Software Development for Healthcare: Bridging the Gap Between Tech and Medicine

Microsoft HoloLens is a mixed-reality (MR) headset that allows people to see 3D visualizations, interact with digital content, and immerse themselves in virtual worlds. It’s used in manufacturing, gaming, and many other areas of business. But perhaps one of its most famous applications is in the healthcare realm.

HoloLens enables healthcare providers to see 3D visualizations of patient organs. They can observe various conditions, including cancer and strokes. And that’s just one application of this innovative tool in medicine. MR, virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and extended reality (XR) are also used in surgical training to help trainees practice operations in a risk-free setting. They help practitioners easily find veins for IVs or injections. They deliver instantaneous feedback on procedures to ensure everything is going smoothly.

Still, while software development for healthcare may seem essential for many, some are reluctant to adopt certain innovations. For example, while two-thirds of an American Medical Association (AMA) survey respondents said they saw advantages to using AI, just 38% were actually using it at the time the survey was administered. Moreover, 41% said they were equally excited and concerned about possible uses of AI in healthcare.

Software developers are crucial in healthcare. They create the tools and technologies that manage patient records, streamline workflows, and ensure better patient care. Medical organizations are, for all intents and purposes, non-tech enterprises, but that doesn’t mean that software engineers aren’t critical in the healthcare field.

The Evolving Role of Technology in Healthcare

From Paper Records to Electric Health Records

Once upon a time, health records were solely written on paper. But physical records can easily be lost, damaged, or accessed by the wrong parties. 

Electronic health records (EHRs) entered the picture in the 1960s, although the term wasn’t used until the 1990s. EHR technology has been a game-changer for the healthcare field, allowing providers to document, access, and share patient histories and care plans digitally. It makes patient data available to multiple providers, helping improve accuracy, reduce treatment delays, and lower medical error instances. 

EHRs are just one example of how much things have changed thanks to technology. Software solutions have opened the door to greater innovations—and better patient care.

Current Trends and Innovations

Mobile App Development for Healthcare

Healthcare-related mobile apps give patients unprecedented access to medical support. MyChart, for example, is a patient portal app used by numerous providers. Through one app, users can schedule appointments, view health records, communicate with their providers, and request prescription refills. BetterHelp and Talkspace, meanwhile, provide online counseling and therapy. 

Telemedicine and Remote Patient Monitoring

While telemedicine has been around for decades, it became a significantly larger phenomenon during the pandemic. When we were largely shut inside, telehealth platforms allowed individuals to connect with providers remotely through video calls, messaging apps, and other tools. Telemedicine is still widely used.

According to one study, 76.7% of primary care physicians and 73.1% of specialists said they could provide a similar quality of care through telemedicine as in-person visits to “some extent or a great extent.”

Similarly, remote patient monitoring (RPM), which involves using digital devices to monitor patients and their care, helps manage conditions from afar. According to the American Medical Association (AMA), RPM is particularly helpful in managing these conditions because it provides visibility into patients’ lives outside of their scheduled appointments, which has historically been a barrier to timely and effective diagnosis and management. 

AI

It’s impossible to discuss technological innovation for health without mentioning AI. Artificial intelligence processes vast amounts of information at lightning speed. It’s being applied to numerous areas of healthcare, including disease diagnostics, administrative task automation, and treatment plan personalization.

One exciting application of AI is drug discovery. Software developers are utilizing artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies to predict the effectiveness of medications and identify and evaluate trial candidates. Among the benefits, AI helps reduce the time and monetary investment of making new drugs available. 

Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality

VR and AR are lauded as transformative technologies, completely immersing individuals in new worlds. That’s certainly true in healthcare. For example, surgeons can use VR helmets to practice procedures in a low-stakes context.

Another application is leveraging VR to help patients with psychological disorders interact in a controlled environment. Two hours of exposure to this treatment for fear of heights helps reduce patient anxiety by 68% on average.

Future Outlook

Now, we’re seeing new and innovative approaches in software development for healthcare. Personalized medicine (or precision medicine) involves cutting-edge technologies and predictive analytics to tailor treatments to individuals based on their unique characteristics, including everything from genetic makeup to their environment.

One transformative invention in this area is CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats). The technique allows scientists to edit DNA and remove genetic mutations. 

