ePrescription Medical App

[GENERAL] Name and surname of main applicant

Dale David

[GENERAL] Email address of main applicant

warbyparker38@gmail.com

Additional applicants

1. John Leonard Tubig
2. Trista Gile
3. Jofferson Tiquez

[GENERAL] Please specify how many months you expect your project to last (from 2-12 months)

3

[GENERAL] Please indicate if your proposal has been auto-translated into English from another language.

No

[GENERAL] Does your project have any dependencies on other organizations, technical or otherwise?

No

[GENERAL] If YES, please describe what the dependency is and why you believe it is essential for your project’s delivery. If NO, please write “No dependencies.” .

No dependencies.

[GENERAL] Will your project’s output/s be fully open source?

Yes

[GENERAL] If NO, please describe which outputs are not going to be open source. If YES, please write “Project will be fully open source.”

It’s Open Source.

[METADATA] Category of Proposal

dApp

[METADATA] SDG rating

The related SDG Goals below are aligned with Hippr's mission to make healthcare data safely and securely accessible to all. Providing a health tech infrastructure allows nations to achieve the 3.8 SDG subgoals since these require a robust system to be able to deliver such services efficiently.

SDG Goals

Goal 3. Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages

SDG Subgoals

3.8 Achieve universal health coverage, including financial risk protection, access to quality essential health-care services and access to safe, effective, quality and affordable essential medicines and vaccines for all

Key Performance Indicator (KPI)

3.8.1 Coverage of essential health services

[IMPACT] Please describe your proposed solution.

Background

We can agree that traditional paper-based prescription system used in healthcare poses numerous challenges, including errors, inefficiencies, and security vulnerabilities. These issues impact patient safety, waste valuable time and resources, and hinder effective healthcare delivery. The ePrescription app is designed to address these problems by leveraging blockchain technology, offering a secure, efficient, and transparent platform for prescription management.

Challenges of Traditional Prescription Systems

The reliance on paper prescriptions introduces several limitations. Illegible handwriting and transcription errors can lead to medication mistakes, putting patient health at risk. Additionally, the manual process of generating, delivering, and storing paper prescriptions is time-consuming and prone to delays. These inefficiencies can cause inconvenience for patients and increase the administrative burden on healthcare providers. Moreover, the lack of interoperability between different healthcare systems hampers seamless sharing of prescription information between doctors, pharmacists, and patients.

Impact of Medication Errors

Medication errors and adverse drug events contribute to approximately 7,000 deaths a year, with an estimated cost for drug-related morbidity and mortality exceeding $77 billion a year. A minimum of 1.5 million preventable medication errors occur each year in hospitals, nursing homes and ambulatory care settings, according to the Institute of Medicine (IOM). IOM has recognized e-prescribing as one of the most promising tools to reduce such errors and recommends that all prescriptions be written electronically by 2010. The Massachusetts eRx Collaborative has documented this increase in safety: 2 percent of electronic prescriptions written in June 2006, more than 8,000 prescriptions, were changed by prescribers as a result of drug-drug or drug-allergy interaction notifications provided to prescribers through an e-prescribing system. (source: here)

Security and Fraud Concerns

Traditional prescription systems lack robust security measures, making them susceptible to fraud and unauthorized access. Paper prescriptions can be forged, altered, or lost, leading to serious consequences such as illegal drug diversion and prescription forgery. Patient privacy is also at risk, as paper prescriptions may contain sensitive personal and medical information that can be easily compromised.

The ePrescription App

The ePrescription app offers a transformative solution to the challenges faced by traditional prescription systems. The app will be open source and will be compatible with FHIR APIs (current Interoperability standards, see here). While the backend is not part of this project, one will be.setup for testing purposes only.

Enhanced Security

If the app is integrated with blockchain, each prescription transaction can be securely recorded on a decentralized and immutable ledger.

Streamlined Workflow

The ePrescription app streamlines the prescription process, benefiting healthcare professionals, pharmacists, and patients alike. Doctors can generate electronic prescriptions directly within the app, eliminating the need for handwritten prescriptions. The app can integrate with existing healthcare systems, such as electronic health records (EHRs) via FHIR.

