Understanding Healthcare Software Development: Detailed Guide from the Experts

Healthcare software development is no new concept, but the way it is expanding and including various services under its umbrella is noteworthy. From simple doctor bookings to full-fledged healthcare software solutions, the industry has redefined how technology and healthcare are intertwined. 

Healthcare software development companies in the market are finding new ways to utilize technology to provide better and improved healthcare services to patients and make managing information and data easier for healthcare service providers. 

With no denial to the fact, that healthcare and technology have always been indispensable, creating healthcare software solutions that can improve the efficiency of healthcare services has always been a challenge. 

If you want to digitize or upscale your healthcare services with the latest technology, here’s a detailed guide to help you from scratch. Over the years, Octal has offered custom medical software development services to a range of healthcare organizations and can help you expand your business. 

Market Stats for Healthcare Software Development

All of us have used some kind of healthcare software at least once in our lives. Whether for scheduling doctor appointments,  medical claims, ordering medicines, or getting lab test reports, we have engaged with healthcare software solutions in one way or the other.

To reflect the omnipresence of medical software solutions, here are a few numbers you can consider. 

• In 2022, the global healthcare software as a service market size was valued at USD 28.66 billion. By 2032, the number is poised to grow at a CAGR of 10.5% to USD 77.43 billion.

• According to another report,  89.9% of office-based physicians are currently using one or the other type of EHR/EMR systems around the world.

• In terms of the most popular medical software types, the medical practice management software sub-segment gained more than 20% market share. 

• In the application segment, the hospital management application category contributed over 30% of the market share. 

• The market size of digital therapeutics was USD 4508 million in 2021 and is expected to expand with a CAGR of 22.8% to reach USD 19, 028 by 2028. 

Source

Prominent Solutions Medical Software Development Company Offers

The healthcare sector includes a range of services that can be automated with technology to reduce human intervention and avoid any errors. Depending on your business goal and vision, you can connect with a medical software development company that can make things easier for you. 

The prominent types of healthcare software solutions you can avail are: 

1. Healthcare Software Development to Manage Customer Engagement and Patient Care 
2. Revenue Cycle Management Healthcare Software 
3. Medical Device Management Software 

To have a greater insight into how each of these software is different from each other and what features and technology to use for each of them, read further. 

Healthcare Software Development to Manage Customer Engagement

A healthcare CRM is a customer relationship management system that is specifically designed for use by healthcare organizations. Healthcare CRM Software binds together multiple sources of data (patient and consumer demographics, financial, behavioral, social, psychographics, clinical, call center, website, provider credential, etc.), to provide a detailed insight into patient’s behavior and activities. As you partner with a healthcare software development service provider, they create solutions to optimize and support the entire patient care journey, enabling the effective flow of information within healthcare systems.  

The main motive of a healthcare CRM is engaging, acquiring, and retaining patients. Meanwhile, CRM Systems for healthcare list individuals, not as patients, but as customers, leads, and prospects. 

The healthcare software development market is big, and CRM system is a significant part of this market. If you want to nurture and engage your customers better, partner with a trusted healthcare software development company. 

The experts with your software development company can integrate healthcare CRM features for a comprehensive understanding of customer behavior and help in influencing them across the various communication channels, like, call center, live chat, website, social media, and appointments. 

The healthcare software development team creates a CRM to aid hospitals and healthcare institutions in personalizing their services based on patient’s data-rich profiles which draw on the effective synergy of CRM & EHR systems. 

In the healthcare sector, it helps engage, acquire, and retain patients and show better results around the patients’ healthcare cycles. Healthcare CRM solutions aren’t limited to hospitals and patients, they are often used by companies that offer services related to pharmaceuticals, medical supplies, or health insurance.

Read More: Top Laravel Development Companies in USA 2024

Businesses in the Healthcare Industry That Must Choose Custom Healthcare Software Development 

Various business verticals in the healthcare sector have chosen to use technology to expand their services and make healthcare more accessible to people. The most common sectors that connect with our custom healthcare software development company are: 

• Eye Clinics
• Dental Clinics
• Gyms & Fitness Clubs
• Medical Lab & Diagnostic Centre
• Manufacturing of Medical Equipment
• Manufacturing of Drugs
• Manufacturing of any Healthcare products
• Retail Pharmacy Business
• Medical Tourism or Medical Travel, Health Tourism or Global Healthcare providers

So if you are looking forward to expanding your healthcare services for the general good, you can partner with our medical software development company.

