Abstract:
The government of India launched the National Digital Health Mission (NDHM) initiative to make healthcare more accessible by digitizing patient data and unifying processes. We, the PHR team at TavLabs, propose implementing an NDHM-compliant personal health records platform focused on the users’ needs.The application serves as a centralized repository for storing medical history, enabling users to maintain a timeline of their medical conditions and treatment. This semester, the primary goal was to add a new feature to the app, which would allow users to chat anonymously with each other. This new feature has been successfully implemented, and it represents a valuable contribution to the app’s overall functionality. The added feature allows two users within the community to engage in private conversations while keeping their identities hidden. This feature aims to provide a secure and comfortable environment for users to communicate with each other anonymously and gain or provide support to each other. The added feature provides users with the display of community chatting rules. Once users agree to these rules, they can proceed to create their profiles, selecting their avatar, username, and the issue of interest they wish to showcase while engaging in conversations with others on the application. After creating their profile, users have the option to choose whether they want to provide or seek support from someone. They can select the person they wish to chat with from the list of users available in real-time. Once both users, the one providing support and the one seeking support, agree to engage in a conversation, a chat room is displayed where they can talk to each other and express themselves freely. This feature is particularly valuable for individuals seeking a supportive and empathetic environment. It empowers users to connect with others in realtime, fostering a sense of community as they share and receive support based on their specific needs and interests. The option to choose between providing or gaining support enhances the versatility of the platform, ensuring a more personalized and meaningful user experience. The implementation of this feature required the use of relevant programming languages and tools, which are discussed in detail in the research poster. Overall, the added feature enhances the app’s functionality, offering a complete solution for managing user profiles, support interactions, and real-time chats on mobile devices.