Nearest emergency room

Posted on 2016-07-31 by E

So you’re a dev, and you just googled.  “where is my nearest emergency room”  and guess what, there is no easy answer.  What if there was a real emergency?  How would you get to the emergency room?  Let’s pretend that we don’t want to just call an ambulance.  You are new to the area, don’t have your insurance paid up to date, it’s not that bad and you think you can walk there, but don’t know what the fastest route is.  Whatever.  The problem is right there.

Let’s not wait till an emergency to need that tool.  Let’s make it here.  Today.

Google maps API

https://developers.google.com/maps/

Basic plan:

  1. Get user location
  2. sort out where the emergency rooms are
  3. calculate the closest emergency room
  4. Suggest a route to there by walking or driving.
  5. Bonus: if it’s going to take more than 10 minutes to walk there; suggest driving (from a friend) or an Uber, if that will take more than 10 minutes, suggest an Ambulance (first responders can usually provide aid before you get to hospital)
  6. Advanced: select the closest 5 emergency rooms and calculate all transport routes and suggest the fastest of the options.

There’s no need to derive this from scratch.  You know what they say, in order to make a hamburger you must first invent the universe.  But also we stand on the shoulders of giants!  Don’t rewrite the universe, good artists copy, great artists steal.

  1. user location

https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation/javascript/tutorials/geolocation

From that page:

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
  <head>
    <title>Geolocation</title>
    <meta name="viewport" content="initial-scale=1.0, user-scalable=no">
    <meta charset="utf-8">
    <style>
      html, body {
        height: 100%;
        margin: 0;
        padding: 0;
      }
      #map {
        height: 100%;
      }
    </style>
  </head>
  <body>
    <div id="map"></div>
    <script>
      // Note: This example requires that you consent to location sharing when
      // prompted by your browser. If you see the error "The Geolocation service
      // failed.", it means you probably did not give permission for the browser to
      // locate you.

      function initMap() {
        var map = new google.maps.Map(document.getElementById('map'), {
          center: {lat: -34.397, lng: 150.644},
          zoom: 6
        });
        var infoWindow = new google.maps.InfoWindow({map: map});

        // Try HTML5 geolocation.
        if (navigator.geolocation) {
          navigator.geolocation.getCurrentPosition(function(position) {
            var pos = {
              lat: position.coords.latitude,
              lng: position.coords.longitude
            };

            infoWindow.setPosition(pos);
            infoWindow.setContent('Location found.');
            map.setCenter(pos);
          }, function() {
            handleLocationError(true, infoWindow, map.getCenter());
          });
        } else {
          // Browser doesn't support Geolocation
          handleLocationError(false, infoWindow, map.getCenter());
        }
      }

      function handleLocationError(browserHasGeolocation, infoWindow, pos) {
        infoWindow.setPosition(pos);
        infoWindow.setContent(browserHasGeolocation ?
                              'Error: The Geolocation service failed.' :
                              'Error: Your browser doesn\'t support geolocation.');
      }
    </script>
    <script async defer
    src="https://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/js?key=YOUR_API_KEY&callback=initMap">
    </script>
  </body>
</html>

Oh hey!  Yea that works.  Just like that.  Get the user location.

2. location of emergency rooms:

https://data.gov.au/dataset/australian-hospital-statistics-2012-13

Well; that’s my data.  Needs some cleaning up because not all hospitals have an emergency department.

anddddd, the data is formatted as addresses not latitude/longitudes.

