How to build an efficient Healthcare solution: Experience of the Rolique team

Summary

1. How to Build an Efficient Healthcare Solution

2. Rolique Expertise

• An educational platform about the rehabilitation process for people with limb loss
• Web service for neurological EEG diagnostics
• BCBA and BCaBA certification exams preparation app
• An interactive platform providing virtual support for people with cognitive disabilities

3. Outstanding Solutions with Rolique

How to Build an Efficient Healthcare Solution

Any project, regardless of its domain, should cover the generally accepted requirements of a good project:

1. Responsive design. Today, people are increasingly using mobiles rather than desktops. So, competitive solutions should adapt to the user`s device for better UX.  
2. Project setup. It is crucial to define the scope of a project, choose the best-fitted technologies for it, and do the basic setup(including linters, commitizen, etc.).
3. Test coverage. The system must be covered with tests to catch the bugs as soon as possible, and it also will allow us to refactor existing functionality with fewer risks.
4. Well-typed TS. It is crucial for FE projects. 
5. UI kit should have reusable components (say no to 1000-line components). This affects optimization and overall system performance.
6. The app must meet all security requirements. Doubtful third-party libraries should not be used.
7. Scalability. It should be possible to extend existing functionality and add new ones easily.
8. Well-written (including the Readme file) documentation. The project should be easy to understand for new people — for example, when development is completed and a contractor hands the project over to a customer`s team for support. 

But if we talk about Healthcare projects, an individual approach is essential. A contractor must explore what needs to be used for development. Are third-party libraries required? Do ready-made solutions exist, or must functionality be created from scratch? Also, it is necessary to decide on the practicality of using third-party APIs and analyze the complexity of working with them.

Let's consider this in the example of a private medical center.

• The first case. A patient had previously been treated in other clinics. The hospital requires access to records for all previous appointments. In this case, a contractor should use third-party APIs that will allow the hospital to receive the necessary information.

• The second case. The medical center needs an application with the ability to measure brain activity and formulate possible treatment methods. Doctors will use an additional software connected to the measuring device. Before starting development, a contractor must analyze the expediency of creating such software from scratch. Maybe a third-party library with similar functionality already exists? Also, a contractor must calculate the risks and complexity of third-party software integration. 

As we can see, an individual approach to developing healthcare software is critical. It allows a contractor to choose the best-fit technologies and methods to implement the required solution.

The next important thing is data security. It is essential to avoid the leakage of personal medical information, treatment plans, financial transactions, and other crucial data. 

If you develop software for the USA, it must be HIPAA compliant. In the case of Europe and the UK, it should be GDPR compliant. The difference is that HIPAA focuses on how personal health information is used in the USA. The GDPR is a broader legislation that controls any organization that processes the personal medical data of EU or UK citizens.

The importance of accessibility (a11y) must also be taken into account. Since there are so many people with disabilities worldwide, making your software convenient for people with different needs is vital.

The priority of a11y should be determined in the early stage of development because it affects the outline plan and approach to development. For example, if your app's target audience is persons with disabilities, a11y should be integrated from the beginning.

Healthcare projects often have many specific, narrowly focused functionalities and complex terminology that must be understood for successful project delivery. For this, contractors and customers must share their expectations properly and clearly.

A customer should understand the product's goal and the main features. It is essential to form the final purpose. Also, it should be decided on:

• using third-party libraries; 
• integration with ready-made software; 
• target audience; 
• a11y support; 
• etc.

A contractor should pay special attention to the project's goals and purpose. It is crucial for offering valid ideas. If there are difficulties in forming expectations, specialists from a contractor's side should help interpret the client's vision into a list of features and a specific TOR.

Rolique Expertise

Rolique has worked in the IT market since 2014. During this time, we have released more than 110 projects for 50+ customers worldwide. 

Healthcare solutions are one of the main areas of our activity. Let's talk about our most exciting cases.

Protez Hub

An information resource about the rehabilitation process for people with limb loss

A Protez Hub is the first educational platform in Ukraine about the rehabilitation process for people with limb loss. The platform hosts free lectures on physical rehabilitation, occupational therapy, prosthetics, and a multidisciplinary approach to working with patients. 

Our Rolique team managed the platform's development. We worked on developing two websites: a main platform and a knowledge base with video lectures, which has a Learning Management System format. Our specialists have been analyzing and making all technical decisions to build these platforms from scratch.

