With the IT healthcare solutions market expected to reach $728.63 billion by 2029, we can safely conclude that healthcare software development will continue its exponential growth.
Several technologies have influenced the growth of the healthcare sector over the past few years, including artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, etc., allowing seamless sharing of data across different platforms and automating a plethora of tasks.
In this guide, I’ll talk about these technologies, different kinds of healthcare software development, the development lifecycle, what software developers actually do, and what the future holds for the digital healthcare space.
Understanding healthcare software development
Generally speaking, medical software development consists of the creation and management of tailored healthcare software to improve efficiency, patient safety, and operations.
Medical software development helps you establish a comprehensive ecosystem of its own to cater to your clinical, administrative, and operational needs.
Different types of healthcare software development
Each type of healthcare software serves specific functions catering to different needs for improving institutional efficiency, productivity, patient care, and alike.
Telemedicine software
The healthcare technology has considerably improved by facilitating remote diagnoses and treatment through remote monitoring, video conferencing, patient portals, and e-prescriptions.
Laboratory information management systems (LIMS)
LIMS streamlines the laboratory operations and processes by tracking samples, managing test results, ensuring quality control, and maintaining regulatory compliance. Further technologies include radiology information systems handling medical imagery and data, image archival and retrieval, and patient scheduling.
Clinical decision support systems (CDSS)
Clinicians use CDSS to acquire valuable insights and patient-specific information to improve patient experiences through reminders, alerts, diagnostic support, and treatment guidelines. Moreover, health information exchange helps in the secure transfer of healthcare data among different companies, eventually encouraging interoperability and patient data confidentiality.
Wearable technology
Using devices that monitor health metrics and activity levels like heart rate, sleep time, etc., spread the figures across different health apps to provide a holistic view of the patient’s health.
Other types
Other types of software healthcare development include medical practice management, urgent care, healthcare customer relationship management, pharmacy management, billing and revenue cycle management, and chronic disease management.
What do healthcare software development companies do?
Almost every software development company tends to focus on specializing in certain types of application development. The case with a digital health software development company is no different.
The greater demand for digital solutions in the medical world has encouraged healthcare providers to laser-focus their services.
Overall, they serve government institutions, hospitals and clinics, and medical schools through various optimization services.
But when we talk about medical institutions and B2B companies, the most common reasons for hiring a healthcare digital solutions provider are achieving cost efficiency and developing patient engagement platforms.
Any medical software development organization does one or more of the following things to cater to its associated target audience.
Custom solutions
One of the most common services digital healthcare providers provide is creating and delivering custom solutions covering the specific needs of medical institutions, professionals, and patients.
Moreover, custom solutions involve the integration of existing tools with other systems. For instance, electronic health records and practice management systems.
Mobile health applications
Service providers create mobile applications for patients, hospitals, and clinics offering a variety of features like appointment scheduling, medication reminders, health tracking, and maintaining various other SOPs.
App developers must focus on user-friendly features, interfaces, and functionalities for better patient experience and efficiency.
Regulatory compliance and security
IT companies also ensure that their services comply with the software development in the healthcare industry’s standards and regulations, such as HIPAA to protect patient information.
Furthermore, implementing robust security measures to protect sensitive data, and safeguard against cyberattacks and data breaches.
Support and maintenance
Besides concept generation and application coding, software development companies also provide support and maintenance services.
The QA and testing team is tasked with assuring the tools run smoothly without any functional, usability, or performance glitches. Also, the application runs up to date with regulatory changes.
Data analytics and reporting
IT companies develop tools that collect and analyze data for health outcomes, optimize operations and processes, and support teams in decision-making.
Such tools come with interactive dashboards and features that allow healthcare providers to produce insights and monitor performance metrics and KPIs.
Cost of healthcare software development
The cost of developing a healthcare application depends on various factors, including your budget, timeline, and needs. However, the development cost typically falls between the $100,000 to $500,000 range.
Let’s break down the factors that will affect your app development cost.
Collaboration
Being a CEO or a senior executive of a company, you’ll decide which type of team you want to work with. If you have ample resources, hiring an in-house team could be a possibility.
On the other hand, outsourcing your work to a company is a more cost-effective option if you want less fuss and costs incurred in hiring a full-time, in-house team.