Why Develop Patient Relationship Management Software for Healthcare?

Since patient relationship management software is more of a business and customer-oriented solution, our healthcare software development service providers are often asked why to opt for software development for healthcare CRM solutions and how they can help us.

Well, here are the reasons why you need healthcare software solutions for the easy functioning of your healthcare business.

1. Know Your Audience 

It helps you identify your ideal audience by applying robust analytics to your rich marketing database, Healthcare CRM technology helps hospitals create a list of targeted consumers who are most likely to require & respond to service-line or procedure-based marketing campaigns. 

2. Track Real-Time Reports

Patient relationship management software tracks & reports in real-time. It allows you to review your marketing and engagement efforts, thus allowing you to attain a higher ROI by connecting campaign activity to leads to appointments and process revenue. 

Healthcare CRM development has made great changes in the sector. Over the years technology has transformed the way health workers interact with patients. The sector must offer assistance to the patients for the best results.

What Are the Use Cases of Patient Relationship Management Software?

Here is the list of use cases from small, mid-size, and large hospitals as well as from outpatient centers. In the case of Medium & small hospitals, they head to CRMs to optimize their internal proceedings instead of external communication efforts, so to:

• Monitor medical equipment
• Enhance scheduling & alerts
• Introduce care team collaboration
• Optimize case management.

Large caregivers, apply CRM handling mostly in patient outreach and population health to:

• Provide post-discharge follow-up to patients
• Create a single repository to gather & sync PHI across multiple facilities
• Inform patients regarding cancer trials
• Handle preventive care email marketing campaigns

Out-patient centers focus on interaction with patients & enhancement of internet processes, so to

• Evaluate staff performance.
• Track patient interaction activities, appointments, and follow-ups;
• Consolidate PHI in a centralized database;

Over the years, hospital CRM implementation consulting services have been assisting people and making things easier in general. To upscale your business and reach a wider audience, you can connect with a custom healthcare software development company to build and integrate an all-inclusive CRM solution for your hospitals. 

Read Also: Doctor on Demand Mobile App Development Cost and Key Features

Basic Features to be Included in Medical CRM Software Development

As you connect with us for healthcare software development services, you partner with a team of skilled professionals who will help you with a user-friendly solution. To ensure your users can get the most out of your medical software, it must be easy to use and provide the right information.  Here are some general features that should be included in medical CRM software development.

Features of Healthcare CRM

Hospital Panel

Your CRM is designed and developed to make interactions between the healthcare institution and patients much easier. The healthcare software development services providers include the listed features with your software to make it easy for you to access and avail of patient records and other details.

• Patient Care
• Outpatient Services
• Intake Processing
• Billing Services
• Streamline procedure for physician credentialing & physician tracking
• Offer sophisticated search of integrated information holdings & shared calendar service to save time
• Deliver Self Help tools for HR, OHS, & other communications
• Purchasing & inventory control back-office tools and partner networking to lessen the cost of managing key relationships
• Outsourcing of CRM with Service Level Agreements (SLA), thus enabling the organization to focus on healthcare & less on administration in support of physician & nurse/staff retention
• Monitoring of incoming calls to determine query patterns
• Embed clinical guidelines & protocols for easy reference
• Streamline operations to ensure nursing resources are utilized appropriately
• Form generation, rendering & distribution, minimize errors using workflow functions
• Medical facility profiling: for patient treatment support & transfer
• Medical school profiling: for recruiting & practice/research information

These are just a few ideas that would make it easier for healthcare service providers to record and reflect patient information in the best possible manner.

Related Blog: Guide to Patient Portal Software and App Development 

Patient Panel

In the case of software development for healthcare, the patient panel is well taken care of as it records the details of the patients, their medication history, lab reports, and others.

