Client AHA

Learning Management System: American Heart Association Course Portal for Medical Practitioners

Project Overview

Client: Impelsys – American Heart Association (AHA)
Role: Senior Software Engineer
Technology Stack: HTML, CSS, Bootstrap, Zend PHP Framework
Infrastructure: AWS, LAMP Stack
Duration: 18 months
Team Size: 20 engineers

Introduction

The American Heart Association (AHA) Course Portal is a comprehensive Learning Management System (LMS) designed specifically for medical practitioners. Built using the Zend PHP framework, this custom solution provides an advanced platform for delivering medical education courses, tracking progress, and awarding certifications upon completion.

Project Phases

Phase 1: SCORM Integration

The initial phase focused on establishing the core LMS functionality by integrating SCORM (Sharable Content Object Reference Model) capabilities. SCORM serves as the industry standard for packaging educational content, allowing course materials such as presentations, videos, and PDF documents to be bundled into standardized packages compatible with various LMS platforms.

Key Achievements:

  • Successfully integrated SCORM package support into the custom LMS
  • Implemented course delivery mechanisms for seamless content presentation
  • Developed completion tracking systems to monitor learner progress
  • Ensured compatibility with standard SCORM-compliant content packages

Phase 2: Business Model Evolution – Course Distribution System

As AHA’s business model evolved, the second phase introduced a comprehensive course distribution system. This 18-month endeavor transformed the platform from a direct-to-learner system into a multi-tiered distribution network, enabling third-party distributors to manage and distribute courses to medical practitioners.

Technical Implementation

Database Architecture

The distribution system required extensive database redesign to accommodate the new business model:

New Database Components:

  • Distributor Tables: Core entities for managing distributor accounts
  • Distributor Types and Roles: Hierarchical role-based access control
  • Course Distribution: Tracking course allocation and distribution paths
  • Course Inventories: Managing available course quantities and allocations
  • Performance Optimization: Implementation of composite indexes and stored procedures for enhanced query performance

Application Architecture Refactoring

The source code underwent significant modularization to support the multi-tenant architecture:

Module Structure:

  1. Organization Module: Managing institutional accounts and hierarchies
  2. Distributor Module: Handling distributor operations and course management
  3. End-user Module: Providing learner interfaces and course access

Frontend Enhancement

  • Integration of new PSD designs into Zend phtml template files
  • Implementation of responsive design principles using Bootstrap
  • Enhanced user interface for improved user experience across all modules

Technical Responsibilities and Achievements

Development and Optimization

  • Application Development: Built robust web applications using PHP Zend Framework
  • Bug Resolution: Addressed critical issues arising from framework upgrades
  • Version Management: Successfully upgraded projects to latest software versions
  • Database Optimization: Improved query performance through strategic indexing and query restructuring
  • Caching Implementation: Utilized Memcache and Redis for autocomplete search functionality, exposed as APIs for AJAX calls

Quality Assurance

  • Unit Testing: Developed comprehensive unit tests for controller and model classes
  • Template Management: Built reusable view templates maintaining consistent application branding
  • Frontend Enhancement: Implemented jQuery widgets for improved user interaction

Technical Leadership

  • Provided technical support and mentorship to software engineers
  • Led framework migration efforts for Zend Framework updates
  • Ensured code quality and architectural consistency across the development team

Project Outcomes

The successful delivery of this LMS platform enabled the American Heart Association to:

  • Efficiently deliver medical education courses to practitioners nationwide
  • Track and certify completion of critical medical training
  • Scale distribution through a network of authorized distributors
  • Maintain high standards of medical education delivery

Technical Stack Summary

  • Backend: PHP with Zend Framework
  • Frontend: HTML5, CSS3, Bootstrap, jQuery
  • Caching: Memcache, Redis
  • Database: MySQL (implied by LAMP stack)
  • Infrastructure: AWS cloud hosting
  • Standards: SCORM compliance for course packaging

Conclusion

This Learning Management System represents a significant achievement in educational technology for the medical sector. Through careful planning, modular architecture, and robust implementation, the platform successfully serves the American Heart Association’s mission of providing critical medical education to healthcare practitioners. The project’s on-time delivery and successful integration of complex distribution mechanisms demonstrate the effectiveness of the technical approach and team collaboration.