Healthcare Technology Featured Article

November 05, 2020

How to Choose a Contractor for a Custom Healthcare Software Development




As the world continues to move towards digitalization in every field, especially with the remote work and communication environment imposed by COVID-19, a dynamic industry like the healthcare industry increasingly feels the need for medical software and the use of cutting-edge technologies to provide mobile health solutions. To cater to these emerging needs, working towards custom healthcare software development has become a must for every software development company in the field.

For a healthcare organization, it is particularly important to know how to choose the right contractor who can help optimize digital patient care and offer the best development team that is familiar with healthcare application development as well as the new trends in the healthcare sector.

Areas where custom healthcare software can be used

  • Telemedicine. Telemedicine, or telehealth services, has grown popular over the years for the remote treatment of patients and is a burgeoning sphere for each custom software development company in the healthcare business. App development is crucial for telemedicine and healthcare providers, as by using a mobile application, teleconsultation can be facilitated and healthcare information can be shared among patients.
  • Healthcare portals and patient databases. There are ample demand and scope for digital health portals like a good healthcare app and a patient portal that compiles and stores patient data categorically over long periods of time. Additionally, the storage of health data like medical history in the form of an electronic medical record makes it easy for doctors to assess patients they may be seeing the first time. This can be done via electronic medical records (EMR), or electronic health records (EHR), which can maintain data records of patients and can be pulled up as and when needed. Naturally, to ensure data protection, personal information would be kept confidential and only between the doctor and patient as such, on these portals.
  • E-consultations and e-prescription. An emerging aspect of digital healthcare services is the practice of e-consultation. Several mobile applications have popped up that are compatible easily with Android as well as IOS and are user-friendly, enabling patients to remotely consult doctors based on their healthcare needs and get e-prescriptions as well. Further, online treatment plans for certain diagnosis can be formulated and directed to the patient through this process in some cases. Virtual billing software and e-pharmacy management are also being looked at by developers who are trying to find software solutions for the same.
  • VR and AR healthcare software development. Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality are technologies that have been on the rise since inception and are particularly useful for medical care at the moment because of the COVID-19 remote healthcare scene. Run by a powerful technology stack, AR and VR in healthcare can let patients have a vibrant user experience that feels very real and allows them to see how a medical device or treatment works virtually.
  • Big Data and AI solutions for healthcare. The healthcare industry is clearly one of Big Data, due to the large inflow of patients every single day and the colossal volumes of medical data moving around. Artificial Intelligence is being used more and more to power leading healthcare providers’ services and ensure the data is collected and used well. AI in healthcare and in information technology in general as well, is a rising field now, the trends of which are identified well by the 2020 AI Talent Report: Current Landscape & Market Trends.
  • Health tracking and fitness apps. Health and fitness are topics increasingly in the limelight particularly in the view of the pandemic. Wearable technology in the form of smartwatches and bands that track heart rate, sleep cycles, and the number of steps walked, is very popular these days, and fitness and health applications created by expert healthcare developers are among the most downloaded on the internet.

Things to consider when hiring a development contractor for a custom healthcare solution

  • Check their previous performance history. Before hiring software developers externally for healthcare software development, check out client reviews of the firm and its precious projects, experience, and profile on websites like G2, Clutch, and Agency Spotter.
  • Assess how they work and their flexibility. The team that works for you should be aligned to your goals and requirements the way you need it. Assess how they communicate in real-time and manage their projects, and only then make the hiring decision. Moreover, while the software development team may seem amenable to all your needs, be sure to test that they have understood your terms and requirements correctly and are not just agreeing for the sake of it. This can make all the difference in the quality of the healthcare solutions they create.
  • Don’t skimp on pricing. High-quality software development services often cost more. Don’t shy away from spending more on this, consider it an investment- if you try to save money by hiring teams of dubious capabilities, your project will suffer badly.
  • Ensure your access to code. At the outset, let the development service providers and the developers know that you will need complete access to all the relevant code throughout the project. Also, have a proper management/collaboration tool handy to communicate smoothly with the developers.
  • Stay connected and updated. As the software solutions are being created, make sure that you remain well-connected and participate thoroughly in the project with the developers. Also, make it a point to seek regular updates from the team on current progress and any issues that may be occurring.

Conclusion

Custom healthcare software development is important to all healthcare organizations out there today, particularly because of the COVID-19 pandemic and the remote healthcare trends it is further popularizing such as telemedicine, e-consultation, and the proliferation of health applications.

Choosing a suitable contractor, a developer team you can rely on for custom healthcare software, is not easy, but you’ll be fine if you remember to thoroughly verify their previous work experience and records, be ready to pay well for higher quality services, insist on your access to all the relevant code, and place yourself in the center of the software development process, staying connected with the developer team.

Info about the author

Galina Divakova

Galina is Head of Marketing at YouTeam, a Y Combinator-backed marketplace for hiring remote software developers.

Galina’s Website | Linkedin | Twitter | Facebook



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