• e-Billing options for patients & other clients who access healthcare services.
• Access to Self Help services for registration & intake.
• Provide information & program access for long-term care
• Prescription benefits
• Provide access to information & services for health-risk assessments
• Provide user access to information on disease & pre-disease management & access to corresponding specialist services through the CRM system
• Provide access to information on symptoms/procedures/medications and get routed to proper resources

Additional Features to be Considered in Medical CRM Software Development

Here is the list of frequently used or demanded Healthcare CRM features that you definitely in medical software development:

Task Module

• Tracking assigning priority, deadlines & completion status
• Viewing & Updating Tasks
• Adding tasks for administrative staff, nurses & care teams

Patient Module 

• Adding/updating patient records with additional information (Name, Address, Contacts, Location, Insurance, Card Numbers, etc.) 
• Segmenting patients to target similar groups and communicate with them effectively (consists of patients with Obesity & COPD, Patients with bladder cancer in remission, pregnant women, etc.)

Communication Module

• Scheduling
• Initiating & tracking patient interaction via emails, text messages, calls, etc.
• Setting reminders & alerts for important patient events, appointments, etc.

Report module

• Creating custom reports for comparing ROI from the launched campaigns, tracking the rate of patient no-shows, etc.

Feature set defines the utility and the popularity of the healthcare software. With a user-centric medical software development process, our experts deliver robust solutions.  

What to Consider Before the Implementation of Healthcare CRM Software Development

Well, before you begin to find a healthcare software development company, you first need to understand your goals. What are the main use cases? What particular functionalities you will require? What is the driving force behind a healthcare CRM purchase? For instance, a solution supporting API integrations with core marketing systems, like marketing automation and a content management system is crucial if your goal is creating truly personalized experiences in a scalable & measurable manner.

Next, you need to consider what will be your data sources. Like from where the healthcare CRM is going to pull information In case you have a call center, an EHR system, & a credentialing system, then your Healthcare CRM is going to integrate data from these sources, and also from indirect sources, such as website traffic & subscription opt-ins. Recognizing the data sources quite early allows you the opportunity to assign responsibility export data to CRM and also choose a CRM with the appropriate amount of bandwidth for your requirements.

Read More: How to Develop a Telemedicine App on the Concept of Doctor on Demand?

What Is the Cost of Custom Healthcare Software Development?

Several aspects need to be considered to determine the cost of developing a Custom CRM System. The system is massive, as it connects doctors, administrators, clinical staff, and patients in this one place. Meanwhile, as it comes to the development cost, several factors affect it, such as:

• Basic Features & Functionalities
• Additional & Advance Features
• Third-Party API Integrations
• Certifications & Compliances
• Development Platforms (iOS & Android)
• Development Partner Location
• Size of the development team

The cost of custom healthcare software development may range from 25k USD to 250k USD depending on the features and other factors. 

Healthcare Revenue Cycle Management Software

Well, as per the Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA), a revenue cycle consists of the entire clinical and administrative functionalities that contribute to the capture, management, and collection of patient service revenue.

As you connect with experts for software development for healthcare, they take care of the revenue cycle data management with the least human intervention. 

Here’s what the medical software development team includes in the revenue cycle

• Pre-registration: Here it fetches the pre-registration details, like insurance coverage, before a patient arriving for in-patient or out-patient processing.
• Registration: All the required patient information is fetched as she is being registered. It helps in establishing a medical record number as well as meeting various regulatory, clinical, and financial requirements.
• Utilization Review: The necessity of medical services is examined.
• Coding: Proper coding of diagnoses & procedures is done here.
• Payment collection: Here they determine the patient balance and collect payment accordingly.
• Claim submission: Claims are submitted to insurance firms for billable fees.
• Charge capture: Renders medical services into billable charges.
• Remittance processing: The payment is applied and rejected through remittance processing.
• Third-party follow-up: Payments are collected from third-party insurers.

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How does Revenue Cycle Management Software help in handling proceedings?

Does it go without saying that Health IT & EHR systems have a great contribution in streamlining and providing more accuracy and efficiency to healthcare revenue cycle management strategies? Several organizations are partnering with healthcare software development companies to create technologically advanced solutions to track claims all along their lifecycles, collect payments, and address claim denials. So, ultimately, these technologies greatly facilitate a steady stream of revenue.

