Applied Information Technology And Computer Science Vol. 3 No.

2 (2022) 973-989
© Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia Publisher’s Office

AITCS
Homepage: http://publisher.uthm.edu.my/periodicals/index.php/aitcs
e-ISSN :2773-5141

The PKU System: Development of Online

UTHM Health Center Appointment System

Tan Foo Yuan1, Salama A. Mostafa1*

Fakulti Sains Komputer dan Teknologi Maklumat,
1

Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, Parit Raja, Batu Pahat, 86400, MALAYSIA

DOI: https://doi.org/10.30880/aitcs.2022.03.02.059
Received 3 August 2022; Accepted 28 October 2022; Available online 30 November 2022

Abstract: Medical appointment is the process of schedule a formal arrangement for

an individual to meet doctor at a particular time. UTHM Health Center is chosen as
the case study in this project as it provides health and medical services for UTHM
students. In this project, The PKU System was proposed to improve the appointment
management process efficiency and reduce the time consumed for the process. The
intended users of the system are UTHM students and health center staff. The system
helps students to easily book appointments via online. The software development
methodology that used to develop this project is object-oriented model due to fast
development times and easy integration of existing software modules. The
development of this system provides an online platform for the health center staff to
manage the appointments applied by the students.

Keywords: Appointment Management System, Mobile-based, Healthcare

1. Introduction
Appointment is a formal arrangement to meet or visit someone at a specific time, usually for a
reason related to their work [1]. Online appointment system is one of the most used web-based
applications and enables individuals to book their reservations and requests online securely and
conveniently via digital devices such as laptop and smartphone. It has a highly efficient set of
management tools to synchronize, computerize, and systematically record data assisted using Internet
websites. Online appointment system can effectively increase customer satisfaction compared with
manual appointment methods [2]. It has shown positive changes such as reduced customer no-show
rate, decreased staff labor and decreased customer waiting time. Online appointment systems are widely
used in hotels and hospitals to schedule appointments and keep track of patient records [3].
Health center is a building in which a group of doctors have offices or surgeries where
their patients can visit them [4]. In this project, the case study selected is UTHM Health Center which
is the department that provides health and medical services for UTHM students. Usually, students who
suffer from sickness or pain and want to get treatment or advice for their health problems will go to the
health center to meet with doctors. Nowadays, due to COVID-19 pandemic, people need to maintain
social distance and follow standard operating procedures to minimize the risk of virus spread. Thus,
students need to make appointment with doctor before going to the health center to prevent crowding
at the counter. However, the current process of making appointments is that students need to make
*Corresponding author: [email protected]
2020 UTHM Publisher. All rights reserved.
publisher.uthm.edu.my/periodicals/index.php/aitcs
Tan & Mostafa, Applied Information Technology and Computer Science Vol. 3 No. 2 (2022) p. 973-989

