Back in the 1980s, I began developed and began using Excel as a mental health assessment and treatment planning and outcomes analysis tool that enabled my patients to be active collaborators in all aspects of my psychotherapy practice. It was a very valuable application.

One problem was that there was no Internet and it was not practical to give my patients this very sophisticated macro-enabled program to use at home, so they had to sit in my office and use it on my laptop.

Once the Internet became available, I envisioned using the web-based Excel forms to collect patient-generated data and have the Excel worksheets and formulas--which I had been evolving over three decades--to produce clinical reports in a VBA macro automated system. Unfortunately, as Aytekin mentioned, the Excel forms were grossly inadequate.

Two years ago I found JotForm which solved the problem. I built several interlinked forms with complex conditional rules (e.g., for skip-logic and real-time calculations). We then built a web-based tool that downloaded the patient data from the HIPAA compliant JotForm database and had Excel process the data and produce PDF reports which are then presented to patient.

Within the next few weeks we should have this system up and running on our web site through a fully automated workflow process, that includes registration, login, eCommerce and business rules.

With this hybrid system, we have the best of all worlds: (a) Excel's incredible mathematical, textual, and graphic presentation capabilities together with (b) JotForm forms, data stores and APIs and (c) Server-side scripts that the website's database and manage form and report presentation. This flexible platform promises to be a dream come true for anyone wanting a low-cost solution with great potential.

Anyone interested can contact me at sbeller@nhds.com. My company's website is nhds.com and the app I mentioned (Reveal) is at nhds.com/reveal