HealthMate

HealthMate is a MERN healthcare appointment platform for patients, doctors, and admins. Patients can discover doctors, request appointments, view appointment history, and manage their profile. Doctors can create availability, review appointment requests, manage accepted appointments, update visit details, and generate reports. Admins can monitor users, appointments, and contact submissions.

Tech Stack

• Frontend: React 18, React Router, React Bootstrap, Axios, PayPal React SDK
• Backend: Node.js, Express, MongoDB, Mongoose, JWT, cookie-based auth
• Reports: PDFKit
• Testing: React Testing Library and Jest

Project Structure

HealthMate/
  client/                  React frontend
    public/assets/         Images and icons
    src/components/        Shared, user, doctor, and admin UI
    src/pages/             Route-level pages
    src/services/          Axios API wrappers
    src/context/           Auth and route protection
    src/css/               App styles
  server/                  Express backend
    config/                MongoDB connection
    controllers/           Route handlers
    data/                  Seed scripts
    middlewares/           Auth middleware
    models/                Mongoose schemas
    routes/                API routes
    reports/               Generated PDF reports

Main Features

• Role-based dashboards for User, Doctor, and Admin accounts
• Patient dashboard with appointment stats, next appointment, quick actions, and featured doctors
• Doctor discovery from the homepage and patient portal
• Guided appointment booking with doctor details, date/slot selection, patient details, and payment support
• Appointment request workflow: Requested, Confirmed, InProgress, Completed, Cancelled
• Doctor availability creation and slot management
• Patient appointment history and cancellation
• Admin user management, appointment overview, and contact message review
• Profile viewing and updates
• Chatbot widget for common navigation help
• PDF report generation for appointment details

Prerequisites

Install these before running the project:

• Node.js 18 or newer
• npm
• MongoDB Atlas connection string or a local MongoDB instance

Environment Setup

Create server/.env using server/.env.example as the template:

PORT=5000
MONGO_URI=mongodb://127.0.0.1:27017/healthmate
JWT_SECRET=replace-with-a-long-random-secret
BASE_URL=http://localhost:5000

Optional frontend environment variable:

REACT_APP_PAYPAL_CLIENT_ID=your-paypal-client-id

If REACT_APP_PAYPAL_CLIENT_ID is not configured, the booking page sends the appointment request directly instead of showing PayPal checkout.

Installation

Install backend dependencies:

cd server
npm install

Install frontend dependencies:

cd ../client
npm install

Seed Doctor Data

The app needs doctor users, doctor profile cards, and appointment slots to make booking useful. Run the seed script from the server folder:

cd server
npm run seed:doctors

This script:

• Creates starter doctor users
• Creates or repairs homepage doctor cards
• Links each doctor card to a real bookable doctor user
• Adds starter weekday appointment slots

Seeded doctor accounts use this default password:

Doctor@123

Running Locally

Start the backend:

cd server
npm run dev

The API runs on:

http://localhost:5000

Start the frontend in another terminal:

cd client
npm start

The React app runs on:

http://localhost:3000

Useful Scripts

Backend scripts:

npm run dev            # Start Express with nodemon
npm start              # Start Express with node
npm run build          # Syntax-check server.js
npm run seed:doctors   # Seed and repair doctor data

Frontend scripts:

npm start              # Start React dev server
npm run build          # Build production frontend
npm test               # Run React tests

Focused appointment test:

cd client
npm test -- --watchAll=false --runInBand UserAppointments.test.jsx

Important Routes

Frontend routes:

• / - Homepage with doctor cards
• /login - Login
• /signup - Signup
• /UserPage - Patient dashboard
• /doctorslist - Patient doctor list
• /book-appointment/:doctorId - Appointment booking
• /UserAppointments - Patient appointments
• /DoctorPage - Doctor dashboard
• /CreateAppointment - Doctor availability creation
• /RequestedAppointments - Doctor appointment requests
• /AcceptedAppointments - Doctor accepted appointments
• /Patients - Doctor patient list
• /AdminPage - Admin dashboard
• /admin/ManageUsers - Admin user management
• /admin/appointments - Admin appointment overview
• /admin/Contact - Admin contact messages

API routes:

• POST /api/auth/signup
• POST /api/auth/login
• POST /api/auth/logout
• GET /api/auth/profile
• PUT /api/auth/profile
• GET /api/doctors
• GET /api/doctors/list
• GET /api/doctors/search?query=...
• POST /api/appointments/create
• POST /api/appointments/available
• POST /api/appointments/book-request
• GET /api/appointments
• PATCH /api/appointments/cancel
• GET /api/appointments/requests?doctorId=...
• PATCH /api/appointments/status
• GET /api/appointments/accepted?doctorId=...
• GET /api/appointments/details?appointmentId=...&slotId=...
• PATCH /api/appointments/details

User Roles

User

• View patient dashboard
• Browse doctors
• Request appointments
• View and cancel appointments
• Manage profile

Doctor

• View doctor dashboard
• Create appointment slots
• Review appointment requests
• Manage accepted appointments
• View patient records
• Update appointment details and prescriptions

Admin

• View system dashboard
• Manage users
• Review appointments
• Review contact messages

Development Notes

• The backend requires MONGO_URI and JWT_SECRET; it exits early if either is missing.
• Auth uses JWT cookies and the shared Axios client in client/src/services/api.js.
• Appointment ownership is enforced on protected patient appointment routes.
• Doctor profile cards are stored separately from doctor user accounts, so npm run seed:doctors keeps those records linked.
• Generated PDF reports are written under server/reports/.
• If backend model/controller changes are made while the server is already running, restart the backend.

Verification

Recommended checks before committing:

cd server
npm run build

cd ../client
npm run build
npm test -- --watchAll=false --runInBand UserAppointments.test.jsx