Inspiration
What it does
How we built it
Challenges we ran into
Accomplishments that we're proud of
What we learned
What's next for CareRoute
Inspiration
Healthcare is difficult to navigate even before someone reaches a doctor. Families may not know whether a concern requires emergency care, where to find a clinic without insurance, or which questions to ask during a short appointment. Existing symptom checkers often focus on possible diagnoses. CareRoute focuses on the access decisions around care.
What it does
CareRoute guides a user through three fast paths: a red-flag safety screen, an affordable-care finder, and a visit-preparation checklist. Emergency warning signs point the user to 911 or 988. The affordable-care path links to official HRSA community health centers and 211. The visit-prep path turns a short concern into a useful list of questions. The prototype never diagnoses, requires no account, and keeps entered text in the browser session.
How we built it
We built CareRoute with React, TypeScript, Tailwind CSS, vinext, shadcn/ui, and Lucide icons. The experience uses official public-service resources from MedlinePlus, HRSA, 211, and the 988 Lifeline. Its decision logic is intentionally bounded so it can provide navigation without pretending to diagnose.
Challenges we ran into
The main challenge was being helpful without pretending to practice medicine. We separated emergency escalation from non-diagnostic navigation, used plain-language safety guidance, and linked users to official resources.
Accomplishments that we're proud of
- A responsive prototype with three working care-navigation paths
- A safety-first emergency and crisis flow
- Links to free and sliding-scale healthcare resources
- No sign-in or stored health data
- A focused experience that can be completed in about two minutes
What we learned
Responsible healthcare design requires defining what a product must not do as carefully as defining its features. Clear scope, trusted resources, and privacy-conscious defaults make a simple tool much more useful.
What's next for CareRoute
Next, we would add ZIP-code filtering, multilingual support, printable visit-preparation cards, accessibility testing, and a verified resource directory developed with school nurses and community clinics.
Built With
- lucide
- react
- shadcn/ui
- tailwind
- typescript
- vinext
Log in or sign up for Devpost to join the conversation.