Do you know that approximately 4,201 hospitals have invested already in healthcare revenue cycle management technologies They have been highly efficient in handling both traditional fee-for-service claims as well as value-based reimbursement arrangements, with the industry transitioning to new payment models.

In fact, it is expected that healthcare revenue cycle management will become even more popular. Several providers have benefitted from the automation of common issues with healthcare revenue cycle management, like payer-improving payer-provider communications, recommending appropriate ICD-10 codes, monitoring medical billing processes, as well as scheduling patient appointments.

Even though these technologies may prove to be a costly affair, still some providers choose to consolidate with other healthcare organizations to invest in healthcare revenue cycle management solutions or outsource a few of the revenue cycle management functions, like collections.

Generally speaking, to strengthen revenue cycle management, embracing technology with the revenue cycle is the key. We can all see that Healthcare RCM is continuously evolving and keeping pace with rapid changes in the healthcare ecosystem, such as value-based care. Healthcare professionals need to be aware of how their revenue cycle is doing so to provide better care and receive appropriate reimbursement.

Here are the few features of RCM that reveal how crucial and efficient this system is in the healthcare arena

Before Patient Arrival: Having an RCM system integrated with your healthcare system allows the staff to quickly check the patient’s insurance status before they are head of the healthcare center for an appointment. By having a look at the status, you can set up time & date for the visit.

On-Visit: As each patient in checking-in, you can use the system to collect copays. It works best to bring-in this portion of your revenue, instead of waiting for the payments to get settled once the patent receives a string of repetitive bills. This not just saves the time of staff but also lessens the load on your mailroom, as there will be no need to spend so much on sending posts and waste staff time sending out many copies of bills.

Post Visit Payment Processing: Use of the RCM software enable you to enter payment information post the patient encounter. When having the data together, it gets easier to generate reports for meetings, like what the revenue looks like that week/month.

Reduced Denied Claims: Obviously, it must be your top goal to have a lesser amount of denied claims. A number of denied claims take place due to data-entry errors & other silly errors. By using RCM software, you will be able to greatly cut down on the number of denied claims.

ICD Code Conversion: The code conversion feature in RCM software is again a plus point, as that way when new codes are entered, it doesn’t affect your revenue collection drastically.

Tracks Unpaid Claims: There are often claims that are not denied outright but are yet pending, so they should be persistently tracked. With the use of the RCM application, it is easier to stay on top of the anticipated revenue, providing the right information to your team, like when determining upcoming staff-level requirements or making financial projections.

Medical Software Development Team Creates High-performing RCM System 

All of the best revenue cycle management systems boast of high-functioning components. While assessing the competencies of the current backend functions of your RCM system, you better determine if it consists of these elements that are vital for creating efficiencies and economy of sale. In case you experience lost revenue, it could be owing to the lack of one of the revenue linchpins.

• Coding: Well, this certainly is complex, going by the nuances and intricacies involved in coding that can make or break the success of claims. After all, the right coding is capable of reducing denials. With ICD-10 and the tripling of alphanumeric codes, inexperienced folks can’t handle the coding.
• Verify Insurance: Ensure that at the time of appointment scheduling itself the insurance is verified. After all, that’s the right time as it puts a discovery process in motion for the staff and patient knowledge. Hence, it saves money, time, and the run for information search as the patient shows up for the door for an appointment. You will need deductible details, network information, and coverage details so your patients stay informed and prepared for timely and accurate payment.
• Patient pay: As soon as the appointment has been scheduled, the patient payment process must begin, as it contributes to 30 percent of AR (account-receivables) for therapist practices, and this is why it is so important. Patients must understand their responsibility towards payments and should be prepared upon arrival for an appointment. And a good process sets that in motion. Statistics state, that 90% of patients are more likely to make payments before seeing the therapist, and only 40% pay after their appointment.
• Preauthorization: It works best if you have each of the patient’s coverage details before the tests that need to be ordered. After all, the physicians might need to act fast, and the staff as well should be ready to respond. Patient care can be interrupted in case the system doesn’t allow staff to handle actions in advance. Being timely informed results in better revenue.
• Billing: It is simply a lot more than paperwork, as it is integral to gaining revenue. Upon reviewing your billing function, have a look at the following factors and scale their effectiveness:

