Intelligent Calendar revolutionises healthcare scheduling

Gary Jurgens, the creator of InteliCal. (Image: Supplied)

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Delays in healthcare are a universal challenge. Doctors face the difficult task of balancing emergencies, administrative responsibilities and compassionate care, all of which can throw carefully planned schedules into disarray. InteliCal – short for Intelligent Calendar – addresses this challenge with a human-centred solution that integrates seamlessly into existing workflows, mitigating the impact of delays without disrupting practices.

Gary Jurgens, creator of InteliCal, has spent years observing how delays ripple through patients' lives. “I’ve seen moms frantically making childcare arrangements, dads missing their kids’ plays because they’re waiting for a critical insulin prescription, and elderly patients enduring long, stressful journeys home after unexpected delays,” he explains.

"Delays are part of compassionate healthcare – they reflect the very care patients expect. But they also create real-life challenges that we need to address." These insights, coupled with Jurgens’s personal experiences as a Type 1 diabetic, diagnosed at 28, inspired InteliCal. With an MTech in IT and decades of IT experience, Jurgens leveraged his expertise to create a system that balances the unpredictable nature of healthcare with the need for efficiency.

At the heart of InteliCal are two principles borrowed from advanced sciences:

• Chaos Theory: Small changes in a complex system can have significant, often unpredictable, consequences. In healthcare, a single emergency can cascade through the day, causing a chain reaction of delays.
• Control Theory: This engineering principle helps stabilise dynamic systems by making real-time adjustments. Applied to scheduling, it enables InteliCal to adapt on the fly, keeping delays manageable while ensuring patients receive the care they need.

"Healthcare isn’t predictable,” Jurgens notes. “This isn’t simply an AI solution, because while AI is all the rage, it often struggles in dynamic, real-time scenarios. InteliCal excels by enabling instant adaptation, much like an airplane stabilising during turbulence.”

One of InteliCal’s core strengths is its ease of integration. It was designed to fit into existing workflows with minimal disruption. Whether it’s a receptionist managing a doctor’s schedule for 20 years or a new staff member, InteliCal supports their work without requiring extensive retraining.

"Our goal is to make slight adjustments that improve efficiency while letting the system handle the complexity," Jurgens says. "Doctors and staff shouldn’t have to change trusted routines or learn an entirely new way of working."

A standout feature of InteliCal is its mobile app, which empowers doctors to manage schedules in real-time. Whether they’re in the ER, on rounds or handling emergencies, they can update patients directly from their smartphones. Patients receive instant notifications about delays or rescheduled appointments, allowing them to adjust their plans.

"Delays are inevitable," Jurgens explains. "But with real-time notifications, patients don’t have to sit idle in waiting rooms. They can use that extra time productively – whether by catching up on work, attending a virtual meeting or simply making better arrangements for their day."

Jurgens understands the delicate balance required in healthcare scheduling. "I’ve been the cause of delays – during emergencies when I needed immediate care – and I’ve also been the patient sitting for hours in a waiting room, frustrated at the lost time," he reflects. "InteliCal isn’t about eliminating delays – it’s about making them manageable for everyone involved."

This focus on balance and empathy is what sets InteliCal apart. By respecting both the patient’s time and the provider’s challenges, it creates a system that works for all parties.

Healthcare delays are a global issue, and InteliCal is designed with universal applicability in mind. It meets international compliance standards, making it adaptable across diverse healthcare systems. Interest has already come from places as far away as Japan, where a dentist recognized its potential to streamline scheduling in a completely different context.

Healthcare delays are a global issue, and InteliCal is designed with universal applicability in mind. It meets international compliance standards, making it adaptable across diverse healthcare systems. Interest has already come from places as far away as Japan, where a dentist recognised its potential to streamline scheduling in a completely different context.

InteliCal is more than a scheduling tool – it’s a system built on respect: for patients, for healthcare providers and for the complexities of the profession. By blending cutting-edge science with empathy, it bridges the gap between the unpredictability of healthcare and the need for better scheduling.

"Compassionate healthcare is delivered by compassionate people," Jurgens concludes. "Doctors shouldn’t have to apologise for being late because they were saving a life. With InteliCal, we can ensure delays are managed in a way that respects everyone’s time and humanity."

Find out more about InteliCal here.