No physical Odyssey Hackathon on the Suikerunieterrein in Groningen, but a completely online Odyssey Momentum during the weekend 13-15 November. Odyssey Momentum was the place for engaging challenges of a large number of organisations and companies. This was also true for the challenge ‘the Future of Acute Healthcare’ (Acute Zorg Challenge), jointly developed by regional partners on and around Campus Groningen. The result: four internationals teams that competed in this Acute Healthcare challenge. In a 48 hour battle, team Wavy convinced the experts of the Acute Healthcare challenge with their solution. 

The University of Groningen, the Hanze University of Applied Sciences, municipality of Groningen, the province of Groningen and the UMCG decided to join forces and to take part in Odyssey. In addition to these challenge owners, a strong consortium of parties coached the teams together, such as the Martiniziekenhuis (Martini hospital), ZorgnaZorg, Campus Groningen and the Acute Zorgnetwerk Noord Nederland (AZNN).

Innovative approach

Team Wavy from Groningen (of Wavy Assistant) won partly because of their innovative approach. While the other teams focused on the stream of patients who reach the Emergency Room (ER), team Wavy decided to focus on the outflow of patients from the ER. When transferring of patients is taking longer, this can cause an overload in the hospital system. To avoid unnecessary stay and ambulance transport in and from the hospital, team Wavy came up with a system using Artificial Intelligence, that predicts the expected duration of stay in the hospital. On the basis of this prediction, reservations can be made for eventual nursing, care center or home care (including transport). Team Wavy also thought about the implementation of their product with the use of gamification: training and working with the tool will be assisted by a game.

Ecosystem award for The Telemachos

Besides team Wavy, the teams AcuteLink, Windfall and The Telemachos sunk their teeth in the Acute Healthcare Challenge. The Telemachos, the team of the Groningen Digital Business Center (University of Groningen), delivered a big surprise. “Despite the fact that they did not win the ‘The Future of Acute Healthcare’ challenge, they did capture an ecosystem award. Their idea to predict the health situation of patients with a chronic disease and thus lighten the pressure at the front at the ER, was received so well by many other teams, that they ended up in the top five of over 100 teams", says Lian de Boer, advisor Economic Affairs of the municipality of Groningen.

The follow-up

The winning team Wavy becomes a part of Odyssey Ignite, a track that supports the team and the challenge owner in further cooperation. “In the Acute Healthcare Challenge, we have decided to invite the remaining teams also for a follow-up talk and to connect them o the right (healthcare) professionals. All teams have delivered very valuable input as far as we are concerned, we will work on that!”, according to Tea Martic, Advisor Acute Healthcare and Crisis control AZNN, that focuses as a network organisation on cooperation and improvement of the acute healthcare chain. 

The other winners per challenge can be found on:  https://solutions.odyssey.org/

About the Acute Healthcare Challenge

The acute healthcare in the Netherlands is under pressure. The demand increases while the capacity is limited. The more reason to make the best and efficient use of the healthcare capacity that is available, but how do you do that? To answer this question, a number of healthcare partners at and around Campus Groningen have formulated a challenge in the Odyssey Hackathon/Momentum 2020. What did the Groningen challenge, called "the Future of Acute Healthcare" entail? Build a digital solution that displays the live capacity which is available in the acute healthcare. The aim is to ensure that all partners in acute healthcare, such as the ambulances and the hospital, can coordinate healthcare better, so that all patients receive the right care, at the right place, at the right time and from the right care provider.

Source header: Wavy Assistant
Source infographic: odyssey.org