PillPal

Landing Page
profile and settings
medication tracking dashboard
community forum
error page

Inspiration

The idea for PillPall emerged when a team member shared a personal story about their parents, who struggle with taking their medications on time. Managing medication schedules manually is both time-consuming and overwhelming, especially for older adults. Moreover, there was a lack of a supportive community for people going through similar challenges. This sparked the idea to create an app that not only helps users manage their medication but also connects them to a community that shares their experiences.

What it does

PillPall is a medication management app designed to simplify the process of tracking medication schedules and connecting with others who are facing similar health challenges. The app features:

Medication Tracker: A dashboard for users to track their medication schedules, set reminders, and mark doses as taken. Community Forum: A space where users can interact with others, ask questions, and share experiences related to medication and health. Caretaker Support: Users can add caretakers to their profiles, giving them access to view the patient's medication schedule, track critical alerts, and check if any refills are needed. Live Map Integration: Google Maps API allows users to view locations related to their medication needs, such as pharmacies and healthcare facilities. OCR and Text Detection: OpenAI and Tesseract.js help with scanning medication labels and detecting text for accurate tracking. Chatbot Support: Tidio integration provides users with instant support and answers to common questions. Educational Widgets: An easy-to-use "Learn More" feature offers widgets that provide information on drug interactions, helping users understand how their medications may affect one another when taken in combination.

How we built it

We took a clear and structured approach to developing PillPall:

Frontend: Built with Next.js for a dynamic, responsive user experience. Backend: Django powered the logic, handling authentication, medication scheduling, and forum management. Database: SQLite was used to efficiently store user data, medication schedules, and forum posts. APIs & Integrations: Google Maps API for live location-based services. OpenAI API and Tesseract.js for OCR and text detection from medication labels. Tidio chatbot for real-time support. Flarum for community-building through an interactive forum.

Challenges we ran into

Time Constraints: Developing the app within the hackathon timeframe required making tough decisions on what to prioritize and cut. Feature Balancing: Ensuring the medication tracker and forum were both user-friendly and functional proved challenging, particularly with the integration of live map data and community features. User Engagement: We had to iterate multiple times on the design and functionality of the forum to make it engaging enough for users to actively participate.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

Successfully integrating a wide range of features into one cohesive app, including the medication tracker, live map data, OCR functionality, and a fully interactive forum. The seamless integration of multiple APIs (Google Maps, OpenAI, Tesseract.js, Tidio) within the time constraints. Creating an app that not only helps users manage their medications but also offers a supportive space to interact with others in similar situations.

What we learned

User-Centric Design: It’s essential to focus on the real pain points of users, particularly when developing a tool for something as personal as medication management. Community Building: While technical features are crucial, fostering a sense of community can enhance user engagement and make the app more valuable. Technical Challenges: Balancing complex features, such as real-time data and forum discussions, while keeping the app intuitive and responsive, was a significant learning curve.

What's next for PillPal

Feature Expansion: Expand PillPall’s features by adding notifications for refills, personalized health insights, and more integration with healthcare systems. Community Growth: Growing the community forum and introducing specialized groups for different health conditions to foster deeper connections. Mobile Version: A mobile app for easier on-the-go medication tracking and community interaction is in the works.