Technology is transforming the healthcare industry, and tailor-made software solutions play a significant role in that transformation.
Many software-driven changes address one or more of the following four goals:
Save time
Prevent mistakes
Improve patient health
Increase cybersecurity
In addition to these overall goals, healthcare providers often have specific needs and care goals. When they can’t find ready-made software to meet those needs, they turn to custom software development companies for tailor-made applications that can fill the niche.
This software development guide looks at why custom software development is important and where it’s having the most significant impact. We also cover how healthcare providers can turn their ideas into high-quality software that meets their unique needs.
The Impact of Custom Software Development
The healthcare industry faces one of its greatest challenges: the COVID-19 pandemic.
Healthcare providers were already struggling to catch up with federal quality care mandates. They adopted patient portals. They sought solutions to help improve patient engagement. They grappled with interoperability.
And then the pandemic hit. Software upgrades and new technologies were put on hold as patients flooded in.
The demand for telehealth solutions skyrocketed. So did data breaches and ransomware attacks, as criminals took advantage of the global crisis.
When healthcare organizations lacked the IT skills or bandwidth to develop needed software solutions quickly, providers turned to custom software development companies.
Meeting Critical Needs
Custom software helps providers meet critical needs for which commercial solutions don’t exist or are cost-prohibitive.
These crucial needs include:
Enabling a shrinking pool of healthcare workers to do more with less
Complying with government mandates designed to increase healthcare quality
Meeting new interoperability standards for quickly and securely sharing patient data
Increasing patient education and engagement
Tracking quality care metrics to maximize federal financial reimbursement
With few off-the-shelf solutions meeting these needs, many healthcare organizations require custom applications.
The interoperability issue alone requires custom APIs to connect a healthcare organization’s medical records system to other organizations’ systems.
Filling Niche Healthcare Needs
Custom software development also helps providers improve niche healthcare delivery needs for which prepacked software isn’t available.
A prime example of this is the concussion management app developed by an orthopedic rehabilitation specialist. The application has everything the provider needs to physically analyze a patient and provide high-quality care. The bespoke application tackles the limitations of existing rehab programs and offers advanced solutions for performance enhancements, neuromechanical health, senior health, and orthopedic care.
With such a narrow market, a major software company would not be inclined to develop such a specialty application. Custom software applications address unique healthcare needs or tackle common needs in new, more efficient ways.