• Charge entry: It posts patient demographic details, insurance information, and medical codes.
• Payment Posting: This better is regular and see to the fact that staff is proportionate to several health practitioners.
• Account receivable Days: Well, they should be in control as this leads to maximized revenue with timely payment posting.
• Denial Management: You must successfully wring out every single penny of every denial by appealing timely. Usually, half of the denials never work out.
• Compliant with balance resolution: It is crucial to be compliant with balance resolution and third-party overpayments as credit balances are regulated by law. In case you fail, be ready to pay a big sum of fine.
• Contract management: Well, this again is a crucial vital, as you need to see whether you get paid your contracted amount each time.

How Revenue Cycle Management System Is Changing the Healthcare Sector?

So the revenue cycle certainly has a complicated track but it does have a broader reach. The better management of administration, financial, technological, and patient-level proceedings is certain to substantially benefit healthcare administrators. With a good Revenue Cycle Management System, it is possible to let go of financial wastage, inefficiencies & unreasonable revenue falling.

So, here let’s explore how we expect RCM to change the future of healthcare for the better:

Paperless Billing: By going paperless, a healthcare organization can benefit from patient satisfaction (as most healthcare consumers prefer receiving their medical bills online) as well as financial costs. It, thus, maintains a tight & efficient revenue flow.

Better Point of Sale (POS) collections: With consumers paying a higher percentage of care costs, the healthcare providers are bound to suffer financially if failed to collect payment or introduce viable payment plans before performing elective services. Some may need to involve new technology, while others may require more efficient workflows.

Staff education: Each of your staff members should be educated about the revenue cycle and what role they play in the arena. This will result in attaining more revenue with the implementation of department goals, setting benchmarks, conducting cross-departmental meetings, and receiving employee feedback on system processes.

Improved RCM practices: A consolidated revenue cycle technology stack can benefit you greatly by offering simple access to several revenue streams across care locations within a single dashboard.

Better coordinated RCM/EHR system: Several EHR vendors today offer a system that combines EHRs with RCM software. However, certain standalone features in RCM systems are yet to be included in EHR offerings. So, in the future, we can expect to have one system that successfully manages and executes both processes, which will result in attractive and improved cash flow.

Read Also: Complete Guide to Nearshore Software Development

Healthcare Assistive Technology

Healthcare Assistive Technology is immensely useful for disabled individuals helping them in performing tasks that otherwise might have been difficult or impossible for them. It comprises mobility devices, like wheelchairs, and walkers, and also hardware, software, and peripherals that assist people with disabilities in accessing computers and other digital technologies.

For instance, people with limited hand function can use a keyboard with large keys or a special mouse for operating a computer, whereas blind people may use software that reads text on the screen in a computer-generated voice, besides people having low vision can use software that enlarges the screen content, and deaf people may use a TTY (text telephone).

Meanwhile, in the case of people with speech impairments, they can use a device that speaks out loud as they enter text via a keyboard. The importance of assistive technology has seen a great rise in recent years. With most devices that once needed human assistance are now automated thus making it easier for people to take advantage of Artificial Intelligence solutions in the healthcare sector.

Today there is a wide variety of assistive technologies available, offering the opportunity to virtually everyone to access information technology (IT). However, just having proper healthcare assistive technology doesn’t assure access to it, as the accessibility depends on the accessible design. It is vital to design and create IT products in a manner that enables all users to access them, even those using assistive technologies.

How Is Medical Device Software Development Helping Disabled Learners?

Well, Healthcare Assistive technology can be classified as a device or a system providing people with practical solutions to everyday life activities. It promotes higher independence and safety by enabling people to perform tasks that they earlier faced difficulty doing or failed to accomplish on their own.

The healthcare sector has made use of various types of assistive devices that majorly operate with Artificial Intelligence and Machine learning technology. These devices with the help of technology have made lives easier and lesser dependent on others. Thus, even with assistive devices people do not need to feel like a burden that gives them a mental piece. Some of how these automated assistive devices are bringing about the changes in the daily lives are:

An ethnic first grader teacher sits next one of her students at her desk and checks to see how she’s doing. The student is wearing headphones and working on a digital tablet. She has a big smile.