The project was implemented by a team of two back-end developers, two front-end developers, a designer, and a project coordinator. The resource is available in two languages: Ukrainian and English.

Tech solutions

The main challenge for our team was hard deadlines. This project required implementation time, which became crucial in decision-making.

We chose Drupal 10, the latest version of the open-source digital experience platform, to implement the client’s ideas. It has several essential advantages. Firstly, it allowed us to reduce development time significantly. We immediately got a standard set of functionalities: blog pages, registration pages, password generation, and content management. Multilingualism can also be implemented with Drupal.

Secondly, even though there are two separate websites, they share a common database and code. Protez Hub is the main domain, and Baza Znan was made as a subdomain. Drupal allowed us to implement this without redundant code.

Thirdly, it was important for the customer to administer the website content independently. A ready-made solution for Drupal allowed us to implement all necessary functions more conveniently, quickly, and efficiently.

Finally, since we were limited in time, the advantage of Drupal 10 was the possibility of constructing the website and filling it with blocks in the required order. We created blocks and programmed them in the admin panel and the Drupal layout. It allowed us to cope with such an enormous task in a short time. 

Data security

Another important request from the customer was data security, namely that videos could only be viewed on the Baza Znan website. We needed to protect the video from being downloaded and reused.

Our first idea was to use free solutions from Vimeo or YouTube. However, a detailed analysis revealed that free versions of these services allow only to upload videos publicly, which would not protect content from downloading or being reused.

We sought a solution and found a ready-made Bunny.net content delivery platform. It is a data store that allows hashing of videos using a protocol developed by Google. The service encodes video using specific keys. Users who load a video and try to run without keys will only see a black screen. In addition, the platform allows configuring blocking access to a direct link to a file.

Our team adjusted the service to the customer's needs. All the necessary settings will be automatically applied when they upload a video. The only vulnerability left is the screen recording. Still, the platform allows inserting watermarks on videos to protect copyrights.

Certificate generation

Since the Baza Znan is also an educational platform for healthcare professionals, it was necessary to implement certificate generation. After watching the video, specialists must take a test to confirm their knowledge to receive a certificate of completion. In this case, we chose not to use ready-made solutions but to describe the logic independently.

Of course, some ready-made solutions allow the implementation of the desired functionality. However, they contain a lot of unnecessary functionality, which would have slowed down the website. For example, there are two popular integrations with services for Drupal, but with a significant drawback: the Front-end is written in one case on React and Angular in another. Adaptation to the existing design would have taken too long. Therefore, we decided to create a new one that fully meets the project's needs.

Results

Since the launch, more than 400 people have registered on the website. We are happy that our team worked on implementing such a socially significant and valuable project.

See the live project ➡️

Holberg EEG 

Web service for neurological EEG diagnostics

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Holberg EEG AS is a Norwegian-based eHealth company with products for standardized structural interpretation, reporting, and sharing of advanced diagnostic data, and is currently focused on the Electroencephalography field.

Our team worked on developing a web service for precise neurological EEG diagnosing. We have built a whole system from scratch. In this tool, all the diagnoses are made according to the SCORE standard, and data filled by doctors and clinicians are converted into a dynamic PDF report. 

The project was implemented by a team of four FE engineers. Let`s consider our work in detail. 

Tech core transformation

The customer requested to rebuild their old system. The old app could only be used after installation and had an outdated design. Our main task was to create the new, portable system from scratch so that more clinics could use the renewed software.

We made a web application but also left the possibility to use it with installation. To achieve this, we used the Electron framework. We completely redesigned the system, making it faster and more handy for users. Our team also implemented integration with a brain-scanning device. The system reads the EEG indicators and uses a specific algorithm to diagnose. Additionally, physicians can generate an interactive PDF report with all the collected data.

SCORE standard 

Our main goal was to build fast, reliable software that precisely follows the Standardized Computer-based Organized Reporting of EEG standards (SCORE). This standard allows for unifying the diagnostics of conditions related to brain activity. 

Implementing this standard became a real challenge for our team because SCORE includes complex medical information. We needed to learn and understand these standards, including medical terms and other technicalities. To achieve this, we worked closely with the product manager on the client`s side, who helped us to gain all the necessary details. Furthermore, the project had many technical components that were complex to implement and required a lot of involvement from the development team. 

