Hospital App Development

The first step is determining the purpose of your hospital app, its target users, and its core features. If the application is developed for internal use, business analysts examine the existing hospital workflows and IT ecosystem and interview stakeholders to reveal their specific needs. Commercial hospital apps require a market analysis stage to determine their audience, competitors, and potential return on investment (ROI).

All the information gathered by business analysts is used to engineer software requirements and translate them into an optimal feature set. For example, a custom care coordination app for a hospital network would need to closely follow the hospital’s established workflows and seamlessly exchange data with other software systems in place. On the other hand, a commercial hospital app product would benefit from having ready-to-use APIs for integration with other popular systems on the market, such as EHRs, billing systems, or telehealth platforms. Quality-of-life features such as voice-to-text for faster note-taking would boost software adoption in both cases.

Software requirements should also include non-functional requirements, such as security measures (data encryption, backup and recovery, and multifactor authentication), performance requirements (e.g., the expected user load), and usability requirements.

This stage also includes defining a compliance strategy. For instance, US hospital apps must comply with HIPAA regulations, and if the app incorporates medical device functionality, it may additionally require FDA approval (learn more in the pre-launch activities step below).

Finally, all the requirements are outlined in a software requirements specification (SRS), which helps to establish a structured development process.

Project managers start by creating a project plan that outlines the project’s scope, delivery schedule, and budget. The plan largely depends on the chosen approach to project management (e.g., Scrum, Kanban), which also determines the resources needed for the project. In addition, project managers conduct a project risk assessment and develop a risk mitigation plan that they will follow and update throughout the project.

Using the software requirements specification, solution architects design a secure and reliable architecture for the future hospital app. Depending on the project specifics, they plan the necessary integrations (e.g., with EHR, CRM, LIS, and telemedicine platforms). To ensure seamless interoperability between systems, the app will need to support uniform data exchange standards like HL7, FHIR, and DICOM.

At this stage, UX and UI experts study the future app’s user roles and permissions to plan user journeys and design intuitive interfaces. Usability is one of the crucial aspects of a hospital application, especially if it is patient-oriented. It should be made accessible for geriatric patients and people with auditory or visual impairments or cognitive disabilities. For hospital mobile app development, the interface should be perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust. Some of the Mobile Content Accessibility Guidelines (MCAG) include:

• High color contrast between the text and its background and the option to scale the font size.

• No content that flashes more than three times per second to reduce the risk of seizures.

• Single-pointer alternatives for complex gestures and drag-and-drop elements.

At ScienceSoft, we usually recommend starting with a minimum viable product (MVP). This approach allows our clients to launch their software as fast as possible and rapidly adjust it according to user feedback.

Typically, developers build the app’s front end and back end in 2–4 week iterations, following secure coding standards and implementing patient data protection measures. This stage also includes integrating the app with other hospital IT systems (e.g., practice management system, EHR, medical imaging software, medical devices) directly or via APIs.

Ensuring the high quality of software requires thorough testing, which is usually performed in parallel with development in Agile projects. QA engineers check the hospital app against its functional requirements, evaluate its security through code reviews and pentesting, conduct stress tests to check the app’s performance, and assess the app’s usability and accessibility. They also ensure that all the integrations with other healthcare solutions function properly.

At this stage, QA engineers conduct a HIPAA or GDPR compliance pre-audit. FDA/MDR submission may be required if the hospital app has SaMD features. However, if the SaMD functionality is similar to that of an already marketed device or app, you can submit your software for a streamlined clearance procedure (e.g., FDA 510(k)).

It’s also advisable to conduct a pilot roll-out to a focus group (e.g., a group of nurses in a hospital). This will help evaluate initial user satisfaction and adjust the app according to the feedback.

After the hospital app’s deployment, medical staff require comprehensive training to perform their tasks efficiently. Prompt troubleshooting and user support will also significantly contribute to smooth software adoption.

The app’s performance should be closely monitored to identify areas for improvement (e.g., cloud consumption optimization). Later, new features can be introduced, or old capabilities can be updated based on user feedback and changing business needs.