The problem Virtual Health Record solves

1. Transition from Paper-Based to Digital Records
   The healthcare industry historically relied on paper-based records, which posed significant challenges. Stacks of physical files were not only difficult to manage but also prone to loss, damage, or misplacement. Transferring these records between healthcare providers often led to delays and inefficiencies. The advent of VHR systems addresses these issues by digitizing health records, providing a centralized and secure platform for information storage and retrieval.
2. Fragmentation of Patient Health Information
   Traditionally, patients' health information was scattered across different healthcare providers, resulting in fragmented and incomplete records. This fragmentation could lead to critical information gaps, hindering accurate diagnoses and treatment plans. VHR systems offer a solution by centralizing health records, allowing for a comprehensive view of a patient's medical history. This unified approach improves care coordination and enhances the overall quality of healthcare delivery.
3. Accessibility and Portability of Health Data
   Ensuring timely and secure access to health records is crucial for effective healthcare. In the past, patients faced challenges accessing their records promptly, especially in emergency situations. VHR systems overcome this hurdle by providing patients with instant access to their health information. This accessibility promotes informed decision-making by healthcare professionals and facilitates continuity of care across different providers.
4. Communication Gaps Among Healthcare Providers
   Communication breakdowns among healthcare providers have long been a challenge, leading to inefficient care coordination and potential risks to patient safety. VHR systems act as a bridge, facilitating seamless communication by providing a shared platform for accessing and updating patient records.This enhanced collaboration among healthcare professionals contributes to more informed decision

Challenges we ran into

Authentication and Session Management

Implementing user authentication and session management posed a significant challenge. Ensuring secure user login, handling sessions, and protecting against potential vulnerabilities required thorough consideration.

Specific Bug or Hurdle:

One specific issue we faced was related to session handling using Passport.js. The

passport.deserializeUser

function was not working as expected, leading to difficulties in retrieving user information from the session.

How We Overcame It:

To overcome this challenge, we carefully reviewed the Passport.js documentation and identified that the issue was related to the asynchronous nature of the

deserializeUser

function. We adjusted the implementation to use

await

when querying the database for user information, ensuring proper session handling.

Code Organization and Modularity

As the project grew in complexity, maintaining a clean and organized codebase became crucial. Ensuring modularity and a clear structure posed ongoing challenges.

Specific Bug or Hurdle:

At times,the lack of clear code structure made it challenging to locate and debug specific functionalities. It also affected collaboration among team members.

How We Overcame It:

We addressed this challenge by refactoring the codebase into separate modules and files. Each major functionality (e.g., authentication, user registration, appointments) was organized into dedicated files, enhancing code readability and simplifying maintenance.

Database Model Relationships

Establishing and maintaining relationships between MongoDB models (User, Patient, Doctor) presented challenges, especially when dealing with nested data and references.

Specific Bug or Hurdle:

We encountered issues with populating nested references, leading to incomplete data retrieval and unexpected behavior.
Overcoming challenge : -To address this, we revisited our MongoDB schema designs and adjusted the way references were defined.