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JasonThomasData / DocLink

Web app (Rails) for refugees to find bulk-billing doctors nearby
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Change the purpose of the app - find health services. #29

Open JasonThomasData opened 8 years ago

JasonThomasData commented 8 years ago

On Monday, July 4, SSI said it would be more helpful to have an app that shows details about health services more generally.

So, they suggested extending the app to show pathology, locations of SSI and STARTTS, optometrists etc.

This would require expanding the database collection method, but that's a separate issue I'll raise.

JasonThomasData commented 8 years ago

Also children's services, women's services, dentists etc.

equivalentideas commented 8 years ago

On Monday, July 4, SSI said it would be more helpful to have an app that shows details about health services more generally.

Very cool that they think this can be helpful. Did it seem like it wouldn't be useful if it didn't have these things initially?

To clarify for the issue, is this changing the job of the project from “Help me find refugee friendly doctors near by” to “help me find refugee friendly heath services near by”.

It seems really logical to include all these types of medical services, and even start collecting the data if people want to contribute it. In my experience, people almost always suggest more complexity of information and features at this stage of a project. I think it's important to recognise the cost of adding more features in terms of design, development, and maintenance as well :) The goal is to get something to people that they find helpful enough to use with as minimal dev as possible at this stage. More stuff will be added later :)

A few questions I think are worth considering:

  1. Does this make the project simpler or more complex for users right now?
  2. Given that their are no users of the project at this stage, will shifting the focus move us closer to the current goal of helping real users asap, or push it back behind more development?
JasonThomasData commented 8 years ago

Yeah, it's rapidly turning into a more complicated project.

Actually I was considering telling them a flat no. Realistically, I'll have a pretty limited amount of time to maintain the project after I'm employed again.

How do you feel about that actually - just telling them no? I mean if it's something they want maybe they should pay someone to do it. This project addresses what I said it would when I gave my elevator pitch at the hackathon.

I feel like maybe they should collect the data, but I feel like it's not useful to try and create an app that solves all of the world's problems in one big sweep. It's plum unrealistic.

JasonThomasData commented 8 years ago

To answer your question, they didn't seem too impressed with it all.

Yes this would change the nature of the project.

I've updated the form, so we can leave the app as is for now - only show doctors.

I think your last two points are spot on. Let's test the app on actual refugees and see if it's useful.