Advanced EMR based on fingerprint sensor and python

The advanced Electronic Medical Record (EMR) system integrates a fingerprint recognition device, web application portal, and a sample of ICD-10 codes to achieve real-time patient health diagnostic and data management.

Most medical institutes on the African continent, not just in Zimbabwe, lack data in their archives for reference. F. F Odekunle and others, support this view in their article published in the year 2017 by the International Journal of Health Sciences (Qassim University).  Many medical practitioners and their clientele across the country and beyond have expressed worry about data collection and management. This is due to the approach taken to adopt new technological systems, which failed to realize the need for complete digitization of this sector, as it does in other industries such as commerce, mining, engineering, and others. As a result, it's clear that, among other issues, data gathering and management are still done on paper. Patients still bring hand-held notebooks to healthcare institutions with them to record their information for future reference as they attend health services. Keeping track of important historical data at the clinic or hospital for official analytics and research studies is critical when using paper material. Focusing on academics, paper-based procedures are still used by the majority of medical practitioners, they can take months or years to complete, from research design to data collection, input, and analysis to distribution of findings. The results of such study can be delayed to the point where, when they are revealed, they are out-of-date, or at the very least have lost their initial currency. Furthermore, tangible paper documents must be preserved because they may be destroyed as a result of a fire or water contamination. Traditional ways of data gathering in clinics and hospitals eventually lead to information insecurity, as they do not guarantee the safekeeping of records of patients diagnosed with whatever illness. A poor health information system is directly linked with poor methods in which health personnel deliver service to the patients. The obvious result is that queues of patients waiting multiply, human errors often occur during diagnosis, and therefore, the credibility of the institutions deteriorates.

The following description is relating to the diagram below.

The patient verification external hardware unit (first block) features a fingerprint sensor that records the patient's print. The database system (second block) receives collected fingerprints via a microcontroller connected to the fingerprint sensor for purpose of verification. LCD attached to the external hardware unit alerts the patient to confirm their identity by displaying the user's full name and other crucial personal data.

The second functional block is the database system. Most majority of hospital patients are citizens of the country in which the service is provided. Each country uses the general method of issuing national IDs to its citizens, in which digital fingerprints are captured and securely stored for each citizen. Design mandates that all first-time patients have their fingerprints verified against the national fingerprint database before being entered into the clinical/patient database specific to the hospital they visited. If the user is a resident and personal information is available, the hardware unit adds the patient to the patient's database for future clinical processes.

The third functional block is a desktop computer that is capable of executing Python-backed desktop apps in real-time. Each query (READ and WRITE) performed by an external hardware unit with a database block be viewable via desktop computer. Health personnel is entitled to operate applications running on this specified computer to deliver the service(s) requested by the patient. Options to enter more data about a patient’s health experience such as told, pre-diagnosed and visible symptoms are accessible to the user. An opportunity to carry out automatic and data-based diagnostics can be explored by running a python analysis against a sample of ICD-10 codes accessible from the cloud-based services. The results of such analysis would come up with other items such as health recommendations and vital predictions.

Comprehensive and accurate documentation of a patient’s medical history, tests, diagnosis, and treatment in EMRs ensures appropriate care throughout the provider’s clinic. This concept note proposes the design, development, and testing of a low-cost yet efficient Advanced Electronic Medical Record System (AEMRS) implementing a microcontroller-based fingerprint sensor, web application portal, and a sample of ICD-10 codes to achieve real-time patient health diagnostic and data management service as fully described above. This project seeks to address poor information systems in healthcare institutions from Sub-Saharan Africa region.  The main goal is to improve the quality of service by the nurses and doctors at clinics and hospitals. It will guarantee secure and reliable storage of patients' health information, provide an automated disease prediction based on ICD-10 codes and diagnosed symptoms as well as make the process of carrying out related tasks flow smoothly. Many communities will realize the benefits through improved experiences at healthcare facilities and improved health service access for all. Health institutions across the region will benefit from cheap access to important information system technology and the ability to improve the institutions' credibility. 

The success of this project would mean a great opportunity for Africans both in terms of health quality and socio-economic stability in the long run. From the global perspective, the ability to produce useful technology to serve humanity while maintaining the products remain affordable by many would give the opportunity for researchers and engineers to focus their efforts on major pressing issues that the world is facing currently and in the future.