Improved Patient Care

By adopting the ePrescription app, patient care is significantly enhanced. Patients gain access to their digital prescriptions, facilitating better medication management and adherence. Pharmacists can efficiently process prescriptions, reducing waiting times and ensuring accurate dispensing. Overall, the app promotes a collaborative approach to healthcare, enabling all stakeholders to access up-to-date prescription information and make informed decisions.

Integration to Blockchain

This project is part of the Hippr Decentralized Healthcare Interoperability Protocol, previously funded by Project Catalyst. It aims that the ePrescription app be compatible with Hippr, a Health Information Exchange on the Cardano blockchain. By enabling compatibility, the app can securely record transactions made by healthcare providers on the Cardano blockchain, enhancing safety and auditability.

Target Users

• Primary: Health IT Developers
• Secondary: Healthcare Providers

The primary target users for the project are Health IT Developers. The open-source nature of the application allows developers to access and leverage the codebase, enabling them to enhance and customize the app according to their specific needs and requirements. This empowers developers to contribute to the ongoing development and improvement of the application, fostering innovation within the healthcare technology ecosystem.

The secondary target users are Healthcare Providers. Once the open-source application is available, healthcare providers have the opportunity to utilize the app by either enhancing it further or deploying it on their own servers for their internal use. This flexibility allows healthcare providers to adapt the application to their specific workflows and requirements, promoting seamless integration with their existing systems and enhancing the efficiency of their healthcare operations.

Future of Healthcare

Interoperability is the future of healthcare, enabling secure and privacy-conscious sharing of healthcare data. Blockchain technology presents an ideal solution for achieving this goal. The ePrescription app serves as a vital component in this overarching vision. In today's digital era, prescriptions should already be digital. By providing an open-source app, we can accelerate adoption within the healthcare community, propelling us toward a more interconnected and efficient healthcare ecosystem.

[IMPACT] How does your proposed solution address the challenge and what benefits will this bring to the Cardano ecosystem?

Contribution to the Community

The impact of this prescription app extends beyond the healthcare community, benefiting a vast majority of individuals who will receive medical eprescriptions. Its open-source nature enables developers to build upon it or integrate existing healthcare apps, fostering collaboration and innovation. The app empowers pharmacies, drugstores, and doctors to enhance customer experiences and add value to their services.

Business Value

Developers can leverage the app's flexibility to enhance its features, integrate with other systems, and capitalize on revenue opportunities within the Cardano ecosystem. Pharmacies and drugstores, in collaboration with local doctors, can leverage the app to provide added value to their customers, strengthening their business offerings.

Health Ecosystem

The app addresses a critical problem in healthcare, offering immediate benefits to its users. As adoption grows globally, the long-term impact will be significant, potentially reaching millions of users worldwide. This solution has the potential to revolutionize healthcare practices and improve health outcomes on a global scale.

Cardano Ecosystem

The compatibility of the prescription app with Hippr, the decentralized healthcare exchange built on Cardano, enables seamless integration and utilization. Increased adoption of the app by healthcare providers drives usage and engagement within the Cardano ecosystem, fostering its growth and expanding its impact in the healthcare sector.

[IMPACT] How do you intend to measure the success of your project?

Measuring Success

We intend to measure the success of our project using a combination of quantitative and qualitative metrics. Quantitatively, as an open-source project available on GitHub, we will track metrics such as the number of downloads, the number of stars received, and the number of contributors over time. Qualitatively, we will gather feedback from users through comments and reviews. This valuable user input will provide insights into the app's effectiveness and its impact on enhancing healthcare processes.

Benefits for the Cardano Ecosystem

The project brings several benefits to the Cardano ecosystem. Firstly, the eventual integration of the ePrescription app with Hippr, the decentralized healthcare exchange built on Cardano, expands the utility and usage of Cardano within the healthcare sector. As more healthcare providers adopt the app, it drives increased usage and engagement with the Cardano blockchain, further establishing Cardano as a reliable and secure platform for healthcare data management. This growth contributes to the overall productivity and credibility of the Cardano ecosystem.

