The requirements in an industry like healthcare are usually full of challenges. For this reason, if you’re starting to work on a digital product targeting healthcare for the first time, it’s worth learning more about the specifics of healthcare software development to avoid potential mistakes.
The requirements in an industry like healthcare are usually full of challenges. For this reason, if you’re starting to work on a digital product targeting healthcare for the first time, it’s worth learning more about the specifics of healthcare software development to avoid potential mistakes.
Challenge 1. In case of an emergency, the application must work well
Launching products for healthcare is combined with far more responsibility than the average, as it affects people’s lives and health. For this reason, introducing an MVP is not recommended in this matter, because in case a patient needs immediate medical support, he or she should be able to benefit from a safe and tested version of the product, with high quality. This is not to say that MVPs are not suitable for the medical industry at all. There are cases where they can be introduced without great risk. These are:
- applications that provide clinical information or references,
- apps that remind you about medications,
- apps that support healthy lifestyles, providing reliable content, tips or advice,
- meditation apps,
- wearable medical devices,
- apps for healthy lifestyle management and health monitoring
Challenge 2. Data security
Data security for the healthcare industry is very important and strictly regulated. Remember that this is sensitive data that deals with very personal issues concerning users. So if your software somehow violates the regulations that apply in your region, you could face unpleasant legal consequences. There are several categories of regulations that you should be aware of, which apply depending on your country. These include:
HIPAA – the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, which is a U.S. federal law mandated to protect medical records and patient privacy. What’s more, HIPPA offers companies the ability to securely contact their customers. HIPAA requirements specifically include:
– protecting the confidentiality of health information by strictly limiting access only to those who need the data for treatment or care.
– unquestioning adherence to procedures in case data is shared with unwanted individuals.
This includes security measures such as using encryption codes for electrical data and carefully ensuring that no unauthorized individuals have access to logged-in user information. HIPAA regulations were supplemented in 2009 by the HITECH Act (Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act).
GDPR – the General Data Protection Regulation is an EU regulation that contains all the provisions that apply to individuals in connection with the processing of personal data, as well as provisions that talk about the free flow of personal data.
The difference is that HIPAA deals with the regulation and protection of patient health information only, while GDPR applies to all individuals within its scope.
DPA – Data Protection Act, is the regulation that deals with the protection of the personal data of patient companies in the UK.
It’s important to know that when creating medical software, there are several more ISO and IEC standards that you should think about, to ensure the highest possible security of the software itself, as well as its data.
Challenge 3. Methods of prioritization
Along with starting work on the MVP, it is necessary to discuss the target product with all the people involved: the development team, Project Managers, other experts, and also the business development and marketing department. Teamwork is the key to creating a successful MVP. Equally important is proper prioritization, which may seem difficult at first, so here are the 3 most popular methods that are very useful at the beginning of any MVP work.
The first popular method is MoSCoW (Must, Should, Could, Won’t). This is a suitable prioritization method, especially for smaller products that don’t require many constraints. What does it involve? Tasks should be sorted into different categories:
Must – these features are obligatory, and cannot be left out of the application. We are talking about those without which the entire project could not exist.
Should – is a group of those features that greatly improve the product, but without them, the project could exist anyway.
Could – is a category for small advancements whose presence is welcome but gets in the way of the product being released.
Won’t – as you can guess, is a group of those features that are of little importance to the success of the project, and their omission results in nothing.
KANO is an analytical tool that links customer satisfaction levels to product features. It is a more complex method than MoSCoW and divides priorities into 5 individual categories:
Must-be – these are features that determine whether users consider a product to be functional.
One-dimensional – these are features that are not necessary for the product to function but are strongly desired by the target group. Giving up these features would not affect the functioning of the application, but would greatly disappoint users.
Attractive – these are features that are very well received by users but are not expected is they are missing then no one will know
Indifferent – you can probably guess what attitude users have toward these features. They do not have any major emotional value.
Inverted – these are the features to be avoided, as they are sure to lead to dissatisfaction on the part of the target group.
There is a third popular prioritization method, and it is Story Mapping. This method allows you to see the product through the eyes of the viewer, and it involves writing out the entire user path step by step. This will allow you to see at each stage what challenges he or she will face and therefore guess what expectations, needs, and goals will accompany our audience. It is certainly a very valuable method of planning all the activities of the application.
Challenge 4. Dynamically evolving conditions
The digital health market grew at a rate of 11% in 2019-202. Everything was changed by the COVID-19 pandemic, which proved how important the dynamic development of the HealthTech industry is, and how quickly needs can change in relation to it.
It’s also worth mentioning that digital patients are entering the market, with high expectations from the way health services are delivered, and who are definitely not satisfied with their current quality and the fact that they are mostly offline. To attract users who make choices based on experience rather than price, a system must be developed to respond to their dynamically changing needs.
Fortunately, technology is able to respond to these needs, and solutions are emerging that make it very easy and affordable to make an appointment. Thanks to chatbots, virtual registrations and other virtual solutions, the convenience of medical services are increasing every month.
Challenge 5. Competition
Medical services is an industry full of competition, and almost every day there are newer and more innovative solutions. This is because the issue of health affects absolutely everyone in the world, so the demand for thoughtful HealthTech software is very high. Before starting work on a digital product, it is worth doing in-depth research in terms of the strengths and weaknesses of the biggest competitors. Above all, however, it’s worth thinking about how you can best respond to the patient’s needs and develop your own Unique Selling Product.
Challenge 6. Online Security
The sooner you realize that HealthTech applications, due to the presence of sensitive data, are even more vulnerable to cyberattacks – the better. That’s why you can’t overlook advanced verification technologies or multi-level authentication when building your digital product.
High-level awareness
When creating an MVP, you need to understand that it is a process that requires a great deal of perceptiveness, an understanding of your users, and a general awareness of the conditions in which we live. The investigation, analysis, and attentiveness are qualities that should accompany the building of any Healthcare product. If you feel you need support, please contact us. Applover can certainly help you make the right decisions or direct you to the solutions most beneficial to your product development.
