TopDoc
Background
This project aims to be a study guide, or refresher course, tool for the medical field; accompanying all of the diversity and skill that is required for such a task. As such this would require a relatively data heavy backend and an easy to use front end. The comparison to the language app Duolingo is a good representation of how this app would progress. Such an app would require an easy to use user interface along with rewards and stats tracking to maintain this app as the preferred method of learning over existing techniques.
Executive Summary
First this app would need a clearly defined user interface. Whether this be organized through a skill tree, linearly, experience based, or any other method would be decided on by cooperation between the client and coders. The puzzles would be fairly straight forward, the end result would most likely take the form of simple quizzes, picture analysis, and four to five other methods that are quickly learned and then used to focus on material instead of the game. The backend database would have to be very well maintained to ensure only accurate and useful medical knowledge is used in the tests.
Viability Analysis
No matter how the user interface side is structured the database side will always retain the same general format; a bank of questions and their relating answers, documentation for each user and their success or failures, and some sort of tracking mechanic to ensure that the user is not too far ahead or behind of their relative skill level. To this end the placement would have to be based on prior performance and a loose algorithmic approach to slowly grade to user. While everyone could start at the same baseline, they would easily be able to test out of the simpler areas and progress into areas more relevant and useful to their area of expertise. Such a structure would allow the user to range in experience from pre-med to experienced doctor.
Risks and Rewards
Furthering education is always a good goal, however, something as sensitive as medical training would have to have many precautions built in to make sure that only accurate information was given out. If such an app is to be trusted it must be fully vetted by some form of medical professional. This task would fall to the client instead of the coder. From the aspect of the coder then this is a great product that could serve to further education and make a decent deliverable for proof of concept.
Closing
I feel that more than a simple proof of concept would be possible by the end of the term, an app of this size would be able to have the front end finished rather quickly. The backend would be able to be built out via SQLserver and would support continued integration and expansion with new knowledge. This would be an engaging project that would allow to incorporation of a full stack approach to ensure a viable final product to the client.
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