Please describe your proposed solution.
<u>Background</u>
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.
<u>Challenges of Traditional Prescription Systems</u>
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.
<u>Impact of Medication Errors</u>
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)
<u>Security and Fraud Concerns</u>
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.
<u>The ePrescription App</u>
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.
<u>Enhanced Security</u>
If the app is integrated with blockchain, each prescription transaction can be securely recorded on a decentralized and immutable ledger.
<u>Streamlined Workflow</u>
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.
<u>Improved Patient Care</u>
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.
<u>Integration to Blockchain</u>
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.
<u>Target Users</u>
- 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.
<u>Future of Healthcare</u>
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.
How does your proposed solution address the challenge and what benefits will this bring to the Cardano ecosystem?
<u>Contribution to the Community</u>
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.
<u>Business Value</u>
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.
<u>Health Ecosystem</u>
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.
<u>Cardano Ecosystem</u>
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.
How do you intend to measure the success of your project?
<u>Measuring Success</u>
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.
<u>Benefits for the Cardano Ecosystem</u>
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.
<u>Short and Long-Term Effects on Cardano's Productivity and Growth</u>
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.
Please describe your plans to share the outputs and results of your project?
<u>Engaging the Developers Community</u>
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.
<u>Using User Reviews for Future Improvements</u>
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.