CHAPTER III

METHODOLOGY

The Medical Appointment Scheduler System is an innovation that will improve the

traditional appointment scheduling in the Philippines. The system will make use of the Node.js

software which is a JavaScript platform, providing access for all kind of users with different

operating systems and gadgets. Since the software uses a low-code platform, it can ensure an

excellent processing speed. With a low-code platform, developers can create new applications

in hours or days, rather than weeks or months. The main reason for this system is to make use

of technology in order to reduce certain difficulties as mentioned before. Medical record security

is even more reliable because backups on the web can be made anytime. The software can

also be updated anytime to suit the needs of the patients or respondents and there is no need

for downloading or updating the application since it relies entirely on the web. Moreover, what

makes the system unique among all other existing appointment schedulers is that you may

select from a wide choice of symptoms prelisted in the application. If the symptom is not found,

the user has the freedom to write about what he/she feels which is indeed useful on the part of

the medical specialist. Another unique innovation is that the system is not entirely one-way. It is

a two-way communication system because the patient receives a reply in return which will be

provided by the Global System for Mobile Communication Module (GSM Module). This is

another innovative creation of the system: Instead of the usual paper records, the information is

now stored online, on a private database made entirely for the purpose of storing the patient’s

files and only giving access to the authorized personnel which is the administration, the

secretary or the assistant medical practitioner.

Design Criteria

The design aims to meet the following criteria:

Accuracy

The Medical Appointment Scheduler Application was built to ensure that the following

data are gathered accurately: [1] Patient Information. In the block diagram of the system this is

the second step and also one of the most vital parts of the data to be gathered for filing

purposes. The patient’s name, age, gender, address and contact number. [2] Checklist of

Symptoms provided by the system that was based on the data provided by the practitioners of

the Medical Institute where the study was conducted. [3] Average time for each appointment

which was also provided by the prospect Medical Institute. The accuracy of the average time is

necessary for it was used in the programming process of the web application with the purpose

of providing the best estimated time of consultation. [4] The special markers which is for the

identification of special priority patients such as senior citizens and persons with disabilities

(PWD). The names of these patients were either highlighted or dislocated in a different color.

The order of the patients should also be accurately shown to give priority to the first to register.

Reliability

The system must exhibit reliability in the actual operation. Once the data of the patient

has been gathered, the information should immediately be sent to the database where all the

files are kept. There should be no error in compiling the data even if users register

simultaneously. If a patient registers twice using the same name, the system should
automatically void the record so that the database is free from duplicate records. If a patient

consults for the second time, the record should immediately be transferred to the designated

folder without making a separate record for better organization.

Functionality

This pertains to the practicality of the Medical Appointment Scheduler. The system

should be designed while giving consideration to the users. The web application should be easy

to use and should not be time-consuming. Since technology is being utilized in the proposed

system, the Medical Appointment Scheduler should be able to simplify or reduce the work of the

medical practitioners. The application also aims to eliminate the need for a patient to call the

clinic if the doctor is available or not. It should also give patients the freedom to choose the date

of consultation that is most convenient to them.

No. Criteria Disagree Agree

1 The registration made at Medical Appointment Scheduler
System’s web coincides with the Teller Control Device
2 The priority number given by the web matches in the person’s
web domain and received text message
3 The information matches to the web domain of the patient and
medical secretary at the clinic.
4 Current transaction number at the Teller Control Device
matches with that showed at the Queuing Display Panel.
5 Transaction number at the Queuing Display Monitor increases
by pressing the “next” button at the Teller Control Device.
6 Transaction number at the Queuing Display Monitor
decreases by pressing the “previous” button at the Teller
Control Device.
7 Transaction number at the Queuing Display Panel resets to
zero by pressing the “reset” button at the Teller Control
Device.
8 The speaker creates a sound notification for every change in
queue.
9 Real-time schedule is available at Medical Appointment
Scheduler System’s web domain for clients’ online reference.
10 Real-time web scheduler is in conformity with that of the
Queuing Display Monitor.
Design Constraints

Safety

According to an interview with the Information Security Media Group, hacked patient

records are valuable. It's because stolen patient records often end up for sale on the deep web

as part of information packages called "fullz" and "identity kits" used by fraudsters to commit a

wide variety of crimes, says researcher James Scott. Scott co-authored a new report, Your Life,

Repackaged and Resold: The Deep Web Exploitation of Health Sector Breach Victims, which

was prepared for the U.S. Senate by the Institute for Critical Infrastructure Technology, a cyber

security think tank. The report describes the portion of the internet commonly referred to as the

deep web as "an amalgamation of all of the sites that are not indexed by search engines and, in

many cases, are not tracked by the same crawlers, ad services, cookies and other trackers that

hinder anonymity." Criminal groups often use the deep web to buy and sell health information

and other data, Scott says in an interview with Information Security Media Group.

Although this is not a major concern in the Philippines, there is still a possibility for it to

happen thus, the database must be backed with the necessary security and encrypted if

unauthorized access is detected.

Cost

This is a minor constraint because the system is almost entirely made of software which

is open-source (denoting software for which the original source code is made freely available

and may be redistributed and modified.) , but the cost of the hardware should also be put to

consideration in the design process.

 Software and Hardware Availability

It is difficult to design a device or system which is made of software or hardware parts

that are not readily available because it may be difficult to replace the defective parts whenever

the need arises. The study should consider this fact and select the most appropriate and

practically available tools.

Availability of Internet Connection

Since the system is web-based, the need for an internet connection in the process of

construction is essential. This is one of the major disadvantages of online systems. Although it

is convenient, fast and reliable, it still depends on the availability of the internet connection.