In 2019, Victoria Gray became the first individual in the United States to receive CRISPR treatment for gene editing, in this case for sickle cell anemia. With CRISPR approved in the U.S. and the U.K., we will see more applications of the technology

“The next step is to expand the scope of CRISPR drugs,” said bioengineer Stanley Qi. “There are already more than dozens of CRISPR clinical trials for different diseases in the liver, immune cells, eyes, and muscles. Furthermore, CRISPR epigenetic editing is expanding the scope of disease to treat more types of muscular dystrophy, retina disorders, and brain diseases.”

CRISPR is one example of the enormous potential for technology in healthcare—beyond what we thought was possible just a short time ago.

Challenges in Healthcare that Require Software Solutions

Accessibility

Over half of the world’s population wasn’t fully covered with essential healthcare services in 2021, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

Accessibility is a huge problem among numerous populations. But software solutions can help address the gap. Telemedicine, for instance, can make services available to rural and underserved areas.

Forecasting and Diagnostics

Software solutions are creating new pathways for diagnosing and forecasting diseases. Big data analytics and tools can sort through data at record speed, help reveal insights, highlight patterns, and allow practitioners to make predictions. This leads to more informed decision-making.

AI and machine learning play an important role by combing through and processing vast datasets to identify trends. From there, the technology can suggest diagnoses, help develop personalized medicine plans, and anticipate different outcomes and complications. AI can also help identify genetic markers and factors that could affect diseases.

Compliance

Compliance with healthcare standards and regulations like HIPAA and HL7 is essential, but it’s also complex. Not complying with these regulations can result in severe consequences, including legal action. 

Software is a natural solution. Healthcare compliance tracking software aids the process by automating risk assessments, personnel training, and more. That way, human staff can ensure they are up to date and adhering to laws and regulations. 

Working with developers who specialize in crafting healthcare solutions is also helpful. These specialists are familiar with compliance requirements like HIPAA and build your software with the regulations in mind. 

Chronic Disease Management

Nearly three in five physicians say technology is most helpful in areas like chronic disease management, according to the American Medical Association (AMA).

Healthcare software solutions enable the continuous monitoring of chronic diseases like heart disease, diabetes, asthma, and chronic kidney disease. Chronic disease management software (CDMS) assesses patients’ health and wellness routines. The software can connect to EHRs and applications to track and monitor these conditions. Both patients and providers can track their symptoms and the effectiveness of treatments and medications.

Wearable devices, cloud computing, mobile applications, big data analytics, and other technologies facilitate greater accessibility and efficiency in monitoring these chronic conditions. These types of solutions allow practitioners to implement timely interventions and prevent diseases from escalating.

Costs

Healthcare costs are often prohibitive for both patients and providers. Many individuals are unable to access the services and treatments they need because of the hefty price tag. Healthcare providers are sometimes limited in the services they can administer due to cost concerns.

Software solutions can help lower costs. For example, using telehealth platforms saw an average cost savings of between $147 and $186 per visit for patients. An analysis of nearly 25,500 telehealth visits by more than 11,600 adults who had cancer during the pandemic found that patients under the age of 65 saved on indirect costs associated with travel expenses for medical appointments and income lost due to missed work for visits. 

Building a Culture of Collaboration Between Healthcare and Tech

When implementing software development for healthcare​, it’s important to foster a collaborative culture. 

Custom software development for healthcare requires personalization and innovation. Clinicians and tech experts must collaborate closely to address challenges and meet the needs of diverse healthcare settings. 

No matter what the platform, the system must be scalable to adapt to complex and escalating demands across healthcare. This requires a deep understanding of the problems facing the medical community and how providers address them with or without existing software solutions. 

To ensure both software developers and healthcare providers collaborate effectively to meet the needs of patients, there should be cross-disciplinary programs to foster mutual understanding. Both parties should be aware of the benefits and challenges associated with healthtech. 

Looking Ahead

New and innovative healthcare software solutions are being introduced every day. Software development is an imperative—not a question. Still, it’s increasingly clear that innovation requires care.

For example, AI is one of the most impactful technologies in healthcare today. And while 40% of Americans believe leveraging AI in medicine would reduce the number of mistakes providers make, 60% say they would be uncomfortable if their own provider were to rely on the technology for disease diagnosis and treatment recommendations, according to Pew Research.

It’s clear that the healthcare field and software developers must collaborate to instill trust, mitigate biases, and focus on security and privacy. 

Going forward, it’s essential to acknowledge the challenges and the benefits. It’s also pivotal to ensure technology and healthcare work together to deliver better patient outcomes.