-
The login page of MedForms. Username: johnk97; Password: password
-
Profile of someone's vaccination record.
-
Profile of someone's vaccination after a new vaccine has been logged.
-
View of the insured's family members.
-
Screen to edit a patient's profile.
-
Screen to add a new patient's profile.
Inspiration
Electronic medical records (EMRs) have brought additional challenges to both care providers and patients.
The different EMR companies have made medical record access more difficult for patients, and served as obstacles for patients referred by other doctors, transferring providers, or simply wishing to view their vaccine record. James has previously worked in positions focusing on making electronic health records _interoperable_. However, this endeavor has been made difficult because currently, there is neither a system that incentivizes providers to improve their EMR system, nor is there an incentive for providers to provide patients with their complete medical record. Our project, **MedForms**, provides a simple, scalable system in which patients are incentivized to obtain and maintain a record of their immunizations.
What it does
MedForms provides a simple form in which patients fill out their immunization information as they and their family members receive immunizations.
Patients have an easy interface to log their vaccinations, and can be incentivized to keep information up-to-date with discounts from insurance companies as rewards for completing all recommended vaccinations.
How we built it
John worked with Javafx last Spring for his research. He used his skills to create the application.
We focused on simplicity to ensure patients would not feel burdened by having to fill out the form. The resulting interface is one that can be filled out in as little as 15 minutes.
Challenges we ran into
Our initial solution would have been too broad, and slow to market.
We initially wanted to reinvent and standardize patients' entire EMR. However, this solution would have been costly, and would have required a _behavioral change_ from healthcare providers, EMR companies, _ and _ patients themselves. Such a transformation would not have been practical. However, the solution we settled on focuses on incentivizing a behavioral change on the patient's behalf. We focused on vaccinations because of the significance of vaccines in school enrollment and public health in general. Centering on vaccines narrowed the scope of the project, and gave the project a clearer goal.
Accomplishments that we're proud of
Solving problems associated with EMRs _ can _ be feasible.
For many in the industry, EMRs are a significant problem for which there is no easy solution. While this may be true, through small fixes, it is entirely possible that patients can have a clearer knowledge of their own health history, which can be achieved through incentivizing behavioral change. Furthermore, we are very proud of having a fully-functional form despite having limited coding experience.
What we learned
We learned a lot more about the problems associated with access to care.
Although there are plenty of other problems directly affecting access to care, medical records themselves can serve as significant barriers to adequate care. This project illustrated the real-world need for an organized system to let people gain access to their own information.
What's next for MedForms
This project can be expanded past vaccines.
Similar formats for MedForms can be used to compile information about dental visits, optometry checkups, and other medical procedures and made into an easily-transferable file. The idea behind MedForms is simple, but the application cannot be understated. Currently, insurance companies already offer monetary incentives for certain behaviors. The practical application of MedForms allows it to fit into the _current_ system of connecting providers with their patients, and getting patients access to healthcare.
Log in or sign up for Devpost to join the conversation.