Example: NSW data

Hospital name Address Line 1 Address Line 2
Armidale 226 Rusden ST Armidale 2350
Auburn 18-20 Hargrave RD Auburn 2144
Ballina 78-92 Cherry ST Ballina 2478
Bankstown/ Lidcombe 68 Eldridge RD Bankstown 2200
Barraba (MPS) 1 Edward ST Barraba 2347
Batemans Bay 7 Pacific ST Batemans Bay 2536
Bathurst 361 Howick ST Bathurst 2795
Bega 1 McKee DR Bega 2550
Belmont 16 Croudace Bay RD Belmont 2280
Bingara (MPS) 1 Keera ST Bingara 2404
Blacktown 44 Blacktown RD Blacktown 2148
Blue Mountains Lot 3 Woodlands RD Katoomba 2780
Boggabri (MPS) 3 Wee Waa ST Boggabri 2382
Bowral Lot 3 Mona RD Bowral 2576
Broken Hill 176 Thomas ST Broken Hill 2880
Bulahdelah – Myall Lakes 1 Richmond ST Bulahdelah 2423
Bulli 33A Hospital RD Bulli 2516
Byron Bay 10 Shirley ST Byron Bay 2481
Calvary Mater Newcastle 4 Edith ST Waratah 2298
Camden 65 Menangle RD Camden 2570
Campbelltown 1 Therry RD Campbelltown 2560
Canterbury 575 Canterbury RD Campsie 2194
Casino 1 Hotham ST Casino 2470
Cessnock Lot 1 View ST Cessnock 2325
Children’s Hospital Westmead 178 Hawkesbury RD Westmead 2145
Coffs Harbour 345 Pacific HWY Coffs Harbour 2450
Concord 1a Hospital RD Concord West 2138
Denman (MPS) 51-53 Ogilvie ST Denman 2328
Dubbo 1 Myall ST Dubbo 2830
Dungog 58 Hospital RD Dungog 2420
Fairfield 360 Prairie Vale RD Prairiewood 2176
Glen Innes 94 Taylor ST Glen Innes 2370
Gloucester 166 Church ST Gloucester 2422
Gosford 76 Holden ST Gosford 2250
Goulburn 130 Goldsmith ST Goulburn 2580
Grafton 174 Arthur ST Grafton 2460
Griffith 1 Noorebar AV Griffith 2680
Gunnedah 2 Marquis ST Gunnedah 2380
Guyra (MPS) 44-48 Sole ST Guyra 2365
Hawkesbury Cnr Macquarie and Day St Windsor 2756
Hornsby and Ku-Ring-Gai 36-76 Palmerston RD Hornsby 2077
Inverell 41-61 Swanbrook RD Inverell 2360
John Hunter 156 Kookaburra CCT New Lambton Heights 2305
Kurri Kurri 432 Lang ST Kurri Kurri 2327
Lismore 60 Uralba ST Lismore 2480
Lithgow 2 Col Drewe DR Lithgow 2790
Liverpool Lot 2 Elizabeth ST Liverpool 2170
Maclean 21 Union ST Maclean 2463
Macleay Valley – Kempsey 119 River ST Kempsey 2440
Maitland 550 High ST Maitland 2320
Manilla (MPS) 143 Court ST Manilla 2346
Manly 150 Darley RD Manly 2095
Manning 26 York ST Taree 2430
Merriwa (MPS) 1 Mackenzie ST Merriwa 2329
Milton and Ulladulla 104 Princes HWY Milton 2538
Mona Vale 18 Coronation ST Mona Vale 2103
Moree 35 Alice ST Moree 2400
Moruya 2-10 River ST Moruya 2537
Mount Druitt 75 Railway ST Mount Druitt 2770
Mullumbimby 1-3 Azalea ST Mullumbimby 2482
Murrurundi 59 O’Connell ST Murrurundi 2338
Murwillumbah 8 Ewing ST Murwillumbah 2484
Muswellbrook 36 Brentwood ST Muswellbrook 2333
Narrabri 11 Cameron ST Narrabri 2390
Nepean 256 Derby ST Kingswood 2747
Orange Health Service 1502 Forest RD Orange 2800
Port Macquarie 1-31 Wrights RD Port Macquarie 2444
Prince Albert Tenterfield 1-5 Naas ST Tenterfield 2372
Prince of Wales 147 Barker ST Randwick 2031
Quirindi 42 Nowland ST Quirindi 2343
Royal North Shore 1 Reserve RD St Leonards 2065
Royal Prince Alfred 50 Missenden RD Camperdown 2050
Ryde 1 Denistone RD Eastwood 2122
Scott Memorial Scone 24 Stafford ST Scone 2337
Shellharbour 15-17 Madigan BVD Mount Warrigal 2528
Shoalhaven Memorial 2 Shoalhaven ST Nowra 2541
Singleton Lot 20 Dangar RD Singleton 2330
St George 28 Gray ST Kogarah 2017
St Vincent’s Darlinghurst 390 Victoria ST Darlinghurst 2010
Sutherland 430 Kingsway Caringbah 2229
Sydney Children’s 1 High ST Randwick 2031
Sydney/ Sydney Eye 8 Macquarie ST Sydney 2000
Tamworth 31 Dean ST North Tamworth 2340
The Tweed Hospital 14 Powell ST Tweed Heads 2485
Tingha (MPS) 1 Inverell RD Tingha 2369
Tomaree Community 2 Trevally ST Nelson Bay 2315
Vegetable Creek (MPS) 13-33 Glen Innes RD Emmaville 2371
Wagga Wagga 260 Edward ST Wagga Wagga 2650
Walcha (MPS) 7 South ST Walcha 2354
Warialda (MPS) 146 Long ST Warialda 2402
Wee Waa 60 Alma ST Wee Waa 2388
Werris Creek 22-34 North ST Werris Creek 2341
Westmead 166 Darcy RD Westmead 2145
Wollongong 348 Crown ST Wollongong 2500
Wyong Pacific HWY Kanwal 2259

