# ****
**Title:** *Clinics struggle with manual records* → **Software Solution: Integrated E-Channeling and Digital Patient Record System**
*Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Bachelor of Information Technology (BIT) – External Degree Programme, University of Moratuwa*
---
## **1. Introduction**
### 1.1 Problem Statement
Small and medium-sized private clinics—especially in semi-urban and rural Sri Lanka—still rely on **paper-based patient records, manual appointment books, and phone-based booking**. This leads to:
- Lost or damaged medical files,
- Double-booking or missed appointments,
- Inefficient patient flow and long waiting times,
- Difficulty tracking patient history (e.g., allergies, chronic conditions),
- No centralized view of doctor availability or room usage,
- Poor communication between front desk, doctors, and patients.
In the post-pandemic era, patients increasingly expect **digital appointment booking (e-channeling)** and secure access to their records—yet most local clinics lack affordable, integrated systems.
### 1.2 Proposed Solution
A **web-based E-Channeling and Electronic Medical Record (EMR) System** designed specifically for small clinics. It combines:
- Online appointment booking (E-Channeling) for patients,
- Digital patient registration and health records,
- Doctor schedule and room management,
- Automated reminders (SMS/WhatsApp),
- Secure access controls for staff roles (receptionist, doctor, admin).
The system replaces paper files and phone logs with a **single, unified, low-cost digital platform** that improves clinic efficiency and patient experience—without requiring expensive hardware or IT staff.
---
## **2. Objectives**
- Eliminate paper-based patient records and appointment logs.
- Enable patients to book, reschedule, or cancel appointments online.
- Maintain a structured, searchable digital health record per patient.
- Reduce no-shows with automated SMS/WhatsApp reminders.
- Streamline clinic workflow: check-in → consultation → prescription → follow-up.
- Ensure data privacy and role-based access (HIPAA-inspired principles).
- Provide a scalable system usable by clinics with 1–5 doctors.
---
## **3. Scope**
### 3.1 In Scope
- Web application (mobile-responsive) for clinic staff and patients.
- **Patient Portal**: Register, view appointment history, book slots, receive reminders.
- **Clinic Admin Panel**: Manage doctors, rooms, working hours, holidays.
- **Doctor Dashboard**: View daily appointments, access patient records, add notes/diagnoses.
- **Receptionist Module**: Check-in patients, manage walk-ins, print tokens.
- **E-Channeling**: Real-time doctor availability, slot selection, instant confirmation.
- **Digital Patient Record**: Demographics, medical history, allergies, diagnoses, prescriptions, lab notes.
- **Automated Notifications**: WhatsApp/SMS reminders 24 hours before appointments.
- **Reporting**: Daily patient count, no-show rate, doctor utilization.
- **Data Export**: PDF prescriptions, printable medical summaries.
### 3.2 Out of Scope
- Integration with national health systems (e.g., eZ64, government EMRs).
- Telemedicine/video consultation (can share Zoom link manually).
- Pharmacy or billing/invoicing beyond basic prescription notes.
- Multi-branch clinic support (single-clinic focus).
- AI diagnostics or clinical decision support.
---
## **4. Functional Requirements**
| Module | Feature | Description |
|-------|--------|------------|
| **User Roles** | Patient | Book appointments, view history, update profile |
| | Receptionist | Manage walk-ins, check-in, print tokens |
| | Doctor | View schedule, access/edit patient records |
| | Admin | Manage users, doctors, rooms, clinic settings |
| **E-Channeling** | View Doctor Availability | Calendar with available time slots |
| | Book Appointment | Select doctor, date, time; receive confirmation |
| | Reschedule/Cancel | With reason (optional) |
| **Patient Management** | Patient Registration | Name, NIC, DOB, contact, address, blood group |
| | Unique Patient ID | Auto-generated (e.g., CLINIC-2025-001) |
| **Medical Records** | Problem List | Chronic conditions (e.g., diabetes, hypertension) |
| | Allergies & Medications | Track current/past drugs |
| | Visit Notes | Doctor adds diagnosis, symptoms, prescriptions |
| | Attachments | Upload lab reports or scanned documents |
| **Clinic Workflow** | Digital Token System | Auto-generated queue number at check-in |
| | Visit Status Tracking | Waiting → In Consultation → Completed |
| **Notifications** | Pre-Appointment Reminder | WhatsApp/SMS 24h before |
| | Cancellation Alert | Notify doctor/staff if patient cancels |
| **Reporting** | Daily Appointments | Filter by doctor/status |
| | No-Show Analytics | Track missed appointments |
| **Settings** | Clinic Info | Name, address, contact, logo |
| | Working Hours | Per doctor or clinic-wide |
| | Holiday Calendar | Block booking on public/national holidays |
---
## **5. Non-Functional Requirements**
- **Usability**: Simple UI for non-technical staff; <3 clicks to book/check-in.