Short and Long-Term Effects on Cardano's Productivity and Growth

In the short term, the innovation of the ePrescription app demonstrates Cardano's practical use cases and potential to revolutionize traditional industries (once blockchain is utilized for recording of prescription transactions). As the app gains adoption and popularity, it attracts more developers and users to the Cardano ecosystem, contributing to its growth and expanding its community.

[IMPACT] Please describe your plans to share the outputs and results of your project?

Engaging the Developers Community

To actively engage with the developers' community, the project will leverage platforms such as Reddit, Product Hunt, and open-source communities. Through these channels, the project will share the code, documentation, and regular updates. This approach aims to encourage collaboration, foster knowledge-sharing, and inspire further development of the app. Developers play a crucial role in enhancing the app and customizing it to suit the specific needs of their countries and communities, making their participation vital to the project's success.

Using User Reviews for Future Improvements

User reviews and feedback are highly valuable for shaping future improvements of the app. As users begin utilizing the app, active encouragement will be given to provide reviews and feedback on platforms like Reddit and Product Hunt. These reviews will provide valuable insights into the app's usability, identify areas for improvement, and address any gaps that may arise. User feedback will drive the development of future versions, ensuring alignment with the needs and preferences of the users. By listening to user opinions, the project team can continuously enhance the app's functionality and user experience.

[CAPABILITY/ FEASIBILITY] What is your capability to deliver your project with high levels of trust and accountability?

Our team has a strong track record in building healthcare solutions since 2016. We have successfully developed Hippocrades Protocol (Hippr), a decentralized healthcare infrastructure for web 3.0, which received funding from Project Catalyst. Furthermore, Hippocrades was selected for the Ariob Incubator / Iceaddis program in Africa in partnership with Cardano and selected as a participant at the Seedstar - FT x Cardano Blockchain Challenge.

References to Our Works

• Hippocrades Whitepaper here
• Deploy your own health dApps (www.hippocrades.org)
• Actual deployment of Hippocrades (www.hippocrades.com)
• Demo of Hippocrades Apps here
• Healthcare API documentation here
• We are the same team behind MYCURE

These demonstrates our extensive experience in the healthcare sector and our involvement with the Cardano blockchain ecosystem.

[CAPABILITY/ FEASIBILITY] What are the main goals for the project and how will you validate if your approach is feasible?

Primary Goal

The primary goal is to develop an open-source prescription app that can be utilized by healthcare IT developers. They should be able to leverage the app as a foundation for further enhancements and customization based on specific facility, community or country requirements.

Interoperability

Long-term, the goal is to contribute to the achievement of healthcare interoperability. We recognize that multiple components are necessary to accomplish this objective, and the development of a prescription app serves as a significant step towards this goal.

Compatibility to Blokchcain

We envision the integration of the prescription app into a decentralized health exchange eventually, similar to the decentralized exchanges in the financial sector. We believe that once all the critical pieces, including this prescription app, come together, a decentralized health exchange leveraging blockchain technology can be realized.

Approach Validation

The feasibility and success of our approach will be validated through the following measures:

1. User Adoption: It will be good to track the adoption rate of the prescription app among healthcare IT providers and developers. Increasing user adoption will indicate the value and feasibility of the app.
2. Feedback and User Experience: Gathering user feedback will provide insights into the usability, functionality, and overall user experience of the app.
3. Developer Engagement: By assessing the level of developer engagement, such as contributions to the app's codebase, customization, and integration with other healthcare systems, we can validate the project's value for developers and its potential for further enhancements.

By monitoring these indicators, we will measure the achievement of our project's goals and ensure that our approach aligns with the desired outcomes.

[CAPABILITY/ FEASIBILITY] Please provide a detailed breakdown of your project’s milestones and each of the main tasks or activities to reach the milestone plus the expected timeline for the delivery.