LMGTFY: http://www.unbolt.net/geocode_convertor.php, http://www.findlatitudeandlongitude.com/batch-geocode/, http://www.mapdevelopers.com/batch_geocode_tool.php

Spoilt for choice!  You could even do it twice and double check (Hint: I did)

Hospname original address latitude longitude
Armidale 226 Rusden ST Armidale 2350 -30.512477 151.656561
Auburn 18-20 Hargrave RD Auburn 2144 -33.86093 151.032587
Ballina 78-92 Cherry ST Ballina 2478 -28.863182 153.564435
Bankstown/ Lidcombe 68 Eldridge RD Bankstown 2200 -33.933125 151.020843
Barraba (MPS) 1 Edward ST Barraba 2347 -30.382636 150.610385
Batemans Bay 7 Pacific ST Batemans Bay 2536 -35.713737 150.182253
Bathurst 361 Howick ST Bathurst 2795 -33.410636 149.574939
Bega 1 McKee DR Bega 2550 -36.681218 149.837464
Belmont 16 Croudace Bay RD Belmont 2280 -33.024433 151.648913
Bingara (MPS) 1 Keera ST Bingara 2404 -29.86439 150.571804
Blacktown 44 Blacktown RD Blacktown 2148 -33.775361 150.91895
Blue Mountains Lot 3 Woodlands RD Katoomba 2780 -33.7034 150.321213
Boggabri (MPS) 3 Wee Waa ST Boggabri 2382 -30.712277 150.04153
Bowral Lot 3 Mona RD Bowral 2576 -34.484825 150.424681
Broken Hill 176 Thomas ST Broken Hill 2880 -31.947774 141.45395
Bulahdelah – Myall Lakes 1 Richmond ST Bulahdelah 2423 -32.403967 152.211854
Bulli 33A Hospital RD Bulli 2516 -34.336178 150.906459
Byron Bay 10 Shirley ST Byron Bay 2481 -28.64196 153.609391
Calvary Mater Newcastle 4 Edith ST Waratah 2298 -32.898737 151.721457
Camden 65 Menangle RD Camden 2570 -34.062312 150.694473
Campbelltown 1 Therry RD Campbelltown 2560 -34.080098 150.803486
Canterbury 575 Canterbury RD Campsie 2194 -33.921402 151.096798
Casino 1 Hotham ST Casino 2470 -28.86971 153.03493
Cessnock Lot 1 View ST Cessnock 2325 -32.827465 151.351592
Children’s Hospital Westmead 178 Hawkesbury RD Westmead 2145 -33.800966 150.99277
Coffs Harbour 345 Pacific HWY Coffs Harbour 2450 -30.316138 153.092842
Concord 1a Hospital RD Concord West 2138 -33.837305 151.090948
Denman (MPS) 51-53 Ogilvie ST Denman 2328 -32.389667 150.684524
Dubbo 1 Myall ST Dubbo 2830 -32.240492 148.616006
Dungog 58 Hospital RD Dungog 2420 -32.401379 151.745778
Fairfield 360 Prairie Vale RD Prairiewood 2176 -33.859138 150.9034
Glen Innes 94 Taylor ST Glen Innes 2370 -29.732653 151.732144
Gloucester 166 Church ST Gloucester 2422 -32.014856 151.958353
Gosford 76 Holden ST Gosford 2250 -33.42104 151.340653
Goulburn 130 Goldsmith ST Goulburn 2580 -34.747866 149.713185
Grafton 174 Arthur ST Grafton 2460 -29.675738 152.941764
Griffith 1 Noorebar AV Griffith 2680 -34.281205 146.048545
Gunnedah 2 Marquis ST Gunnedah 2380 -30.984714 150.249085
Guyra (MPS) 44-48 Sole ST Guyra 2365 -30.212657 151.679175
Hawkesbury Cnr Macquarie and Day St Windsor 2756 -33.609917 150.817869
Hornsby and Ku-Ring-Gai 36-76 Palmerston RD Hornsby 2077 -33.702574 151.112587
Inverell 41-61 Swanbrook RD Inverell 2360 -29.770603 151.129266
John Hunter 156 Kookaburra CCT New Lambton Heights 2305 -32.925949 151.671229
Kurri Kurri 432 Lang ST Kurri Kurri 2327 -32.823997 151.462961
Lismore 60 Uralba ST Lismore 2480 -28.80889 153.291498
Lithgow 2 Col Drewe DR Lithgow 2790 -33.499637 150.126252
