Backend development of a smart healthcare companion

Abstract

Healthcare facility in developing regions of South Asia is often fragmented, specifically for patients who go out- side of the country to seek advanced treatment regarding carrying medical records which are not electronic in most cases. This thesis presents the design and development of a smart, cross-platform mobile healthcare application that addresses these challenges by integrating electronic health record (EHR) storage, real-time telemedicine consultations, emergency response features, and prescription management. The application is built with React Native, Node.js, NestJS, and MongoDB. the system emphasizes modularity, scalability, and security through the implementation of OAuth 2.0, JWT authentication, encrypted cloud storage, and role-based access control. The app was developed using an iterative, user-centered design methodology and tested in a simulated local environment. Initial trials resulted in limitations in real-time communication technologies such as WebRTC and Socket.IO, suggesting the use of more stable alternatives like Agora and Zoom. Despite above challenges, the project demonstrates the feasibility of delivering robust digital healthcare infrastructure in low-resource and transnational contexts. The thesis also explores future enhancements, including the integration of machine learning for symptom-based diagnosis, predictive health alerts, anomaly detection, and smart emergency routing. This work contributes both a functional prototype and a conceptual framework for globally scalable telemedicine platforms aimed at bridging healthcare disparities through secure, accessible, and intelligent digital solutions.