Design Plan Preparation

 Figure 1. Block diagram of the Physical Examination Appointment Scheduler System

Figure 1 shows the visual representation of the system design. The system is fully

dependent on the cooperation of the students or patients, the medical personnel and most

importantly, the internet connection and the gadget to be used. (Can be in the form of a phone,

tablet, laptop or personal computer as long as there is internet connection.)

First, the student schedules his own appointment by selecting an appropriate schedule

then the slot is reserved for that particular student. After the scheduling, the student is expected

to come on that time or day.

Since the system is web-based, any user with internet connection can gain access to the

system. The software does not need installation processes which require certain operating

systems. It can be accessed directly through your usual browser.

OutSystems Software. OutSystems is a veteran, heavy duty low-code development tool that

gives IT departments control over the entire application lifecycle. The platform includes

straightforward visual tools and reusable templates and components to help users build basic

apps, but also packs in-depth admin, project management, deployment and update, and
automation capabilities for developers. Along with Mendix, OutSystems is arguably the most

powerful developer and IT-focused platform we tested for heavy duty, low-code app creation.

These are some advantages of the OutSystems software application: It visually develop your

full-stack apps incredibly fast and deploy with one click, It easily connect your apps to any

system, delivers beautiful native mobile experiences and responsive web apps with ease,

Applications will perform great regardless of number of users, complexity, or data volume and

Real-time performance dashboards to ensure excellent user experience.

SolarWinds Backup. SolarWinds Backup is a hybrid backup and recovery solution for MSPs

who need to keep clients large and small up and running through any disaster. It provides

complete local and cloud protection for all your data, on every device, at every location. Restore

the clients' business continuity quickly and remotely from technology failure, natural disaster, or

simple user error. Features like bare metal recovery, virtual server restore (VMware and Hyper-

V), and long-term archiving ensure they're up and running again in no time. SolarWinds Backup

offers continuous recovery, automatically updating a standby system after each live backup. It's

fast -- the Local Speed Vault automatically chooses the fastest recovery source, physical or

virtual, ensuring minimum downtime in a disaster. And True Delta Deduplication ensures byte-

level backup of changed files only for maximum backup efficiency. All offsite storage is in global

datacenters that are SSAE-compliant or ISO-certified. Compliance in sensitive industries

requires strict data archiving protocols, and SolarWinds Backup can meet them. For speed and

maximum space, storage automatically cleans data after a default retention period; however,

you can set the system to archive whatever you need for as long as you need it, ensuring

HIPAA and other regulatory compliance.

Data to be gathered
 Patient Information

This includes the basic information such as the name, age, address and contact number

of the patient.

Average time of Consultation

This is necessary so that the system can accurately display the estimated time of

consultation prior to the scheduling process. This data will be gathered in the target Medical

Institute where the system will be implemented and tested.

Number of patients

The number of patients visiting the clinic per day every week should be analyzed. This

will be the basis for the type of database to be used by the system.

Approximate Number of Senior Citizens and PWD’s

This is needed for the design process for this will determine the type of method to be

used whenever the need for priority arises. For example: Case 1. 2 Senior Citizens or PWD’s

arrive with regular patients waiting in line. Case 2. All patients in line are PWD’s or Senior

Citizens.

Parameters to be analyzed

Reliability of the System

 The system should be able to display the correct average time for consultation to

minimize the need for manual checking of schedules in the hospital or clinic. This should be as

accurate as possible so that the patient would make that time available just for consultation.

Accuracy

In order to develop the accuracy of the system, the correct patient information and

symptoms provided by the user should be sent to the database. This is necessary for faster

diagnosis. Another data should the accurate average time of consultation. This is important for

the system for this is the basis of the estimated time to be shown to the users upon registration.

Effectiveness

The system must effectively minimize the average time of consultation for initial checks

are already provided by the system. It should also lessen the work load of the medical

practitioner because patient information is already made available.

REFERENCES

The Philippine Health System at a Glance . Retrieved March 3, 2018 from

http://www.doh.gov.ph/sites/default/files/basic-page/chapter-one.pdf

The Filipino State Health Care System. Retrieved March 5, 2018 from

https://transferwise.com/gb/blog/healthcare-system-in-the-philippines
Health Services and Research. Retrieved March 5, 2018 from

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK2660/

The Role of the Physical Environment in the Hospital of the 21st Century: A once in a lifetime

opportunity. Retrieved March 6, 2018 from

https://www.healthdesign.org/system/files/Ulrich_Role%20of%20Physical_2004.pdf

An investigation of the success of hospital information systems implementation: A case study.

Retrieved March 6, 2018 from
http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/6978217/?reload=true

Design and Development of Online Doctor System. Retrieved March 6, 2018 from

https://www.academia.edu/26066176/Design_and_Development_of_Online_Doctor_App

ointment_System

Doctor Appointment Booking System. Retrieved March 6, 2018 from

http://nevonprojects.com/doctor-appointment-booking-system/

APPENDIX A

PROPOSED BUDGET

TOTAL ESTIMATED BUDGET

Device Construction (Budget Price)

Arduino Uno R3 ₱ 700
Shipping Fee ₱ 200
Connecting Wires ₱ 100
Phone ₱ 7,400
Total ₱8400

Documentation
Binding ₱ 1,000
Grammarian ₱ 1,000
Printing ₱ 1,500
Total ₱ 3,500

Miscelleneous fees ₱ 5,000

Total ₱ 5,000

Total Project Cost

Device Construction ₱ 8,400
Documentation ₱ 3,500
Total ₱ 11,900
Miscellaneous ₱ 2,800
Grand Total ₱ 16,900
 APPENDIX B

WORK SCHEDULE