A revolution in patient and material transport
In their former jobs, the two friends often experienced situations in which the ambulance service delivered a patient to a clinic, while another patient had been waiting for many hours for transport from that very clinic. However, the ambulance service was unable to take her with them because the control center had not yet received the order. In such a situation, the ambulance crew has no choice but to make a wasted journey to take on another call at a different location. If the ambulance service is finally assigned the job for the waiting patient, the ambulance returns empty to the clinic to pick up the patient. Christian Ruff and Alexander Kunze quickly realized that this process is logistically inefficient and that there is room for improvement, which they are now realizing with their start-up.
Less time for organization, more time for patients
“In most cases, hospitals still use the telephone to request the transport of patients or materials,” explains Christian Ruff. ‘These manual ordering processes are very time-consuming.’ By digitizing the ordering, monitoring and documentation process for patient transport, the start-up aims to relieve the burden on nursing staff. “If less time is needed to organize patient and material transport, this can be channeled into the core task of nursing staff – caring for patients.” They want to offer reliable patient transport not only to hospitals, but also to general practitioners and medical care centers, even in less urban areas.
Potential savings for payers
But health insurance companies also benefit from significant cost savings. Thanks to the intelligent classification of orders, the respective transports are automatically assigned to suitable vehicles. This ensures that all necessary medical conditions are met, while also guaranteeing cost-effective transportation. QRaGo's ability to bundle orders enables enormous resource savings and prevents unnecessary empty runs. The team uses innovative technologies such as artificial intelligence to increase the efficiency of processes.
For the benefit of patients
Ultimately, however, the two founders are clearly focused on the well-being of the patient. “We ensure that patients and the materials needed for their treatment reach their destinations quickly, safely and without complications,” emphasizes Alexander Kunze. “This applies to life-saving emergencies as well as routine examinations.” Above all, optimizing the transport process leads to shorter waiting times for patients and facilitates the availability of medical resources. This also increases patient satisfaction.
Seamless integration and insurance at a click
The platform itself can be easily adapted to the specific requirements and individual workflows of the institutions. This enables seamless integration of QRaGo into existing systems and processes. In the area of material transport, there is also the option of taking out the necessary insurance cover with a single click within the platform. The SCHUNCK GROUP, the Ecclesia Group's insurance broker for logistics and transportation, is working with the Stuttgart-based company to this end.
Alexander Kunze and Christian Ruff have a clear goal in mind for their start-up: “We want QRaGo to become the leading end-to-end platform for logistics services in the healthcare sector.” In the future, they would like to offer their service to medical facilities throughout Europe.
Investments in start-ups with added customer value
Start-ups are also part of the Ecclesia Group's investment strategy, especially when it comes to innovative solutions that touch on Ecclesia's business model or fit into the ecosystem of Ecclesia customers and are already market-ready to a certain extent. QRaGo is an example of investments in value-added digital solutions for Ecclesia customers. While the start-up simplifies and optimizes the transport process with its innovative online platform, the Ecclesia Group contributes to comprehensive coverage and risk management for the parties involved. This synergy makes it possible to further optimize processes for medical facilities by covering both logistical and insurance-related aspects.
Editorial team