Thinking about going to a doctor can evoke a particular kind of memory for many: long queues, a thousand paper records, and infinite delays. While this image of healthcare services is still pervasive, the industry is undergoing a robust change in 2024, all due to skyrocketing digitalization.
As more and more hospitals and clinics look to transform their operations, healthtech software development is gaining more traction. Statista reports that the worldwide market of digital health is expected to hit $171.9 billion in revenue by the end of this year. This growth is nowhere near slowing down, either, as this number is predicted to grow at a CAGR of 8.49%, reaching $258.3 billion by 2029.
This staggering demand for healthtech is warranted: a single healthcare software solution can perform numerous functions for an institution’s ecosystem. The market is rich with hospital management systems, medical billing software solutions, telemedicine apps, diagnostics software, and other kinds of applications that can cut costs, improve the quality of care, and automate key processes.
In this article, we’ll provide a brief guide to different types of medical solutions and uncover how to create healthcare software that’s profitable, useful, and secure.
Benefits of healthcare software solutions
If you’re considering custom healthcare software development, you’re on the right track. Although medical applications have different advantages depending on the specific needs they meet, there are numerous general benefits this type of software offers. Here are several examples:
- Improved patient experience. A healthcare software system can enable users to access their medical records online, obtain medication prescriptions faster, and book doctor appointments in a couple of clicks. There is also a wide range of applications for disease monitoring, medication management, and lifestyle maintenance.
- Better access to healthcare providers. When it’s possible to book and conduct a medical visit online, patients become less restricted to the doctors in their area. It can be particularly relevant for patients, whose health needs call for specialized expertise.
- Reduced costs. Healthcare institutions can enjoy automation of certain processes that takes a huge load off care teams. Patients, in turn, may also see a reduction in their medical expenses, as telemedicine and other similar services become available.
- Increased security and accessibility. Digitalization can help hospitals gradually reduce the number of paper records and, consequently, ensure less information is lost. It also helps safeguard sensitive patient data more efficiently.
- More precise diagnostics and treatment. New tech solutions are capable of aiding healthcare professionals by introducing imaging software, AI, and other tools that can greatly increase the quality of diagnostics. Such software can also help draft and optimize treatment plans with respect to each patient’s medical history.
Most popular types of healthcare software
Considering how diverse consumers’ needs are, the number of different types of software used in healthcare is only growing. Certain kinds of platforms and applications, however, command a large portion of the market. Here, we will outline what software is used in healthcare and what app types are at peak popularity.
1. Electronic Health Records (EHRs)
This type of software confidently dominates the market when it comes to platforms for hospitals and other health institutions. In a nutshell, EHR systems are used for storing patients’ information: their complete medical history, doctor visits, prescriptions, and, in some cases, they even provide payment and invoicing options. EHRs help greatly improve information accessibility and security, and many countries have started considering making their use obligatory for hospitals.
2. Hospital Management Systems (HMSs)
Being a more multifaceted version of EHRs, these platforms focus on the organizational aspects of a hospital. They help manage inventories, finances, rooms and beds, as well as accounting, and they also frequently integrate with EHRs to provide more information about patients. In some cases, HMS systems can help with appointment booking and managing doctors’ schedules.
3. Telemedicine software
Among all the types of software used in the healthcare industry, telemedicine is one of the most fast-growing. Statista reports that in 2024, 116 million patients worldwide have already attended doctor consultations online. It’s a leap from the 57 million back in 2019 that was sparked by the COVID-19 pandemic and continued booming due to the ease and availability of online healthcare. Telemedicine platforms allow users to connect with their selected doctors via video or audio calls, as well as over text, pay for appointments online, and obtain electronic prescriptions.
4. Practice Management Software (PMS)
PMS solutions are comprehensive tools that help clinics manage their workflow and operations. One of the main benefits of such software is the specialized features many of them offer: there are PMS systems for the dental sector, ophthalmology, and other specialties. This kind of software can also integrate with a clinic’s surrounding pharmacies and labs to streamline prescription management, organize documentation, and share patient records.
5. Medical billing software
This type of software for healthcare tailors accounting digitalization to the medical sector. Such solutions simplify financial processes for hospitals and other healthcare institutions by organizing invoices and enabling payment functionality. It also frequently comes as a part of a larger system, such as EHR or PMS.
6. Pharmacy and medication management software
Pharmacies face the challenge of rigorous inventory management, and pharmacy management software can greatly assist with tracking expiry dates and storage conditions for different medications. Such systems can also automate billing and prescription processing. Hospitals, on their end, can benefit from similar software to manage medications, keep track of administration schedules, and make it easier to detect potential drug interactions.
7. Medical imaging software
This kind of software is required to process and analyze the results of certain imaging tests, such as MRI, PET, or CT. Such systems offer 3D modeling functionality, as well as tools for designing, prototyping, and printing 3D components for prosthetics or devices.
8. Health tracking apps
If you’re considering medical software development, health tracking apps present one of the most flexible and desired options in the field. These applications can help users manage their activity levels, diet, sleep habits — the potential features reach as far as your imagination. A subset of such apps is also used to monitor diseases: patients can use specialized software to keep track of their symptoms, prescriptions, medical events, and treatment history.
9. Wearable devices
With the Internet of Things being an ever-present trend in software development, it’s no wonder the healthcare industry has jumped on the bandwagon as well. There is a growing pool of health apps that integrate with wearables and other IoT devices. Such software typically comes with the possibility of real-time tracking of a person’s heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen, and blood sugar levels.