phone calls to book appointments with staff. After that, the staff will record the appointment information
in the record book.
There are some problems that occur in the current system. Firstly, the staff may miss some students’
phone calls when they are busy, or the phone call is made outside of their working hours. Thus, the
students will feel disappointed as they can’t make appointments to get medical treatment. Next, the data
loss problem occurs regularly because all the data such as student details and appointment information
are stored in paperwork. Besides, the staff need to spend a lot of time retrieving appointment
information from the record book when record checking is needed.
Therefore, The PKU System is an Android based application that will be developed in this project
to assist students to easily book appointments via internet. A database is created to store the appointment
information in systematic and organized ways. This application can reduce the stress on staff as a lot of
work is automated. It is also easy to retrieve appointment information compared to manually method
use. This application is also able to spread out students’ visit throughout the day and reduce their waiting
time as they can schedule their arrival close to their appointment time, which can considerably prevent
crowding at the counter.
There are three main objectives in this project. The first objective is to design an online appointment
system for UTHM Health Center using object-oriented approach. The second objective is to develop an
online appointment system for UTHM Health Center using Android. The third objective is to test the
functionality of the online appointment system using functional testing and user acceptance testing.
This article is organized into five sections. The first part is an introduction describing the context
of the project. The second section describes the analysis of the relevant work. In the third section, the
methodology, analysis, and design for the system development are explained. The fourth part discusses
the system implementation and testing process carried out to test the developed system. In the last
section, a conclusion with some instructions for future employment is given.
2. Related Work
Four existing applications are chosen to study and compare their advantages and disadvantages
related to the proposed application. Table 1 shows the comparison between the existing applications
and the proposed application based on several features.
2.1 Mr. Doc: A Doctor Appointment Application
This system is an android-based application that makes scheduling a doctor's appointment simple
and dependable for users [5]. The system user module is implemented in mobile application, while the
administrator module is implemented in website. Data is shared between both the website and mobile
application by using API. There are several features and functions that are developed in this system.
The first feature is login. This feature only allows authorized users to login into the system using the
login information such as username, email, and password. Users must register in the application on first
use. The login information is different for both user and administrator as their authority in accessing
and performing functions are different. When they enter the correct information, they are directed to
the main menu screen. In the user module, they can view the hospital details by choosing the hospital
from the hospital list. Google map is provided in the system for users to view the location of the hospital.
Besides that, users can select any doctor from the list of the available doctors and view the doctor’s
profile. Users can send a request for appointment by clicking the book appointment button in the
selected doctor details page. They can get a notification message if their appointment booking is
successful. User module also includes a health information function that provides a different health
schedule for each age group. For the administrator module, they can register doctors into the system.
They also can view the patients’ details and the appointment details.

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2.2 Clinic Appointment Scheduling System

This system is a mobile application focused on the schedule of the patient appointment [6]. The
system is applied to priority scheduling with first come first serve to manage the appointment booking
section. Priority scheduling method will function based on the priority level of the patient booking. All
users must register to authenticate the user to access the system. In the administrator module, the
administrator can manage the patient, doctor and appointment requested by the patient. Administrator
also can generate report by retrieving data from patient records in the database. In the patient module,
patients can update their profile details. Patients also can request appointment and view the confirmation
after the administrator approves the appointment. In the doctor module, doctors can update their profile
information. Doctors can manage appointments after administrator assign the appointment to attend.
Doctors also can update the condition of patient and save the info to the patient record.
2.3 Appointment Consultation System
This system is a web-based application developed with the aim of making it easier for Sultan Zainal
Abidin University students to book appointments online with their lecturers [7]. The system is
developed using Web Modelling Language. The login feature in the system allows users and
administrator to use the system. The login information is different for both user and administrator as
their authority in accessing and performing functions are different. For first time users, they need to
register before they can login into the system. The system is used by three users namely students,
lecturers, and administrator. Firstly, in the student interface, students can update their profile
information. Students can check the status of the appointment and book the available appointment date.
They also can check their appointment history and view the comments provided by the lecturers after
the appointment. Next, in the lecturer interface, lecturers can update their profile information. Lecturers
can manage and reschedule the appointment date whether the appointment is still available or has been
booked by the student. Lecturers also can view the precious appointment records of students. Lastly, in
the administrator interface, administrator can register and manage students and lecturers. Administrator
also can book and cancel the appointment for the students.
2.4 Square Appointments
This system is a mobile appointment scheduling application that is currently selling in the market
[8]. This system contains two types of users which are administrators and clients. The system has good
user interface design which the content display is clean and clear for the users to understand. The system
also provides tutorials to guide users in the steps of setting up available time slots and appointment
types such as consultation, meeting, discussion and so on. The system supports automated email and
text reminders features. Clients can receive appointment reminders via text message and email to remind
them to attend their appointments. Besides that, the system is synchronized with Google Calendar. The
system has implemented some great features such as custom cancellation policy and online payment
which involves payment to upgrade the appointment scheduling process. However, most of the features
are not suitable to apply in healthcare applications as this system focuses more on business.
2.5 Comparison of Related System
Table 1: System Comparison

