Abstract

Healthcare delivery in Nigeria is held back by paper-based record management, fragmented patient data, long wait times, and limited access to medical specialists. This paper presents the design, implementation, and evaluation of UM-HEALTH, a web-based healthcare platform built to address these gaps. The system brings together electronic health records, online appointment scheduling, voice and video teleconsultation, and a secure patient portal. The frontend was built with Next.js, the backend with Django REST Framework, and the database layer with Supabase PostgreSQL. Requirements were informed by questionnaires, interviews, and direct observation involving 353 respondents in Nigeria, with Abia State, Imo State, and Anambra State serving as case study regions. Survey data showed that 82.7% of respondents had experienced long wait times at facilities, only 21.8% could easily retrieve their medical records after a visit, and 87% indicated willingness to use a secure digital health platform. Evaluation findings point to reduced administrative overhead, improved record accessibility, and stronger patient-provider communication. The architecture is built to scale and accommodate additional clinical modules. The work provides a framework for localized digital health deployment in resource-limited Nigerian settings that others can adapt and build on.

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