• Helps in Daily Living- It can be modified eating utensils, dressing aids, page-turners, adapted books, pencil holders, and adapted personal hygiene aids.
• Sensory Aids for Hearing or Vision Impaired- It can be done via visual alerting systems, Braille, hearing aids, magnifiers, large print screens, and speech/telecommunication output devices.
• Seating & Positioning Aids Providing Body Support- It can be adapted to seating, cushions, wedges, standing tables, cushions, positioning belts, and braces.
• Mobility Aids- It enables people to move within their environments via modifications of vehicles for travel, scooters, canes, walkers, crutches, and electric/manual wheelchairs.
• Recreational Aids- This allows them to participate in cultural/social events and sports, like adaptive controls for video games, cuffs for grasping paddles/racquets, seating systems for boats, and audio descriptions for movies.
• Home/Workplace Modifications- This is done through structural adaptations that reduce or remove physical barriers such as lifts, ramps, automatic door openers, bathroom changes, and expanded doorways.
• Alternative/Augmentative Communication Devices- These assist people having speech impairments or low vocal volume to communicate like communication software, speech-generating devices, and voice amplification aids.
• Prosthetics & Orthotics- These can be augmentation or replacement of body parts with artificial limbs or other orthotic aids, like braces or splits.
• Computer Access Aids- These consist of modified/alternate keyboards, voice-to-text software, light pointers, switches activated by voice/sound/pressure, headsticks, special software, and touchscreens.
• Environmental Control System- These are helpful to people in controlling several appliances like switches for appliances, such as TV/telephone, and these get activated by breath, eyebrows, or pressure.

These devices are clear reasons why assistive technology is important. Over the years we have seen how technology is transforming the healthcare sector and this is a strong example of how things would change over time.

Who Adopts Assistive Technology?

There is a huge opportunity lying in medical device software development. Wiki states that Assistive technology is an umbrella terms that include assistive, adaptive, and rehabilitative devices for people with disabilities, and it even comprises the process used in selecting, locating, and using them.

It is worth noting that a lot of fragmented activity is taking place in this arena, with it having huge potential and scope. The domain is rich in terms of opportunity and awaits the right assistive technology solutions to disrupt it. Meanwhile, talking about its adoption, now it depends on the technology, the use, and the user.

However, mainly administrative assistive devices and workplace technologies are used by the following organizations, which get them developed and pay for them:

• Business Employers- They use assistive technology owing to its reasonable accommodation to enable an employee to perform essential tasks assigned to them at their jobs. With least AI at its core assistive technology ensures more efficiency.
• School System –They use this technology for general school education learning materials and also technology specified in an IEP.
• Rehabilitation & Job Training Programs- They adopt this technology to help people get jobs. With ease in training process and more skills added with the help of AI and ML solutions in everyday life, it becomes quite easier for the new people to join interesting professions.
• Private Health Insurance- They adopt certain assistive technology when a doctor prescribes it as an essential medical or rehabilitative device. There are several examples of assistive devices that make it easier for the nurses to take care of the patients efficiently.
• Government Programs- Well, here state Medicaid agencies, social security, or veteran’s benefits adopt certain assistive technology in case a doctor prescribes it as an essential medical device. When talking about the benefits of assistive technology.

What Is the On-Demand Medical Device Software Development?

Equal opportunities are everyone’s rights and thus it becomes essential to offer adaptive solutions to the individuals dealing with various disabilities. With assistive technology services, individuals are provided with the ability to participate in work and social situations more effectively and actively. A lot of technotards still doubt what the benefits of assistive technology are in the healthcare sector. They do not understand the time spent in training and acutely using the devices by the human assistants instead of the patients.

Meanwhile, there are a number of assistive solutions in the arena, varying from assistive technology system:

• Assistive Technology Training
• Workplace Accommodation
• Hearing Disabilities
• Visual Disabilities
• Communication & Education
• Computer Access for Physical Disabilities

The importance of Healthcare Assistive Technology

Now that we have seen how the technology is making things easier for us, let us now see why assistive technology is important. The significance of the technology can only be understood if we understand how it helps the nurses and caretakers to efficiently provide their services and let patients feel independent from others.

