FindER: Emergency Room Locator

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Emergency Information Form
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Inspiration

In Canada, where healthcare is publicly funded, patients often endure long wait times, leading to increased stress and potentially worsening conditions. We were driven by the urgent need to enhance patient care and alleviate the strain on our healthcare system. Our goal is to create a solution that not only provides immediate relief to patients but also supports medical professionals and healthcare facilities in managing their workload more effectively.

What it does

FindER is a dynamic web application designed to optimize emergency room visits. It calculates the most optimal total time and examines the distinct services provided by different emergency rooms. Then, depending on the emergency situation, the application chooses the most appropriate emergency room tailored to the user's predicament. This not only expedites the treatment process but also helps distribute patient load more evenly across available facilities. This essentially acts as a load balancer for the Canadian Health System.

How we built it

Our journey to creating FindER involved integrating various technologies and methodologies:

Web scraping (BeautifulSoup & Selenium): To extract real-time data on hospital services, wait times, and operational hours.
JavaScript & React: To build a responsive and interactive user interface that is always up-to-date with the latest information.
Node.js: To handle server-side operations.
OpenAI GPT-4: To analyze the urgency of medical situations and provide pre-arrival advice.
Google Maps API: To calculate travel times to various hospitals given a user's location and plan the optimal path.
AWS Speech Recognition: To enhance accessibility by allowing voice input for emergencies.
Amplify: To deploy the web application.
Express: To manage web application requests efficiently.

Challenges we ran into

Integrating multiple technologies into a seamless user experience was a challenging yet rewarding process. Ensuring real-time data accuracy and responding effectively to the diverse needs of various emergencies required meticulous planning and testing.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We are proud of creating a platform that not only addresses a critical gap in healthcare accessibility but also does so in a way that is intuitive and user-centric. The potential of FindER to significantly reduce wait times and improve the allocation of medical resources is an accomplishment that resonates with our core mission.

What we learned

The development of FindER was a profound learning experience. We delved deep into the complexities of healthcare systems, the intricacies of real-time data integration, and the nuances of user experience design. We also learned the importance of teamwork and the incredible results that can be achieved when diverse skills and perspectives come together.

What's next for FindER: Emergency Room Locator

The future of FindER is bright and filled with potential. We aim to expand its functionalities, integrate with official healthcare systems like AHS, and become a tool for medical professionals managing patient flow. We are committed to continuously enhancing FindER, incorporating user feedback, and adapting to the ever-evolving landscape of healthcare needs.

FindER is more than just an application; it is a step towards a more efficient, patient-centered healthcare system. Join us on this journey to make healthcare more accessible and responsive for everyone.