Liverpool Lot 2 Elizabeth ST Liverpool 2170 -33.920691 150.927895
Maclean 21 Union ST Maclean 2463 -29.453827 153.201618
Macleay Valley – Kempsey 119 River ST Kempsey 2440 -31.068203 152.819666
Maitland 550 High ST Maitland 2320 -32.726924 151.545491
Manilla (MPS) 143 Court ST Manilla 2346 -30.746254 150.731707
Manly 150 Darley RD Manly 2095 -33.805457 151.294866
Manning 26 York ST Taree 2430 -31.910288 152.455006
Merriwa (MPS) 1 Mackenzie ST Merriwa 2329 -32.142491 150.359803
Milton and Ulladulla 104 Princes HWY Milton 2538 -35.317254 150.438953
Mona Vale 18 Coronation ST Mona Vale 2103 -33.685954 151.308016
Moree 35 Alice ST Moree 2400 -29.471284 149.845008
Moruya 2-10 River ST Moruya 2537 -35.904658 150.070182
Mount Druitt 75 Railway ST Mount Druitt 2770 -33.765665 150.83024
Mullumbimby 1-3 Azalea ST Mullumbimby 2482 -28.558816 153.490569
Murrurundi 59 O’Connell ST Murrurundi 2338 -31.769738 150.836195
Murwillumbah 8 Ewing ST Murwillumbah 2484 -28.32364 153.400389
Muswellbrook 36 Brentwood ST Muswellbrook 2333 -32.265462 150.901484
Narrabri 11 Cameron ST Narrabri 2390 -30.326302 149.777348
Nepean 256 Derby ST Kingswood 2747 -33.761319 150.713938
Orange Health Service 1502 Forest RD Orange 2800 -33.314353 149.09494
Port Macquarie 1-31 Wrights RD Port Macquarie 2444 -31.452074 152.878833
Prince Albert Tenterfield 1-5 Naas ST Tenterfield 2372 -29.045184 152.013893
Prince of Wales 147 Barker ST Randwick 2031 -33.920844 151.236595
Quirindi 42 Nowland ST Quirindi 2343 -31.49993 150.677052
Royal North Shore 1 Reserve RD St Leonards 2065 -33.819232 151.189266
Royal Prince Alfred 50 Missenden RD Camperdown 2050 -33.887912 151.180769
Ryde 1 Denistone RD Eastwood 2122 -33.794467 151.089906
Scott Memorial Scone 24 Stafford ST Scone 2337 -32.052428 150.876581
Shellharbour 15-17 Madigan BVD Mount Warrigal 2528 -34.557919 150.842344
Shoalhaven Memorial 2 Shoalhaven ST Nowra 2541 -34.86768 150.597071
Singleton Lot 20 Dangar RD Singleton 2330 -32.565712 151.183596
St George 28 Gray ST Kogarah 2017 -33.9678 151.133217
St Vincent’s Darlinghurst 390 Victoria ST Darlinghurst 2010 -33.8791 151.221783
Sutherland 430 Kingsway Caringbah 2229 -34.037477 151.114783
Sydney Children’s 1 High ST Randwick 2031 -33.915175 151.228012
Sydney/ Sydney Eye 8 Macquarie ST Sydney 2000 -33.860316 151.213237
Tamworth 31 Dean ST North Tamworth 2340 -31.075436 150.922931
The Tweed Hospital 14 Powell ST Tweed Heads 2485 -28.177102 153.545626
Tingha (MPS) 1 Inverell RD Tingha 2369 -29.781998 151.118333
Tomaree Community 2 Trevally ST Nelson Bay 2315 -32.720203 152.159007
Vegetable Creek (MPS) 13-33 Glen Innes RD Emmaville 2371 -29.450119 151.598799
Wagga Wagga 260 Edward ST Wagga Wagga 2650 -35.117999 147.35696
Walcha (MPS) 7 South ST Walcha 2354 -30.983941 151.590481
Warialda (MPS) 146 Long ST Warialda 2402 -29.53833 150.579153
Wee Waa 60 Alma ST Wee Waa 2388 -30.227051 149.443074
Werris Creek 22-34 North ST Werris Creek 2341 -31.346486 150.652519
Westmead 166 Darcy RD Westmead 2145 -33.80075 150.963773
Wollongong 348 Crown ST Wollongong 2500 -34.424749 150.883505
Wyong Pacific HWY Kanwal 2259 -33.256507 151.486545
Map of emergency room hospitals