I am a student at Midlands State University pursuing an undergraduate degree. Even though my academic studies are more focused on business sciences, I am very passionate about building secure, reliable, and industry-backed information systems that bring down all the challenges that entrepreneurs and industrialists face because of the lack of access to information system technology. I believe a robust and powerful information system technology can independently impact positively to a larger extent in any business if the key contributing factors are considered at its establishment. I have previous experience in computer programming and I love to research. My team partner has first-hand experience in working with microcontrollers, programming, and related hardware units from various innovation projects. We believe, with knowledge of computer programming and the basics of electronic circuits interfaces we can have a better start as we explore further this fusion of technology. Of course, thorough research and laboratory access to building this prototype are necessary in order to realize our target goal. 

1. We researched online journals that discussed the issue of health service deterioration in Sub-Saharan Africa. The records in publications still show a lot has to be done to improve this sector.

2. Through observation, everyone going to a clinic or hospital must present a notebook that has information about previous health experiences and recommendations. 

3. We personally visited Gweru Provincial Hospital in Zimbabwe to assess how they are dealing with information management and the way they are handling large queues of patients a day. The lack of an EMR makes daily activities way hard.

4. We observed efforts of using online and offline open-access software to aid in their clinical procedures, however, this software does not fully address the pressing issues at hand. 

5. Healthcare institutions in rural communities are away far from any form of information system technology due to the expense of implementation.

6. We, therefore, draft preliminary system requirements to hear if the system addressing these challenges can assist, the recommendations are all implemented in the final design as presented by the system block diagram. 

Comprehensive and accurate documentation of a patient’s medical history, tests, diagnosis, and treatment in EMRs ensures appropriate care throughout the provider’s clinic. While it is clear that achieving quality improvement through EMR use is neither low-cost nor easy, technologists should bear in mind that poor health service quality threatens the health security of the people in the entire region. This concept note proposes the design, development, and testing of a low-cost yet efficient Advanced Electronic Medical Record System (AEMRS) implementing a microcontroller-based fingerprint sensor, web application portal, and a sample of ICD-10 codes to achieve real-time patient health diagnostic and data management service as fully described above. Designing a low-cost AEMRS yet efficient will make the technology accessible and affordable for many health practitioners. Since the use of AEMRS has the potential to improve health service quality, generally access to health service would be improved by the cheap technology effect.

While we target to complete the system prototype unit, and testing in the current year. We target to produce the first five (5) industrial units in the next year that would go for pilot testing towards the end of the next year.

While AI-powered disease prediction can be done, the current design focuses on general computer and chip programming technologies such as Python, Php, and JavaScript in order to build a functional model within a reasonable timeframe. Building an AI model for the clinical diagnostic is reserved for future prototype designs. Raspberry Pi microprocessor would be used to develop an external hardware unit. 

At the current stage, the solution is still a concept targeting to produce a working prototype. We expect to produce five(5) industrial units that will go for pilot testing towards the end of next year.

What may limit the production of more future units is the finance as we do not have a 3D printer and PCB printer in order to make external hardware units.

We have not yet established any partnership with any organization so far.

Our value proposition is to ensure that we provide efficient, effective, and permanent solutions to the issues of outdated information systems (pencil and paper), and ineffective clinical practices when handling patients, such as billing, clinical health checks, and disease prediction as they are the problems with existing systems. Our target markets are clinics, hospitals, and agencies (these include those owned by the government and private practitioners). We target services in both rural and urban areas. Two-way communication is going to be provided through toll-free numbers to enable customer feedback as well as engagement. Information to the customer includes how the product operates, payment systems, the first line of response instructions, charging rates, and the benefit of using the product. Various communication media can be used to achieve wide coverage cheaply. Direct distribution allows us to build the strongest relationship with the customer, is less costly, and brings us large profit margins. Constant customer support will be guaranteed for the best customer satisfaction, and providing the customer access to assistance after the purchase is important. Distribution outlets will be increased to support customers in remote areas. Key activities include operational, research and development, product quality management, monitoring, and evaluation to sustain the return on investment. Intellectual Property (Human capital) is considered the most valuable resource that affects the confidential operability of the business. Other resources include building (office space), machinery/equipment (e.g., 3D & PCB printer, server, and laptops), raw materials, motor vehicle, furniture and fittings, and working capital (cash) to make it possible to deliver the proposed value proposition to the end users. Key partners/stakeholders are the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Civil Registry, financial institutions, family members, government, and regulators. The cost of labor is the total of wages, salaries, and benefits. The total cost for the pilot prototypes is USD5300 as detailed in the budget. We expect revenue from individual customers who own private clinics/hospitals, healthcare association organizations, and government from providing the following activities; consultation fees, full installation of AEMRS, repair and maintenance, and spare parts sales (External Hardware Units).

1. We expect sustained support through the government's support for innovation

2. We expect research grants through making publications and research papers

3. We also believe our parents may also assist in terms of living expenses and accommodation.