SCORE is a tree-like system with many branch-out categories and subcategories. Depending on the diagnosis, there are additional forms in which different parameters can be specified. Each parameter is a dynamic form; depending on which diagnosis doctors are working with, they can add different properties. In addition, they can filter information depending on the data they need. 

The most significant challenge for us was to cope with the dynamic data. In the tree-like SCORE system, some diagnoses automatically exclude or include others. Our team needs to think through the possible combinations. When data changes in one place, it must be replaced in another. In addition, it was necessary to make changes visible to users by expanding and highlighting.

Flexible PDF report service

The old reports had an outdated design with a lot of wasted space. Furthermore, there was no ability to edit information. Our idea was to make reports flexible and include more elements. For example, we added a diagram projecting the installed sensors from a brain-scanning device. The size of the projection depends on the number of sensors and, accordingly, affects the amount of data shown in the reports.

We also created an opportunity to сustomize the reports' design. Each clinic that uses our customer's software can create a unique template and document structure to fit their needs.

Autosaving and Real-time updates

Doctors can expand categories and add data according to the EEG device indicators in the SCORE tree. We implemented autosaving, so all the information can be edited and saved without unnecessary extra button-clicking. 

If a physician changes something, but the autosaving process is interrupted, the system will roll back the page to the previous version. It was challenging to implement, but it helped to achieve a better and more convenient UX.

We also implemented the real-time updates. All data from the brain-scanning device is displayed as the scan progresses. Doctors can work with data without the need to refresh the page to see results.

Interactive SVG head model

The biggest challenge for our team was implementing the convenient display of EEG data. We reused the brain-scanning field from an old app but made it more user-friendly. The old version had too much unused space. We created a grid where one slot represents one sensor. The system marks the diagnoses according to the sector. It is interactive so that doctors can click on those elements. Depending on their chosen framework, it selects subdiagnoses based on diagnostic data. 

Results

The client received a modern system with convenient functionality, flexible UI, and the ability to generate PDF reports.

See the live project ➡️

CentralReach

BCBA and BCaBA certification exams preparation app

CentralReach is an American-based industry's leading ABA software and services provider that helps organizations serving people with autism and IDD deliver evidence-based and personalized care at scale. 

Knowledge Builder App was created to help US universities' social work students dealing closely with autistic clients or people diagnosed with ASD prepare for BCBA and BCaBA certification exams. It includes 100+ active organizations, an extensive database with 3000+ questions for MOCK exams, and 2000+ cards for SAFMEDS tests.
The project was implemented by two data engineers. This is how it works.

LMS integration

The client`s idea was to build an app to help students prepare for BCBA and BCaBA certification exams. It was also requested to integrate an app into their internal LMS. An app was expected to be paid, so our client wanted to use their existing payment systems. 

The whole solution was built from scratch. We used the Sharable Content Object Reference Model (SCORM) to integrate the system into LMS. We also made front-end deployment through the core — a package where we had integrated app files to launch within the LMS. Using LMS's built-in payment system to manage financial operations also became possible. 

In addition, we unified the project design so that it looks good on both PC and mobile devices.

Exam preparation system

At first, we implemented the MOCK exam preparation functionality for the BCBA certification. Students are given 160 questions according to specific parameters (20% of category I, 80% of category II). They need to answer the questions and receive particular percentages of success. Then, new questions appear from the pool. After training, students can reset the pool and do it again. 

In the following stages of development, we added training modules for other MOCK certifications (like BCaBA). Since the system was initially created only for BCBA preparation, it was necessary to unify some components and pull up the information from the database for other certifications.

Additionally, we added two preparation modes: 

• timing (when students have to answer the questions at a specific self-configured time);
• study mode (with the opportunity to answer questions without a time limit).

We also implemented SAFMEDS — a study method focusing on fluency. It looks like cards that present questions; a student must answer them mentally. On the upside down, there are correct answers. After the response, the card can be turned over for self-checking. Then, a student should click whether they answered correctly or not. They can see their statistics at the end of the training.

Statistics export

The customer requested to receive statistics reports of MOCK exams. We created a system that generates and exports all the needed data via Excel. The user’s progress also can be tracked in the Progress Chart. 

