” Ms Kelly said the response from visitors to the hospital has been very rewarding.

“When surveyed the visitors highly rated the system as either “Very Good” or “Excellent,” she said.

“This platform now provides a secure way for family members and friends to book visits with their loved ones at our hospital, to be pre-screened for Covid-19 on the morning of the visit and to receive a bar code to enable fast track entry to the hospital.” “This reduces the demands on resources at the hospital, reduces queueing in reception areas and ultimately ensures patients and visitors get to maximise their precious time together in a safe environment,” she finished.