WaitLess - Smart Hospital OPD Queue System

Problem

Patients in government hospitals wait 4+ hours for a 3-minute consultation. No system tells them when to arrive or how long to wait.

Features

• Book virtual tokens from home
• Live queue position (like Dominos tracker)
• AI-predicted wait times
• SMS alerts when 3 patients ahead
• Doctor panel to manage queue
• Admin analytics dashboard
• Real-time updates via Socket.io
• Mobile-first, works on 2G

Tech Stack

Frontend: Next.js 14, Tailwind CSS, Socket.io-client
Backend: Node.js, Express, Socket.io, Prisma ORM
Database: PostgreSQL, Redis
Auth: JWT, bcrypt

Local Setup

# Start databases
docker-compose up -d

# Backend
cd backend
npm install
npx prisma migrate dev
node prisma/seed.js
npm run dev

# Frontend (new terminal)
cd frontend
npm install
npm run dev

Access Points

• Frontend: http://localhost:3000
• Backend API: http://localhost:5000
• Database: PostgreSQL on localhost:5432

Demo Accounts

Admin:    9999999999 / admin123
Doctor:   8888888888 / doctor123
Patient:  Register new account

Dashboard Access

• Patient: /patient - Book tokens, track position
• Doctor: /doctor - Manage queue, call patients
• Admin: /admin - Analytics, load balancing

Key Features

Patient Experience

• Book tokens from phone
• See real-time position in queue
• Get estimated wait time
• Receive "your turn" notifications
• Track consultation history

Doctor Tools

• View waiting queue
• Call next patient with one click
• Skip patients if needed
• Track completed consultations
• Manage daily schedule

Admin Analytics

• Real-time hospital statistics
• Load balancing suggestions
• Queue performance metrics
• Doctor productivity tracking
• System health monitoring

Real-time Features

All dashboards update live via Socket.io:

• Queue position changes
• Patient call notifications
• Doctor availability
• Statistics updates
• Load balancing alerts

Database Schema

• Users: Patients, doctors, admins
• Hospitals: Hospital information
• Doctors: Specializations, availability
• Tokens: Queue appointments with status

API Endpoints

Authentication: /api/auth/register, /api/auth/login
Hospitals:     /api/hospitals
Doctors:       /api/doctors, /api/doctors/:id
Tokens:        /api/tokens/book, /api/tokens/queue/:id, /api/tokens/my

Environment Variables

Backend (.env)

PORT=5000
DATABASE_URL="postgresql://waitless:waitless123@localhost:5432/waitless_db"
JWT_SECRET="changeme_secret_key_2024"
CLIENT_URL="http://localhost:3000"  # For production CORS

Frontend (.env.local)

NEXT_PUBLIC_API_URL=http://localhost:5000

Production Deployment

Docker Production

# Build and run production containers
docker-compose -f docker-compose.prod.yml up -d

Environment Setup

1. Set production DATABASE_URL
2. Generate secure JWT_SECRET
3. Configure CLIENT_URL for CORS
4. Set up SSL certificates
5. Configure reverse proxy (nginx)

Architecture Highlights

• Microservices design with separate frontend/backend
• Real-time communication via WebSockets
• Scalable database design with Prisma ORM
• Mobile-first responsive design
• Role-based access control
• Secure JWT authentication

Performance Features

• Redis for session management
• Optimized database queries
• Lazy loading for large datasets
• Efficient Socket.io rooms
• Minimal bundle sizes

Security

• JWT token authentication
• Password hashing with bcrypt
• CORS configuration
• Input validation
• SQL injection prevention
• XSS protection

Contributing

1. Fork the repository
2. Create feature branch
3. Make changes with tests
4. Submit pull request

License

MIT License - see LICENSE file for details

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Built with for better healthcare accessibility