MEDIPLAIN

MediPlain helps people understand medical prescriptions in simple language. It explains medicines, dosage, and reducing confusion and helping patients take the right treatment safely.

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Inspiration

Medical prescriptions and reports are often written in complex language that many patients cannot understand.
Elderly people, low-literacy users, and patients from underserved communities often feel confused or anxious about their treatment.

MEDIPLAIN was inspired by the idea that "everyone deserves to understand their own health information" .
By converting medical jargon into simple language, the project aims to reduce fear, misuse of medicines, and dependency on others for basic health understanding.

What it does

MEDIPLAIN allows users to upload or type medical prescriptions and reports.
It then explains the content in "simple, easy-to-understand language", focusing on:

  • What each medicine is for
  • How and when to take it
  • Possible side effects
  • Basic safety tips

The platform is designed to be easy to use, especially for elderly and non-technical users.

How we built it

MEDIPLAIN is a full-stack web application.

  • Frontend: HTML, CSS, and JavaScript for a clean and simple user interface
  • Backend: Node.js with Express to handle requests and logic
  • Database: MongoDB for storing user inputs and explanations
  • AI Integration: OpenAI API to convert complex medical text into plain language

The backend sends user-provided medical text to the AI model, receives simplified explanations, and displays them on the frontend.

Challenges we ran into

  • Simplifying medical information without losing accuracy or safety
  • Designing AI prompts that consistently produce patient-friendly explanations
  • Creating a user interface suitable for elderly and low-literacy users
  • Integrating frontend, backend, database, and AI into a smooth workflow

Accomplishments that we're proud of

  • Successfully built a working end-to-end application
  • Created clear, readable explanations for complex medical content
  • Designed a user-friendly interface focused on accessibility
  • Used AI for a meaningful social-good healthcare solution

What we learned

  • Clear communication is critical in healthcare applications
  • AI can be a powerful tool when guided responsibly
  • User-centered design greatly improves usability and impact
  • Building for accessibility requires thoughtful simplification

What's next for MEDIPLAIN

  • Support for multiple regional languages
  • Voice-based explanations for visually impaired users
  • Image-based prescription scanning (OCR)
  • Medicine reminders and dosage alerts
  • Collaboration with healthcare professionals for validation
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