Understanding the Telemedicine Software Development Lifecycle

As the healthcare industry is slowly embracing the use of digital technologies to deliver care, the need for custom healthcare software is steadily on the rise. While most of the healthcare providers depending on their needs and requirements look for different healthcare software solutions, they all need a platform which would connect patients with the providers.

And this is where telemedicine software solutions come into the picture. In a nutshell, telemedicine is nothing but the use of telecommunication technologies to securely connect patients and providers virtually to provide care.

While this looks easier on the outside, most of the troubles you have while developing a telemedicine app for your practice can be ignored if you’re choosing an off-the-shelf software. However, the freedom and flexibility that it lacks force you to make a shift in the near future.

Now, here is where your troubles begin and you come across the healthcare software development cycle. While most of the software solutions have a fixed cycle, in the case of healthcare and especially telemedicine platform development, the cycle differs in some ways.

Furthermore, if you’re opting for a custom telemedicine platform development, then you must know the different stages of the telemedicine software development lifecycle, to help you develop the software the way you want.

And in this blog, we’re going to discuss exactly that. So, without further ado, let’s get started!

Discovery Requirements Gathering

The step in the telemedicine software development or any life cycle is the discovery phase. In this phase all the needs and requirements are collected.

Usually, the discovery phase in telemedicine software development involves deciding project goals, user base, and the key features required to deliver care virtually. This phase is considered by many healthcare IT professionals the most crucial phase because it is at this stage where the functions and the purpose of the telemedicine software are decided. And that is the reason why special emphasis is given to requirements gathering for custom telemedicine software.

For instance, only after knowing the primary goal of the software and the target users, the developers can have clarity about the project. This reduces the risks involved and ensures that the software is developed the way we want.

Design Prototyping

Once you have gathered all the requirements for developing custom telemedicine software, then and only then the next phase of design and prototyping of custom telemedicine software starts. In this stage, the wireframes of the telemedicine software are designed with mockups and then prototypes are created to visualize the interface and functionality of the software.

This is important because the usability of the telemedicine software highly depends on its user-friendly nature, smooth navigation, intuitive and accessibility features. However, simply designing the software is not enough, to ensure that the software is developed correctly, prototypes of the software are created.

For example, here the are utilized to design the interface of the software. All the aspects of the software, how it appears, the flow, and all the intricacies of the software is presented. After the design of the software is decided, the prototypes of the software are created to identify any usability issues in this software.

During the designing phase involving stakeholders it is important to understand their perspective about the software, since it will be them who will be using the software. Other than that, prototyping is essential to reduce the risk of costly reworks and to ensure that the software meets the expectations.

Development Testing

Once the designing phase is completed, the phase called development and testing of telemedicine software starts. It is at this stage where the software is actually coded and tested rigorously to ensure its reliability and credibility. This part of the software development lifecycle is where all the planning of the software starts taking shape and is brought to reality.

For development, different healthcare IT companies use different methodologies depending on the user needs and requirements. While a wide range of methodologies can be used, the agile development methodology is what is considered by many as the best practice for telemedicine software development.

It is because of the flexibility and agility it brings to the development process. For instance, in agile development methodology, the software development is divided into several milestones, where it is developed one by one. So, after development of one part, if you want to add a specific feature or remove anything or even change it, it can be done easily due to the flexibility it brings to the development.

Once the entire software is developed, it enters the testing phase where different types of testing such as performance, unit and other types of testing are conducted. This is done to identify the potential bugs in the software and fix it before the software is made available for everybody to use.

Quality assurance team’s is what you’ll be needing here. This is to ensure the quality of the software, and reduce the risks of errors once the software is deployed and last but not the least, their testing methodologies enhance the user satisfaction levels, making the software more user friendly.

Deployment Launch

Deployment and testing of telemedicine software is the stage of telemedicine software development lifecycle the software enters once it is developed and tested. During this stage the software deployed to the production serves and it is made available for everyone to use. However, smooth planning and software launch must be planned because a single mistake in it can cost you the costly rework.

Some of the specific tasks that are required during launch are configuring servers, migrating data and training users on how to actually use the software. Furthermore, after careful planning and launching the software, increased user adoption, positive feedback and improved business outcomes are some of the many benefits that you can get for your practice. 

One thing to be careful about at this stage is encountering any additional issues. That is why having a contingency plan is extremely important. For instance, in case the software faces issues during the deployment, the contingency plan can be the quick back-up that can solve the issues in real-time.

Maintenance Support

After you’ve successfully deployed the software, it is not time to keep the software alive. Meaning providing it the required maintenance and support to keep the software running and functioning properly. 

Some of the important aspects of this stage are user support, addressing usability issues, and continuously updating the software to ensure long-term success and functionality. Some of the major activities done in maintenance and support for custom telemedicine software are bug fixation, security updates, and enhancing existing features and adding additional ones.

This stage of the lifecycle cannot be ignored because it contributes to improved user satisfaction and reduces downtime. One of the best practices for maintenance and support is to have a dedicated support team to address user inquiries and solve those issues in real-time.

Conclusion

So, if you have read this article till here, then you probably know all the important phases of telemedicine software development lifecycle. From discovery to deployment and from design to support, every stage of the lifecycle must be closely monitored because, in virtual care delivery, your telemedicine software will be the face of your practice.

Frequently Asked Questions
What is the typical timeline for developing custom telemedicine software?

The typical timeline for developing custom telemedicine software can vary depending on the complexity and features. However, a rough estimate is 6-12 months. This includes phases like requirements gathering, design, development, testing, and deployment.

How much does it cost to develop custom telemedicine software?

The cost to develop custom telemedicine software can vary significantly depending on several factors, including features, complexity, platform requirements, and the development team s location and experience. Generally, it can range from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of dollars or more.

What are the key stages involved in the telemedicine software development lifecycle?

The key stages in telemedicine software development are:

Planning: Defining requirements, goals, and target audience.
Design: Creating wireframes, user interface, and database structure.
Development: Building the software using programming languages and frameworks.
Testing: Identifying and fixing bugs to ensure quality.
Deployment: Launching the software on chosen platforms.
Maintenance: Providing updates, support, and security measures.