AutoTriage - Connect to critical patients faster.
Tags: twiliohackathon, javascript, node, firstpost
Published: 2020-04-05 20:51:20

---
title: AutoTriage - Connect to critical patients faster.
published: true
description: My submission to the Twilio x DEV Hackathon!
cover_image: https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/i/9g4grgxk75at51v1kyu1.jpg
tags: twiliohackathon, javascript, node, firstpost
---
## Intro
I just want to say how excited I am to finally participate in something like this. I'm taking this opportunity to use a language I've been learning recently (JS) and to work with some awesome APIs. I do most things on my own because I don't have a lot of other coders in my social circle, but I'm open to collaborating with someone who is more of a UX person. You'll see by the wireframes below that I don't really have an eye for UX, but I still appreciate really good UX. If you're a UX person of any skill level, and like this idea, let me know if you want to collab. I'm down with 50/50 split should we be fortunate to win anything, but if you want to practice your negotiating skills asking for a different split, go for it! 

## About
In case you're not familiar, the word "_triage_" means to sort people into groups, based on their need for a scarce resource. Hospitals triage incoming patients during times of crisis to make sure the people who need the most help get it first. 

During the initial spread of COVID-19 there was a substantial demand for testing. However, due to limited testing capacity the CDC advised only patients that had travel history involving specific countries, or presented a particular combination of symptoms, could receive a referral to be tested. Patients who did not meet those parameters were considered stable and told to self-isolate, get rest, and contact the doctor if symptoms progress or worsen.

My app, which I'm calling AutoTriage, leverages the [Twilio Autopilot(https://www.twilio.com/autopilot) API to allow healthcare providers to quickly screen potential patients using a set doctor-specified rules. Patients whose answers indicate they might be eligible for testing are forward to an on-call medical professional, while the stable patients are offered information on self-care while self-isolating.

## Use Case(s)
1. A small medical practice serves over 100 patients. Due to the pandemic, the staff is directed to self-isolate at home. The office phone is forwarded to the AutoTriage number, allowing the medical staff to continue to assess patients from home. This allows the business to continue generating _some_ revenue, while keeping employees safe.

2. A county in the US of over a million people set up a 1-800 helpline where residents could call and speak to a nurse to answer any questions they have about symptoms. This had two immediate obstacles. The infrastructure to host an ad-hoc call center didn't exist and staffing was difficult because able-bodied medical professionals are being asked to volunteer for the front lines. A app like AutoTriage would remove the need for physical infrastructure, allowing nurses, who may otherwise be unable to volunteer, to answer calls from home. And because AutoTriage screens patients, only those in need will be forwarded to a nurse, reducing the overall workload.

## Link to Code
https://github/jep/autotriage

I don't have any code written yet, but that's the easy part. I work in an Agile company, so I'm looking to take a similar approach to this project -- Kanban, User Stories, Sprints, etc. My first step is to break everything out into epics to start tackling the work. 

## Workflow 
We all diagrams, right?

![Workflow](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/i/ysygg4feuhferp4h0hwj.png)

## Wireframes
1. The sign in page.
![01 Sign In](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/i/nye7w7n9lzydmt5hp42e.png)

2. Dashboard when service is disabled. Simple call metrics and log.
![02 Service diabled](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/i/85pc6diifetns329ylr1.png)

3. Dashboard when service is enabled. Show's active call numbers as well.
![03 Service enabled](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/i/mm3wxxstfg9limwu4hae.png)

4. On-Call List screen where on-call employees are managed.
![04 On-call List](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/i/ce5tnh29p7eutvfnga9s.png)

5. The triage protocol screen where events to screen for are managed.
![05 Triage Protocol screen](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/i/nspjgc4avo9xjr4r9hci.png)

## Additional Resources/Info 
If I'm being honest, I sort of hate the name. Can you think of a better one? I'll give you credit in perpetuity for naming it. 

Would love to hear any other ideas, comments, criticisms, etc.