DocChat Appointment Booking System

A real-time appointment booking system using a FastAPI WebSocket backend and a React frontend, integrated with Twilio WhatsApp for confirmation and cancellation.

Overview

DocChat is a medical appointment booking application that allows users to:

• Interact with an AI-powered chatbot to book appointments with doctors based on symptoms.
• Receive booking details via WhatsApp, with options to confirm or cancel appointments by replying.
• View today’s appointments via a REST API endpoint (admin feature).

The backend is built with FastAPI, uses SQLAlchemy for database management, and integrates Google’s Gemini LLM for doctor selection. The frontend is a React-based chat interface communicating over WebSocket.

Features

• Chatbot: Guides users through booking (name, phone, address, date, symptoms).
• Doctor Selection: AI-driven selection based on symptoms and availability.
• WhatsApp Integration: Sends booking details with confirmation/cancellation options.
• WebSocket: Real-time chat between frontend and backend.
• REST API: Endpoints for health checks, manual confirmation, and today’s appointments.
• Database: Stores appointments with confirmation and visit status.

Prerequisites

• Python 3.9+: For the backend.
• Node.js 16+: For the frontend.
• Twilio Account: For WhatsApp messaging (Account SID, Auth Token, WhatsApp-enabled number).
• Google API Key: For Gemini LLM integration.
• Database: SQLite (default) or another SQLAlchemy-supported DB.

Setup

Backend

1. Clone the Repository:

Frontend

1. Navigate to client:

   cd ../frontend

2. Install Dependencies:

   npm install

3. Run the Frontend:

   npm start

   Opens at http://localhost:3000.

Database

The backend auto-creates tables (Base.metadata.create_all) in SQLite by default. However, when using PostgreSQL, ensure the database is properly initialized. With Docker, PostgreSQL is pre-configured.

Running with Docker

To run the backend with Docker, use the docker-compose.yml file located in the server directory.

1. Navigate to the server directory:

   cd server

2. Run Docker Compose:

   docker compose up --build

This will start the FastAPI backend, PostgreSQL database, and PgAdmin for database management.

Usage

Follow the chatbot prompts, receive appointment details via WhatsApp, and confirm/cancel appointments by replying.