Features Mr. Doc: A Clinic Appointment Square The PKU

Doctor Appointment Consultation Appointments System
Appointment Scheduling System
Application System
Login Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Registration Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Appointment Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
booking

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Table 1: (cont)

Features Mr. Doc: A Clinic Appointment Square The PKU

Doctor Appointment Consultation Appointments System
Appointment Scheduling System
Application System
Appointment No Yes Yes Yes Yes
management
Report No Yes No No Yes
generation
Reminder No No No Yes No
Notification Yes No No No Yes
Usability Android app Mobile-based Web-based Mobile-based Android
platform app

According to the comparison results, most existing applications include login, registration,
appointment booking, and appointment management features. Despite the similarities, Clinic
Appointment Scheduling System supports report generation feature. Besides, the reminder feature is
only implemented in Square Appointments. Other than that, Mr. Doc: A Doctor Appointment
Application also apply notification feature. The study of these existing appointment scheduling
applications offers a wide range of features that are suitable for the proposed application. The proposed
application is developed with the goal of including login, registration, appointment booking,
appointment management, report generation, and notification features.
3. Methodology
3.1 Project Planning
In the project, object-oriented model [9] is selected as the methodology to develop The PKU
System. Object-oriented model is divided into several phases which are planning phase, analysis phase,
design phase, implementation phase and testing phase. Table 2 shows the activity and deliverables of
each phase that need to be produced during the project development.
Table 2: Software Development Activities and Their Deliverables

Phase Activity Deliverable

Planning • Discuss project title and case study • Project proposal
• Identify problem, objectives, and project • Gantt chart
scope
• Determine project schedule
Analysis • Review and analyse existing system • Software Requirement
• Interview stakeholder Specification Document
• Analyse the requirements • UML diagrams
• Determine the functional and non- • Class diagrams
functional requirement • Requirement Traceability
• Specify software and hardware used in Matrix
the system • To-be model
Design • Design system architecture • Software Design Document
• Design user interface • System architecture
• Design database • Database design
• User interface design
Implementation • Implement the design into a prototype • Programming code
• System prototype
Testing • Test the system functionality • Test cases and results
• Final system product

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3.2 Requirement Analysis

Requirement analysis is the process of determining user expectations for a developed or proposed
product [10]. It includes all the tasks that are carried out to identify the needs of various stakeholders.
System requirements usually contain functional and non-functional requirements, user requirements
and system requirements. Table 3 summarizes the functional modules provided in the system.
Table 3: System Functional Module

No. Module Function User

1. Login module Allow administrator and student to login Administrator, Student
to the system
2. Registration module Allow student to register to the system Student
3. Appointment booking Allow student to book appointment Student
module
4. Appointment Allow administrator to accept, reject, or Administrator
management module reschedule the appointment
Allow student to cancel the appointment Student
5. Report generation To generate report Administrator
module
6. Notification module To inform student any update about the Student
appointment

Functional requirement captures the system’s intended behaviour such as services, tasks, or
functions that the system is expected to perform [11]. Table 4 shows the functional requirements of the
proposed system.
Table 4: Functional Requirements

No Module Description
1. Login module • The system should allow user to login into the system using
registered user id and password.
• The system should only allow authorized user with a valid user
id and password to log in.
• The system should notify the user if there is any invalid input.
• The system should redirect user to the homepage upon
successful login.
2. Registration module • The system should allow student to register account with their
personal information such as username, matrix number, and
contact number.
3. Appointment booking • The system should allow students to select date from the
module calendar.
• The system should allow students to select the available time
slot.
• The system should allow students to book appointment based
on the time slot provided.
4. Appointment • The system should allow administrator to accept or reject the
management module appointment request.
• The system should allow administrator to view and reschedule
the appointments booked by students.
• The system should allow students to cancel their appointments.
5. Report generation • The system should allow administrator to generate report.
module
6. Notification module • The system should send notification to students when there is
any update about their appointments.

