Currently, the status of the healthcare market is surging higher and higher. One of the biggest industries, the healthcare sector is presently valued worldwide at $7.724 trillion according to the Healthcare Outlook Report.

Healthcare market compromises of all the institutions that provide medical services like companies involved in supplying medicinal equipment, clinical support, drug development, etc. This naturally shows why custom software development is integral in the healthcare field. But, before understanding what agile software development in healthcare looks like, let’s see where the industry currently stands with a pandemic hovering over us.

How has COVID-19 Impacted Healthcare?

The pandemic has penetrated every societal layer and healthcare is no exception. All the strategies devised failed the horrific effect that this problem was to produce. Different parts of the medical industry got affected, such as supply chain management, ensuring safety protocol, staff quarantining, and so much more.

Having said that, the pandemic also provided a vision for approaching healthcare digitally, which paved the way for healthcare software development. Now most healthcare companies find having a digital presence indispensable, hence advocating for agile software development in healthcare.

As IT has revolutionized every aspect of our lives, now it has also touched upon healthcare like never before. From maintaining electronic health records to having a medical map of a patient, technology has opened up immense scope for enhancing customer satisfaction. As per current projections, the healthcare analytics market is expected to grow globally from $11.461 billion in 2019 to $40.781 billion in 2025.

What is Trending in Healthcare Software Development?

Just like every other sector that has been enhanced with the effect of technology, healthcare has also felt the need for utilizing software solutions. This has given rise to certain trends that are common amongst offshore healthcare software development companies in India-

·         Telemedicine

An organization conducted a survey to understand the average time needed by a new patient to get an appointment with the family doctor. On analysing data collected from 15 metropolitan cities, it was concluded that he needs about 29.3 days to get an appointment. This accounts for why telemedicine is important. It increases the efficiency of physicians reaching out to patients without them visiting the medical faculty in person.

·         Remote Monitoring

Telemetry or what we commonly call as remote monitoring has eased the process especially for those dealing with chronic illnesses. Time-effective as it is, telemetry paves way for constantly watching vital biomarkers without the physical presence of a patient.

·         Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning has changed the dynamic of healthcare settings. Its adoption in areas like fraud detection, precise diagnosis, human error reduction, etc. has led to its huge market size, which is expected to grow around $33.1 billion by 2025.

·         Internet of Things (IoT)

Alongside telemedicine and telehealth, IoT has also risen to wearable technology that monitors various aspects of health including body temperature, blood glucose level, blood pressure, etc.

What are the Advantages of Custom Software Development?

Custom healthcare software development aims at operating with a narrow set of requirements put forth by the client. This results in vision specific software, which will be different from generic counterparts-

·          Custom solutions offer intricate detailing in areas where you wish for attention. With a wide range of customization, you can exactly get what you desire for. For instance, you want a specifically enabled chatbot. All you have to do is inform your healthcare software development company about the same.

·         These software solutions are quite efficient as their formulation has been done keeping in mind a purpose. This ensures that it functions smoothly and is user-friendly.

·         Custom software can be revamped as per need and as the industry develops and grows further.

·         Detachment from commercial software allows you to operate independently of licensing hassles and price hacks.

What are the Cons of Custom Software Development?

Where there are so many advantages of getting custom software developed for your healthcare system, there are some disadvantages as well. Here are the cons-

·         It is comparatively costlier than commercial software development.

·         If you are working with a custom healthcare software development company, you will have to invest a lot of time before the developmental process actually begins. This time will be utilized for laying down the vision, business needs, etc.

·         In case you stumble upon a wrong company, you will waste a lot of time and effort.

Where to Hire Healthcare Software Development Company From?

For agile software development in healthcare, you need to put in a lot of thought and conduct background research. Most businesses prefer offshore development companies as they need specific talent and are comparatively cost-effective.

When you go beyond geographical boundaries, there are ample options to choose from. You can hire healthcare software development companies from practically anywhere. However, when you analyze the dynamics of countries like the US and UK, you will see they are quite costly in development terms. They will easily cost you a few thousand dollars for software development, which can be easily accomplished in a few hundred dollars in countries like India.

Irrespective of the fact that offshore healthcare software development companies in India cost you less, they offer top-notch services. India has one of the largest number of STEM graduates and has a huge pool of need specific talent in this field. So, you are not compromising on quality even with lesser monetary investment.

Summing Up

Agile software development in healthcare is seeing some of its best days. With the new needs that the pandemic exposed, the developmental field has advanced significantly to be able to cater them. Right from new trends emerging each day to adoption of newer technological interventions, the medical industry is rapidly advancing. Now is the age of providing something extra to the consumers and that can be done through custom software development. A custom ehealth app development company will encapsulate your idea of how a website/app should operate and the eccentricities of the same. All you have to do is conduct a thorough background research to hire the ideal software development company.