Map of emergency room hospitals

3. Calculate the closest emergency room to the user:  (my favourite tool of the day LMGTFY)

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/4057665/google-maps-api-v3-find-nearest-markers

It’s done.  Someone has already coded how to find the nearest of a set of pre-set markers.

Math!

function rad(x) {return x*Math.PI/180;}
function find_closest_marker( event ) {
    var lat = event.latLng.lat();
    var lng = event.latLng.lng();
    var R = 6371; // radius of earth in km
    var distances = [];
    var closest = -1;
    for( i=0;i<map.markers.length; i++ ) {
        var mlat = map.markers[i].position.lat();
        var mlng = map.markers[i].position.lng();
        var dLat  = rad(mlat - lat);
        var dLong = rad(mlng - lng);
        var a = Math.sin(dLat/2) * Math.sin(dLat/2) +
            Math.cos(rad(lat)) * Math.cos(rad(lat)) * Math.sin(dLong/2) * Math.sin(dLong/2);
        var c = 2 * Math.atan2(Math.sqrt(a), Math.sqrt(1-a));
        var d = R * c;
        distances[i] = d;
        if ( closest == -1 || d < distances[closest] ) {
            closest = i;
        }
    }

    alert(map.markers[closest].title);
}

Super do-able.  Just needs integration.

4. Navigate to the nearest hospital.

https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation/directions/intro

According to the developer guide it’s going to look something like this:

http://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/directions/outputFormat?origin=
Mylatitude,Mylongditude&destination=NearestHospitalLatitude,NearestHospitalLongitude&mode=walking

and out the back will spit out some directions.

But there’s a better way.  After we know the nearest hospital we can open a google maps link to that location:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=saddr=UserLat,Userlong&daddr=HospitalLat,HospitalLong&directionsmode=walking

Then the user can open a browser on their device with directions OR their local maps app, which can guide them using that URL.

5. Bonus problem.  Travel time:

https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation/directions/intro#traffic-model

Method for retrieving travel times can be found here.  And because stackX is the answer to all problems:

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/1042885/using-google-maps-api-to-get-travel-time-data

According to this information; it’s against the google TOS to display for the user that travel time; if you are not using a google map to display the information.  This needs more thought.  More thought than I have time for right now.

But that’s basically it.

6. Advanced goal:  Using the learning from 5; it wouldn’t be hard to look up all of the transport methods for the nearest 5 hospitals and then only offer the user the fastest time duration (1-3 options)

Notes for future me:  all the geolocations are a little off because even the hospital addresses were not the address of the front door of the emergency room.  This is the problem with any data.  There are 205 hospitals on the register, this needs to be hard-coded otherwise it’s still going to be hard to find the emergency room for the user.  The pin should be directly on top of the door to emergency to make it as easy as possible to get to the door.

Video to go along with it: https://youtu.be/EFCMONjCL_0

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