Team structure
Another factor that decides the development cost is the team structure and expertise. Consider details like the total headcount, their experience and skills, and the tech stack required for the project.
Project complexity
What type of healthcare application are you developing? The prototype, features, and other complexities shaping the total cost of your project.
Development timeline
The more complex your project, the more time it will take to complete. Apparently, complex projects demand an equally complex team structure and in-depth collaboration to manage more than the average number of tasks in different phases of mobile app development.
Team location
Development costs vary by the geographic region of the team. For example, wage disparities, cost of living, operational costs, communication and collaboration mediums, access to talent, quality and experience, infrastructure and technology, economic conditions, and government incentives determine the total cost of app development.
SDLC in healthcare
The software development life cycle in the healthcare industry is all about developing top-tier digital products adhering to regulatory standards, providing quality patient experiences, and data security.
Planning and requirement
The process starts with identifying the relevant stakeholders by engaging with patients, administration personnel, regulatory bodies, and healthcare providers.
After the requirement gathering, a feasibility study is conducted to analyze the technical, operational, and economic feasibility of the project.
Document all the functional and non-functional requirements to ensure compliance with HIPAA and other healthcare regulations.
System design
Make a top-level architecture design, including data flow diagrams, system interfaces, and design.
For security design, implement security measures to secure patient data, adding encryption, access controls, and audit logs. Moreover, work on designing user-friendly interfaces.
Coding
Establish the right development environment, use relevant tools following the best development practices ensuring the code is scalable and maintainable.
Also, implementation must enable easy integration with existing systems like LIMS and EHR.
Testing
A series of testing activities are conducted, including unit testing, integration testing, system testing, user acceptance testing, and compliance testing.
The purpose is to test individual components; ensure each module is working smoothly, the entire system is free of defects and complies with the healthcare standards, and end users validate the system’s usability and functionality.
Deployment
A sound deployment plan will help you alleviate the risk of disruption in healthcare operations.
Hence, migrate existing data into the new system without compromising data integrity. Eventually, deploy the system in a live environment and provide support to users throughout the process.
Maintenance
Your maintenance measures will involve continuously monitoring the system for security and performance issues.
Incorporate the updates and upgrades to fix bugs and add new features. Do remember to provide ongoing support to users, addressing their issues promptly.
Evaluation
Conduct a performance review against certain KPIs and performance metrics.
Collect feedback and insights to identify areas for improvement and make necessary changes as part of your continuous improvement activity.
Future of medical software development
According to Deloitte, the health software development industry is at the point of significant disruption, particularly focusing on more secure platforms, customer-centric services, and seamless data exchange.
The purpose is to emphasize human-driven solutions, including optimized treatment plans, easy monitoring of health status, and convenient access to online healthcare consultants.
The following are the key trends happening in medical software development.
Online communication
And self-care! Patients are more content to opt for user-friendly and easily accessible platforms. Also, the needs of different demographics and communication preferences must be considered.
Artificial intelligence
Healthcare professionals and institutions are now using AI to make more accurate diagnoses, eventually translating into personalized and effective treatment plans.
EMR tools
Medical records are now stored in tools for health tracking, physician details, appointment scheduling and reminders, patient information, reviews and ratings, and more.
Blockchain technology
Blockchain has now penetrated other industries beyond the crypto space. The technology enhances data security and integrity assuring medical records are error-free and authentic.
Other trends
Various other key trends are populating healthcare software development, such as big data and analytics, AR and VR, voice technology, precision medicine, regenerative medicine and bioprinting, mHealth applications, wearable technology, IoT, etc.
Upgrading their skills to stay abreast with these trends, healthcare software developers are helping shape the future of digital healthcare to enhance patient care and improve operational efficiency.
Thoughts!
This concludes our guide for software development in healthcare business understanding that the industry is experiencing rapid growth due to the increasing demand for efficient, patient-centric solutions.
From AI and IoT to telemedicine and blockchain, numerous innovations are redefining how healthcare is delivered, making it more accessible, secure, and effective.
As we look to the future, trends such as personalized medicine, regenerative technologies, and advanced data analytics will continue to redefine the landscape.
By staying ahead and proactive, healthcare software developers can create cutting-edge solutions that meet the changing needs of the healthcare sector, ultimately contributing to a more efficient, productive, and patient-focused healthcare system.
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