RESEARCH

Technology Review

The initial intention was to expend the existing system's functionality. However, after consulting with stakeholders, in particular system administrators, we realised the complexities of deploying the current system within the Welsh NHS environment. Additionally, users were vocal about the possibility of extending the system themselves, creating new pages and views in the future, without the need for much technical knowledge.

After considering this feedback our client proposed an alternative approach using low code tools. This would allow users to easily maintain the system both at a technical and non-technical level. Providing a number of advantages, including:

• Ease of Maintenance & Security: Deployment is a one-click operation, platform-side updates reduce the burden on system admins
• Streamlined Authentication & User Management: One of the main challenges with the original application was due to the sel-hosted authentication system
• Increased end-user flexibility: Low-code platforms provide users with the tools to easily add new desired functionality

As a result, the first step in our research involved investigating the suitability of different low-code platforms⁵.

Low-Code Platforms

Retool

Retool⁶ is a platform which allows users to build custom internal tools and applications for their businesses. It supports a wide range of data sources and integrations, including databases (such as MySQL, PostgreSQL, and MongoDB), APIs (such as Stripe, Twilio, and GitHub), and more. Custom workflows can easily be built by connecting these data sources and services.
As a tool, it is more suited to create management dashboards and is intended for use within internal applications. As a result, users must be signed-up by an administrator, this means it is not-ideal to accomplish our self-registration goal.

Microsoft Power Apps Suite

Microsoft Power Apps⁷ is a low-code platform that allows users to easily create custom business applications without the need for extensive programming knowledge. It platform provides a range of pre-built templates and components, which can be extended through custom code blocks.

One of the main disadvantages of the suite is its licensing: a license is required for each user of the system, this can be a financial and maintenance burden. It also increases vendor lock-in, which could prove to be problematic should the pricing structure change or a better solution come along.

Softr (chosen)

Softr⁸ is a low-code environment allowing users with no programming experience to use it with ease, making it an ideal choice for the client. Softr is a powerful tool with a vast selection of built-in “blocks” which are the key elements in building a platform/website.

We will try to replicate and extend the previous system using these blocks however Softr also gives the option of a “Custom code block” which we will utilise when the builtin blocks are not functional for the task, for example we will be using the code block for the charts as the graphing block in Softr is quite limited.

Softr can also be integrated with OpenId which allows for federated authentication, allowing users to use third-party applications to authenticate themselves.

Airtable (chosen)

Airtable⁹ is the industry standard for building databases without any prior coding/programming experience. One of the main advantages is its extensive community support and out of the box Softr integration.

Data from the database can be then visualised using powerful extensions in Airtable such as Vega lite. Repetitive tasks can also be automated in Airtable using Airtable’s builtin automations which allows users to create rules that automatically trigger specific actions.

Overall Airtable provides users with the freedom to view and edit tables autonomously.