Week 1

• Team and project goals/objectives set up
• Review of requirements

Weeks 2 - 8

• Commencement and development of the app

Weeks 9 - 12

• Quality assurance and testing
• Re-work (if needed)
• Documentation and Release

[CAPABILITY/ FEASIBILITY] Please describe the deliverables, outputs and intended outcomes of each milestone.

Deliverables, Outputs, and Intended Outcomes

Milestone 1:

Deliverables:

• ePrescription Application planning
• Documentation

Intended Outcomes:

• Clear understanding of the documentation
• Commencement of development with the Prescription Application

Milestone 2:

Deliverables:

• Frontend development completed (based on VueJS or potentially using the Quasar framework)
• Note: The above is the preferred techstack but may change as needed

Intended Outcomes:

• Functional and user-friendly frontend of the Prescription Application

Milestone 3:

Deliverables:

• Quality assurance and testing documentation

Intended Outcomes:

• Fully developed and tested frontend of the Prescription Application
• Note: App is designed for FHIR API standards. Database (not included) will be dependent on how the dev would want to implement the app.

Milestone 4:

Deliverables:

• Finalized quality assurance and testing procedures
• Release documentation

Intended Outcomes:

• Qquality assurance and testing to ensure stability and reliability
• Documentation and preparations for the release of the application

Measuring Project Progress:

To track the progress of the project, the following measures will be employed:

1. Stable Code: Monitoring application downtime and minimizing any disruptions.
2. Code Simplicity: Assessing the complexity of the codebase and striving for simplicity to enable faster testing and easier modifications.
3. Testable Code: Evaluating the code's testability to ensure that changes immediately expose any errors or inconsistencies.
4. Team Velocity: Measuring the number of story points delivered per sprint, providing insights into the team's productivity and progress.
5. Knowledge Sharing: Monitoring collaborative meetings and documentation to encourage effective knowledge sharing within the team.
6. Task Management: Utilizing GitHub to track, monitor, and manage the tasks and deliverables of the Development Team, allowing for clear visibility of pending, ongoing, and completed activities.

These measures will provide an overview of the project's progress, code stability, development speed, and knowledge sharing within the team. Regular assessments will be conducted to ensure alignment with project milestones and successful achievement of intended outcomes.

[RESOURCES & VALUE FOR MONEY] Please provide a detailed budget breakdown of the proposed work and resources.

Project Lead (1)

• 2 months (spread) @ 4,500 ada / month
• 9,000 ada

Senior Developer (2)

• 2 month (spread) @ 9,000 ada /month
• 36,000 ada

QA / Documentation

• 1 month @ 4,500 ada / month
• 4,500 ada

Total: 49,500 ada

[RESOURCES & VALUE FOR MONEY] How does the cost of the project represent value for money for the Cardano ecosystem?

The cost of the project represents value for money for the Cardano ecosystem through a salary-based formula. The majority of the project's cost is allocated to cover the salaries of the team members involved in the development process.

It is important to note that Dale, who is based in San Francisco, California, will not receive a salary for this project. He serves as the program lead for the Hippr project and provides monitoring support for this initiative. In the United States, the salary range for an IT Program Head is typically between $15,000 to $20,000 per month.

Trista, based in Toronto, Canada, will be the project lead and her budgeted salary for this project is below the range of $5,000 to $8,000 per month for project leads in that region. Joff and Nad, both based in Manila, Philippines. Experienced developers in the area start at $2,000 per month. They will also be relocating to Toronto to work on the project.

Additionally, it is important to highlight that the team's expertise, experience, and dedication to the project contribute to its overall value for money. Their collective knowledge in healthcare, blockchain, and software development ensures a comprehensive and effective execution of the project. The team's commitment to delivering tangible outcomes and the potential long-term impact on the Cardano ecosystem further supports the project's value for money.

[IMPORTANT NOTE] The Applicant agreed to Fund10 rules and also that data in the Submission Form and other data provided by the project team during the course of the project will be publicly available.

I Accept