- **Privacy & Security**: Role-based access; patient data encrypted; no public access.
- **Reliability**: 99.5% uptime; daily backups.
- **Performance**: Load appointment calendar in <1.5s with 500+ patients.
- **Compliance**: Follows basic medical data protection principles (no sensitive data exposed).
- **Offline Support**: None (cloud-first), but low-bandwidth optimized.
- **Mobile Responsiveness**: Fully functional on smartphones for patients and staff.
---
## **6. System Architecture**
- **Frontend**: React.js + Tailwind CSS (responsive, fast)
- **Backend**: Node.js with Express **or** Django (Python)
- **Database**: PostgreSQL (ACID-compliant, ideal for medical records)
- **Authentication**: JWT with role-based middleware
- **Notifications**: Twilio (SMS) + WhatsApp Cloud API
- **File Storage**: Cloudinary or AWS S3 (for lab reports, scanned docs)
- **Hosting**: Render (backend), Vercel (frontend) – low-cost/free tier compatible
---
## **7. Database Design (Key Entities)**
- **Users**
(`user_id`, `name`, `email`, `phone`, `role`, `password_hash`, `created_at`)
- **Patients**
(`patient_id`, `nic`, `dob`, `address`, `blood_group`, `allergies`, `created_at`)
- **Doctors**
(`doctor_id`, `user_id`, `specialization`, `room_no`, `working_hours`)
- **Appointments**
(`appointment_id`, `patient_id`, `doctor_id`, `date`, `time_slot`, `status` [scheduled/completed/cancelled/no-show], `notes`)
- **MedicalRecords**
(`record_id`, `patient_id`, `doctor_id`, `visit_date`, `diagnosis`, `symptoms`, `prescription`, `follow_up_date`)
- **Attachments**
(`attachment_id`, `record_id`, `file_url`, `description`)
- **ClinicSettings**
(`setting_id`, `clinic_name`, `address`, `contact`, `working_days`, `holidays`)
- **NotificationsLog**
(`log_id`, `patient_id`, `type`, `message`, `status` [sent/failed], `sent_at`)
*(Normalized schema to prevent duplication; patient identity linked securely.)*
---
## **8. Comparison with Existing Systems**
| System | Strengths | Weaknesses for Small Clinics |
|-------|----------|------------------------------|
| **Government E-Channeling (e.g., Lanka Hospitals)** | Brand trust, wide reach | Centralized, not for private small clinics |
| **Practo / Zesty** | Full EMR + billing | Expensive, over-engineered, subscription-based |
| **Google Calendar + Excel** | Free, familiar | No patient records, no reminders, no security |
| **Proposed System** | **Affordable**, **clinic-focused**, **Sri Lankan context**, **WhatsApp integration**, **no paper trail** | Limited to core functions (by design for simplicity) |
---
## **9. Development Roadmap**
| Phase | Duration | Deliverables |
|------|--------|-------------|
| **Phase 1** | Weeks 1–2 | Requirements, DB schema, tech stack setup |
| **Phase 2** | Weeks 3–5 | Auth, user roles, patient & doctor management |
| **Phase 3** | Weeks 6–8 | E-Channeling + appointment workflow |
| **Phase 4** | Weeks 9–10 | Digital medical records + check-in system |
| **Phase 5** | Week 11 | Notification system + reporting |
| **Phase 6** | Week 12 | Testing, deployment, documentation, demo |
---
## **10. Expected Outcomes & Impact**
- Replace error-prone paper records with structured digital health files.
- Reduce patient wait times and administrative burden.
- Increase clinic credibility through professional digital operations.
- Improve patient retention via reminders and easy rebooking.
- Deliver a **real-world, deployable system** that addresses a critical gap in Sri Lanka’s healthcare digitization—especially for small private practices.
---
## **11. Conclusion**
This project directly tackles the operational inefficiencies faced by local clinics through a **practical, privacy-aware, and user-friendly digital solution**. By integrating E-Channeling with electronic patient records in a single platform, it offers immediate value to both clinic staff and patients—while fulfilling all academic and technical requirements of a University of Moratuwa BIT final-year project.
This document is **ready for implementation** and serves as a complete **Project Proposal and SRS**.
---
Would you like any of the following?
- UML Use Case/Class Diagrams
- Sample patient record form (UI mockup)
- Risk assessment or testing plan
- BIT-compliant cover page & table of contents
Let me know—I'm happy to help finalize your submission!
No comments:
Post a Comment