Let’s understand how they help:

Assistive Technology for the Deaf and Hearing Impaired

The software is programmed for deaf and poor-hearing ability people with programming capabilities for assistive listening devices comprising of direct audio inputs, frequency modulation, room-limited infrared systems, and induction loops. Assistive listening systems and smart hearing aids are also programmed with noise reduction algorithms, automated settings control based on environmental conditions (like wind & other feedback), remote controls, and Bluetooth compatibility to access phones’ calling & media audio.

Assistive Technology for the Blind and Visually Impaired

The blindness & low-vision assistive technology solutions comprise smart magnifiers, GPS devices with descriptive audio navigation, talking & braille watches, text-to-speech readers, and spatial-aware mobility aided with IoT functionality (wheelchairs & smart canes).

Multilingual screen reading software is developed with advanced resolution and color-contrast settings, and then there is voice-command computer software for internet browsing, document management system, device integration, and easy installation. The services include interfacing braille displays, embossers, keyboards, printers with desktop & mobile OS.

Assistive Technology in the Classroom

Creating software systems, hi-tech assistive devices are programmed for usage in special education classes as well as for individual students having learning disabilities. The appropriate writing & reading solutions crafted with Universal Design for Learning (UDL) guidelines in mind include speech-to-text programs & text-to-speech programs for mobile devices and desktops, Visual Scene Display (VSD) platforms, and Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.

Assistive Technology for Communication

In this scenario Augmentative & Alternative Communication (AAC) applications and embedded device software are developed, thus providing communication solutions to those who suffer from cognitive illnesses & learning disabilities (ALS, TBI, cerebral palsy, dyslexia, autism). Software for speech-generating devices (SGD) is designed with customizable selection sets, direct & indirect access methods (comprising of switch access scanning) encoding options, predictive text, digitized & synthesized speech outputs, and accelerated communication protocols.

These are the most important ways how it becomes easier for people who need assistance with basic activities can rely on technology. With AI technology in assistance for personal assistive devices, it becomes quite easier for the staff at the healthcare solution to magically transform the lives of the patients.

What is the Role of ATIA in Assistive Technology?

Well, AITA is a non-profit membership organization consisting of sellers, manufacturers & providers of technology-based assistive devices and services. The AITA members actively provide assistive technology for an array of disabilities:

• Deafness and hard of hearing
• Blindness & low-vision
• Autism spectrum disorders
• Web accessibility
• Cognitive disabilities
• Learning disabilities
• Mobility impairment
• Communication disorders
• Mounting systems
• Computer access problems
• Augmentative and alternative communication devices (AAC)

The AITA Conference which has been taking place annually, since 1999, displays products & services for this community for healthcare assistive technology. It varies from users to educators to industry and government professionals.

Moreover, ATIA also sponsors working groups through which its members work to advance industry standards as technology progresses. They make efforts to find new ways of spreading information about those advances to the public and professionals. They also develop online webinars that provide continuing education regarding assistive technology for practitioners and interested members of the public.

ATIA members have exceptional talent, knowledge, and experience that prove valuable in meeting the unique requirements of people who require assistive technology. With their broad experience, they can adapt their products to individual situations, thus helping local practitioners come upon one-of-a-kind solutions for customers with disabilities.

Meanwhile, ATIA members are not mainly involved in prosthetic devices (artificial eyes and limbs), transport products (wheelchairs & motor vehicle adaptations) architectural products (specialized ramps, lifts, elevators, grab bars), and hearing aids. Know more about assistive technology products & services offered by ATIA members by exploring their websites, listed in the ATIA Membership Directory.

What Are the Features of Assistive Technology?

The purpose of assistive technology is to make sure that any artificial aid that a patient takes requires no external dependence. For the moral well-being of the patients it is important that they feel independent and can manage the majority of their tasks on their own. It is here that Assistive Technology comes into the picture. 

