Inspiration
In the midst of the current pandemic, telemedicine has become important to continue providing healthcare while keeping people safe from contracting the virus. Unfortunately, patients who are less tech savvy may struggle to adapt to the online platform, having to enter appointments independently and deal with the nuances of technology. Our aim is to make telemedicine appointments easy and accessible for all patients.
What it does
PhoneVideoDoctor is a web application that allows patients to enter their telemedicine appointments in an instant. With a single e-mail invitation, patients simply click the link and can join the meeting right away to see their doctor. Simple instructions are clearly provided to activate the camera and microphone, minimizing confusion and stress. Patients and doctors can speak with each other face to face and save time from figuring out how to join the appointment.
How We built it
We developed our app using Javascript using Node.js. We created a server with Express.js that allows clients to view high-quality videos of each other while hearing each other clearly. Our frontend interface was created in React.js, and we utilized a large range of modules to build our app with greater speed.
Challenges we ran into
One challenge was coming up with an idea, since the field of healthcare is so vast with endless possibilities. We overcame this barrier by speaking with experts in the healthcare field, including doctors and health informatics specialists, who gave us an insight into the most pressing issues that would be exciting to work on. Another challenge we ran into near the end was deploying our app to Google Cloud. Although we struggled with getting the server running, we believe that we will be able to accomplish this in due time.
Accomplishments that we’re proud of
We were successful in creating a platform that doctors could use with their patients to carry out appointments. We were especially proud of the accessible and user-friendly interface we provided, as well as being able to call each other via the video platform when we got it working.
What we learned
Coming from a diverse set of backgrounds, we were all able to learn a lot about the intersection between healthcare and technology. On the healthcare side, we became aware of the pressing issues that need to be addressed during the pandemic. On the technology side, we learned how to develop frontends in React.js and create socket connections to send videos of each other in real time.
What's next for PhoneVideoDoctor
There are many other features that could improve the functionality of PhoneVideoDoctor. When booking the appointment, we would have a screening survey with information about the patients’ symptoms that would be sent to the doctor for reference. Depending on the severity of the symptoms, this form would advise them to seek immediate medical attention. At the beginning of the appointment, the patient would be asked on our web app if they had any new comments to add to this form.
For both the patient and doctor side of the web app, we could also add a queue to clearly show who the next patient is, and on the patient side, show approximately when the appointment will start, in the event that it is delayed.
Towards the doctor side of the web app, some of the next steps would include having an easy way to access and edit digital patient files throughout the appointment, take any pictures from the video, and being able to send patients any instructions about how to take pictures, or details about prescriptions.
Log in or sign up for Devpost to join the conversation.