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Non-functional requirement is the specification that describes the system's operation capabilities as
well as the constraints that improve system functionality [12]. Table 5 shows the non-functional
requirements of the developed system.
Table 5: Non-functional Requirements

No Requirements Description
1. Performance The system should be able to operate 24 hours a day.
The system should be able to respond to user action within 3 seconds.
2. Operational The system should be able to install and operate in Android system.
3. Security The system should be able to protect the user personal information and
their appointment information.
4. Usability The system should be user friendly and easy to use.

User requirements define what the user does with the system, such as which activities users must
be able to perform [13]. Table 6 shows the user requirements of the developed system.
Table 6: User Requirements

No. User Requirements

1. All users must be able to enter a valid user id and password to login to the system.
2. Students should be able to register account.
3. Students should be able to see the available time slot in a selected date.
4. Students should be able to book appointment based on the time slot provided.
5. Students should be able to cancel their appointments.
6. Students should be able to get a notification when their appointments are accepted, rejected,
or rescheduled.
7. All users should be able to view their profile details.
8. Administrator should be able to accept or reject the appointment request.
9. Administrator should be able to view appointments booked by the students.
10. Administrator should be able to reschedule the appointments.
11. Administrator should be able to generate report.

3.3 System Analysis

Use case diagram is used to define the system behaviour and represent system’s requirements. The
interaction between the system and its actors are shown in the use case diagram [14]. There are two
actors involved in the use case, which is administrator and students. Besides that, there are a total of 6
use cases representing system functional module in this project. The use cases are registration, login,
book appointment, manage appointment, generate report, and notification. The administrator is related
to 3 use cases, while the student is related to 5 use cases. Figure 1 shows the use case diagram of The
PKU System proposed in this project.

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Figure 1: Use Case Diagram

Class diagram describes and visualizes the objects in a system based on their attributes, operations,
constraints, and relationships among them [14]. It is used in analysis and design of the static view of
the proposed system. Figure 2 displays the class diagram for The PKU System.

Figure 2: Class Diagram

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To-be model shows the proposed future processes of appointment management process in the health
center after the implementation of the new system in this project. Figure 3 shows the to-be model of the
proposed process of appointments management.

Figure 3: To-be Model

3.4 System Design

System architecture is a conceptual model that describes the structure, behavior, environment, and
relationships between system components [15]. MVP architecture pattern is the architecture model
implemented in this project. Figure 4 shows the MVP architecture of The PKU System.

Figure 4: System Architecture

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The data schema describes the data organization and tables relationships in the database. The
database schema for the database is listed as follows:
i. Administrator (admin_id, admin_name, admin_password)
ii. Student (student_id, student_name, phone_no, matrix_no, student_password)
iii. Appointment (app_id, book_date, book_time, reason, student_id, admin_id, schedule_id)
iv. Schedule (schedule_id, slot_availability, book_status)
v. Report (report_id, data, created_on, admin_id)
User interface is the front-end of system view where the user interacts with the system. Figure 5
and Figure 6 show some of the user interfaces for the Administrator and the students.

Figure 5: Booking Appointment Page Figure 6: Generate Report Page

4. Results and Discussion

4.1 Implementation
This section shows some examples of the modules of The PKU System which developed using
Android Studio platform. In this project the language that was used is Java programming language. The
database for this application is using Firebase. The main interfaces and their code segments are shown
and discussed.
Login module is the main page when user entering the system. Students need to insert their matric
number and password, while administrator needs to insert admin id and password. After that, they need
to select their role to allow the system redirects them to their respective homepage. The login process
is successful when the data inserted does match with the data in database. Figure 7 shows the interface
for the users to login into The PKU System. Figure 8 shows the code segment for login page.

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Figure 7: Login Page

Figure 8: Code Segment for Login Page

Registration module is only for new students to register account in the system. They need to insert
data such as their username, matrix number, phone number and password. If any of the field is empty
upon submission, the system will request the student to fill in the empty field. Figure 9 shows the
interface of registration page. Figure 10 shows the code segment for registration page.