Additionally, we created a QUIZ survey for students to collect statistics (for example, did they pass such exams before, etc.). That will help our client make future changes and improvements for better student experience and results. QUIZ is shown before the training starts. 

The QUIZ was implemented with React, the statistics backend — with Mongo DB, and the Excel.js library. Now, reports show not raw data but information with colors and styles (for example, green for success, red for failure, etc.).

Progress сhart visualization 

We created a Progress Chart with a graph that shows how many questions are answered correctly or missed. A graph is formed according to progress over a certain period. We also have added a table with all scores and the best results for the day. We used Chart.js and iGraft to implement this solution.

Results

An app is still being developed, but over 100 organizations already use the existing functionality. We are happy to create a system that helps students prepare for important exams.

See the live project ➡️

Avail Support

An interactive platform providing virtual support for people with cognitive disabilities

Avail Support Ltd is an award-winning healthcare and technology company. Their product, an Avail Support App, is an interactive platform providing virtual support for people with learning disabilities such as Autism, Down Syndrome, Brain Injuries, and other cognitive-related diseases. 

The app is developed based on clinical research and therapy for empowering children and adults with cognitive disabilities. It helps them acquire and reinforce the necessary skills to achieve independence across all domains, such as adult services, employment, independent living, behavioral health, schools, education, etc. 

The client requested to rebuild the existing legacy system. Our team built the design and tech part from zero. Let's see how it works. 

Tech solutions

Our task was to build a system for web and mobile (iOS and Android). The client`s previous solution didn`t work properly, so our team made deep tech modernization. We used an old idea and created a new, modern platform. 

We did research and rewrote a whole system from scratch. We used a CMS backend (Laravel/PHP & MySQL running on Rackspace-managed AWS servers in the US, EU, and CA regions). This technology was chosen as the most suitable and popular, with a good reputation and support to make the system maintainable and scalable. We also used a microservice architecture to improve the apps` performance. 

Data security was also our priority. The solution is HIPAA compliant, which guarantees high-level protection of users` personal health information.

The main functionality

This app is a guide that teaches people with mental disabilities to perform mundane daily tasks independently. For example, if there is a need to heat food in the microwave, the app explains step-by-step what a learner needs to do: find a plate, find the fridge, understand how to open it, etc. In other words, this app is compiled with a learning algorithm that is simple and user-friendly for people with cognitive disabilities.

The app is used by organizations and institutions that help their students with varied learning needs. It features three roles: managers, caregivers, and learners.

• Learners are people with disabilities who perform tasks and use the system's capabilities to learn and progress. 
• Caregivers fall into two categories with different access rights. The first is parents (or guardians) who follow their children's results. They have viewing rights and can track progress and marks. The second one is teachers. They can create tasks that must be performed by a specific person or group (for example, a class). Teachers can also evaluate the results. 
• Managers are the directors or heads of organizations. They have full functionality: add and remove users, create groups, etc.

We also implemented a diary where learners' results can be entered and a PDF reports system with the progress data of learners.

Media libraries support

Each organization can create personal tasks for learners to complete. Teachers can upload videos and send them to an individual student or the whole class. Each video can be private (for internal use only) or public. For example, when the task is pretty common (such as tying shoelaces), the video can be uploaded to a library and published for sharing.

Dealing with challenges

This project was a massive responsibility for us. Our final users were people with disabilities, who are mostly unaware of what they are doing, so the app had to be written, thought out, and earned correctly and clearly. 

We understood that people with special needs would rely on our system, so this development must be done perfectly. It was precisely the biggest challenge of the project.

Another challenge was the process management. This was quite a serious project, so it was necessary to consider and discuss every detail. That`s why we need micromanagement in most processes. However, we learned a good lesson about managing fixed-bit projects effectively.

Results

The release was successful. We fulfilled all obligations, closed the support phase successfully, and made minor fixes and improvements. The client received three modern standalone Web, iOS, and Android applications so that users could use them in a convenient environment.

See the live project ➡️

Outstanding Solutions with Rolique

We have qualified experience in creating Healthcare solutions. Our team provides development, consultancy, and quality assurance services with an in-depth understanding of the specifics of our client's product. Learn more about our expertise. 

Have an outstanding idea? Let's engineer your breakthrough! Contact us ➡️