Doctor seeks entrepreneurial cure to waiting room delays

Dr. Eric Carter, a Tampa area hospitalist and family doctor, has seen one of the biggest health care business challenges up close from both sides: the waiting room. As a patient, he recalls once waiting more than two hours to see a doctor. And as a doctor, he says, “I know what it’s like to see patients and fall behind.”

The waiting room conundrum, he says, has long been a frequent topic of conversation among colleagues and friends. He went searching for an app or service to monitor wait times, and was surprised that while hospitals had some for emergency rooms, there was nothing for general practitioners. Basic appointment management tools were both rudimentary and expensive. Chatting with friends a few years ago, Carter says, “someone said ‘someone should make an app that really works.’”