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Figure 9: Registration Page

Figure 10: Code Segment for Registration Page

Appointment booking module is only for students to book their appointments. Students need to
select date and time and input appointment reason to complete the booking process. Figure 11 shows
the interface of appointment booking page. Figure 12 shows the code segment for appointment booking
page.

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Figure 11: Appointment Booking Page

Figure 12: Code Segment for Appointment Booking Page

Appointment management module allows administrator to accept or reject the appointment request
from student. Figure 13 shows the interface of appointment request detail page. Figure 14 shows the
code segment for appointment request detail page.

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Figure 13: Appointment Request Detail Page

Figure 14: Code Segment for Appointment Request Detail Page

4.2 Testing
Testing phase is conducted after the application has been developed successfully to validate whether
it meets the requirements or not. Testing also is important to ensure the application free from bugs
before delivering it to the end user. There are two types of testing have been conducted in this project
which are functional testing and user acceptance testing.

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Functional testing is concerned with the functional requirements and ensuring that the application
functions properly. The system should carry out the functions that satisfy the functional requirements
defined in the previous chapter. Table 7 shows the result of the testing for all modules in the application
are presented in this section.
Table 7: Test Cases Result of Functional Testing

Test Case ID Description Expected Output Actual Output

TEST_100_001 The user enters valid Success login As expected output
user id and password.
TEST_100_002 The user enters Unsuccessful login As expected output
invalid user id and
password.
TEST_100_003 Login without Unsuccessful login As expected output
entering user id and
password.
TEST_200_001 The student fills up Success registration As expected output
every field.
TEST_200_002 The student creates Unsuccessful registration As expected output
account with no
information.
TEST_300_001 The student selects The system displays As expected output
date from calendar. available time slot.
TEST_300_002 The student books Success booking As expected output
appointment by
selecting time slot and
filling up
appointment reason.
TEST_300_003 The student books Unsuccessful booking As expected output
appointment without
selects time slot and
fills up appointment
reason.
TEST_400_001 Administrator The system display pop-up As expected output
approves the message “Appointment
appointment request. approved”.
TEST_400_002 Administrator rejects The system display pop-up As expected output
the appointment message “Appointment
request. rejected”.
TEST_400_003 Administrator The system display pop-up As expected output
reschedules the message “Appointment
approved reschedule successful”.
appointment.
TEST_400_004 Student cancels the The system display pop-up As expected output
upcoming message “Appointment
appointment. cancelled”.
TEST_500_001 Administrator Display information As expected output
generates and views accurately
appointment report.
TEST_600_001 Student views Display notification list As expected output
notification message.

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The user acceptance testing was conducted using Google Form. There are five respondents involved
in this testing process: three respondents are the staff of UTHM health center, and another two
respondents are UTHM students. The bar graph in Figure 14 shows the user satisfaction on the system
functionality.

Figure 15: User Satisfaction on The System Functionality

Based on Figure 14, three respondents very satisfied while two respondents satisfied with the
system functionality. This computerized management system can improve appointment management
for both the health center and the students.

Figure 16: User Satisfaction on The System Usability

Figure 15 shows the result of the system usability testing. All the five respondents are very satisfied
with the system usability as they agree that the system is user friendly and simple to learn and use.

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Figure 17: User Satisfaction on The System User Interface Design

Figure 16 shows the result of the system user interface design testing. All the five respondents are
very satisfied with the system user interface design. The user interfaces are simple, consistent, and
understandable.
5. Conclusion
As conclusion, The PKU System is developed successfully using Java programming language and
connected to Firebase database. The application is tested with functional testing and user acceptance
testing and proven to achieve the objectives, scopes and expected outcome when all test cases are as
expected result. By using this system, UTHM Health Center management would have an online
platform to manage appointments from the students. The database system could generate more clear
and valuable documentation that records all the appointment details. This application would improve
resource allocation and reduce the workloads of health center staff when serving the students.
Acknowledgment
The authors would like to thank the Faculty of Computer Science and Information Technology,
Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia for its support.
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