Assistive Technology Mobile App Features:

There are several IT service providers around the world making constant advancements in Assistive Technology & its solutions, offering mobile apps for this purpose. A range of auxiliary technical solutions have been developed and they boast of easy-to-use design, intuitiveness, & accessibility. The apps can be easily used by people with disabilities who can enjoy new and exciting features.

Hearing: There are several ways to provide visualized sound to offer a new experience to users whose hearing is weak or lost. Once the hearing aid is worn, the users can enjoy features like Mono Audio, Sound Balance, Flash Notification, Adapt Sound, Turn off All Sounds, and Create Vibration to help check on incoming messages and ensure the users don’t miss the sound notifications. The features include

• Sound Balance
• Turn Off All Sounds
• Mono Audio
• Adapt Sound
• Flash Notification
• Hearing Aid Compatibility
• Create Vibration Patterns

When talking about various impairments that can be treated with Assistive technology, it becomes important to know how each impairment is actually dealt with and what possibly could be the response to treating such issues in daily life.

Vision: The innovative features allow you to read with great ease and get the most from the device in almost any situation, even when the screen can’t be seen.

The features include:

• Colour Adjustment: Adjust or fine-tune the colors to increase readability.
• Negative Colours: One can find and select an optimal display for their eyesight.
• Magnification Gesture: Allows to zoom in or out easily by simply tapping on the screen.
• Font Size: It can be set as per what suits your vision.

Dexterity: In case it is difficult for you to use several gestures required by your device, control them with an intuitive interface. The settings can be accessed easily through a convenient and streamlined user experience.

• Assistant Menu
• Press and Hold Delay
• Easy Touch Mode

Interaction: Often users make unintended touches on the mobile screen, and the app allows them to control the tough response in a particular area. Thus, it makes touch control more accurate on the device and helps the user do more things with the device by simply touching it once.

More: No need to touch all the menus step-by-step to make a change in device settings. It is easy to answer or end a call and display or execute shortcuts by pressing the hardware button.

• Answering/Ending Calls
• Show Shortcuts
• Manage Accessibility on multiple devices

AI and ML have transformed the healthcare sector and welcome the new technology for efficient services. Over the years we have transformed how things could be better worked on and what solutions can make it easier for the patients to meet their needs.

Hiring the Right Assistive Technology Solution Providers

Over the years technology has seeped into every aspect of our lives and the healthcare sector remains to be one of the first industries that realize and enjoy the efficiency, accuracy, and power of technology. And with every passing day technology has been making things easier not just for the patients in the office but also for the medical practitioners and others. With technology to empower medical solutions in each aspect, it becomes quite significant to hire a dedicated solution provider who could take care of the solutions that are to be delivered to the hospitals.

What Are the Basic Compliances Your Healthcare Software Development Company Must Consider?

As you pick the medical software development company to assist you in your healthcare business, there are a few government compliances that you need to consider. These complainces may change based on your geographical location and the information you need to share and disclose. 

• Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)
• Health Level 7 International (HL7)
• Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
• HITECH’s Meaningful Use Stages 1 and 2 (MU-1 & MU-2)
• Certified with EPCS (Electronic Prescription for Controlled Substance)
• Integrated with EPA (Electronic Prior Authorization), and Certified with EPCS

As you know, hospitals, clinics, and larger healthcare systems are known to save lives and treat patients with care. However, to ensure that it is done properly, every healthcare organization needs to create successful processes and policies to stay financially healthy and to keep doing what they do best. The healthcare sector is quite a confidential and significant sector that deals with sensitive information of the patients. The healthcare software development team creates solutions that can safeguard patients’ information and help in secure data transmission.  

Conclusion

Stay assured that medical organizations that are consistently embracing new in software development and computers are doing exactly what is required to stay competitive over other practices. In case you are willing to get such a system developed for your medical practice, find the right healthcare software development solution provider & mobile app development company to understand your requirements and work on them to provide desired results.

Healthcare software development has been transforming the way patients and medical practitioners have been communicating with each other. Over the years the experts at OCTAL IT Solution have been providing interesting solutions that have made great differences in the market. We are one of the best healthcare software development companies that offer a wide range of healthcare CRM software, RCM software, Assistive devices, and medical devices software development services.