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Does outsourced software
development make sense in
healthcare?

7 min read

Contents

Mobile and web app development has become an integral part of the healthcare industry. It benefits pharmaceutical companies, hospitals, clinics, and patients alike. This is not surprising. After all, almost everyone has a smartphone, so communication between medical staff and patients or the diagnostic processes can be significantly simplified.

What does it mean to outsource software services?

Firstly, let’s consider what outsourced software development is and what benefits it offers. Simply put, software services outsourcing means contracting activities related to the development of applications or software to an external company. Thus, outsourcing gives us access to the knowledge of experienced specialists without the need to create new workplaces. It also guarantees immediate access to the necessary expertise and know-how, shortens the time to market, decreases project costs, and improves software quality, which is particularly important when developing efficient and secure mHealth applications.

What do we know about the medtech market?

IQVIA’s “Digital Health Trends 2021” report shows that more than 90,000 health-related mobile apps were released last year (2020). More than 350,000 in total are available worldwide. While these mainly relate to wellbeing, there has also been an increase in the availability of health apps focused on specific conditions (such as chronic diseases or mental health) – 47% out of all health-related apps available in 2021, up from 28% in 2015.

The rapid growth of the medical app segment also poses some challenges for developers and users. For example, the British Medical Journal study found that 88% of mobile health apps can collect and potentially share user data. It is, therefore, necessary to have appropriate standards in place when developing them, taking into account global legal requirements (GDPR or HIPAA, ISO, and IEC standards).

It is also essential to remember that digital solutions in the healthcare sector are becoming increasingly connected to provide users with an even better medical experience and streamline workflows. It can be predicted that the CODID-19 pandemic will further increase the use of medtech applications for teleconsultation or patient’s condition monitoring – such as tele-ICU devices – or ensuring the safety of the elderly and the chronically ill.

So, if you are thinking about app development, now is an excellent time to get started. However, for your application to be useful and bring business benefits, it’s necessary to approach the process of its implementation correctly, and first of all, decide whether to execute it in-house or outsource it.

If there is something we can’t do more efficiently, cheaper, and better than our competitors, it would be better not to do it. We should hire someone to do that job who does it better than we do.

Henry Ford

Outsourced software development vs own team – which one to choose?

It’s commonly believed that building an internal team responsible for the technological development of a company is a decision that guarantees efficient and effective project implementation. Many arguments are behind this opinion. Employed workers are always when and where you need them to be, they know the organization’s culture, and if they like its values and mission, they tend to work in one place for longer. In addition, it’s easier to monitor work in an internal team, and communication usually runs smoothly.

However, time-consuming recruitment procedures and the costs of maintaining employees dedicated to creating an application or another web-based product can be very high. As a result, the demand for software developers’ services in the global labor market exceeds supply. According to research conducted by Economic Modeling, there are, on average, 3 times more job offers than developers willing to work in the United States alone.

This makes it challenging to find a competent person that fits the organization, who is also well-educated and experienced. By choosing to outsource, you don’t have problems with:

  • recruiting new team members;

  • the need to ensure a fixed salary (you also avoid costs associated with employment and non-wage benefits);

  • systematically allocating funds for internal and external training, improving soft skills and competencies of your employees;

  • costs connected with creating an appropriate work environment;

  • dealing with the emotional aspects of having to fire someone when they turn out not to be a good fit, or when you have to cut costs.

On top of all of the above, outsourcing software development allows you to choose from many companies operating worldwide and go with the one that provides you with the best offer tailored precisely to your needs.

What else? Working with a software development company gives you a lot of flexibility. You have the opportunity to get an initial estimate of the development costs and you can negotiate the terms of the project before it starts. You know exactly what costs to expect, but you also have the possibility to adjust your needs as you go. One more extra specialist required for your project next month? No problem!

You can decide to begin your cooperation with your chosen software development company with a quick (compared to the whole app development process) discovery workshop. It will help you decide if you enjoy working with them and if you’re a good fit for one another. If nothing else, you’ll end up with a better idea of what your app should look like, including a UX design, or a prototype.

When working with an outsourced, managed team, you don’t have to worry about the continuity of work for the team, deadlines, or work monitoring. What’s crucial, by outsourcing, you limit the risk that the effects will not meet your expectations – the services you pay for also include regular reports on the project’s progress. For all these reasons, hiring an external team gives you flexibility, saves time and money.

Now, let’s look at how all of that ties back to the development of medtech apps.

A Revolve Healthcare female employee at her desk, in front of a laptop and a big monitor

Working remotely for a client – from the Revolve Healthcare office.

Why outsource healthcare app development?

Remote medical app development allows for:

  1. Increased efficiency – outsourced projects are delivered on schedule and according to the client’s guidelines, thanks to the availability of specialists (at Revolve, we ensure dedicated teams of developers for each project).

  2. Rational budget management – outsourcing of healthcare web or mobile application development ensures an ideal price/quality ratio and is a cost-effective way to launch a new product to the market.

  3. Quick access to expertise and know-how – companies specialising in the development of medtech software, such as Revolve, are perfectly familiar with market realities, legal regulations, and more.

  4. Tailoring the product to market needs – creating a healthcare application is not just about writing lines of code. A medtech app must provide value for business and respond to the needs of its users. By outsourcing programming services, you gain the possibility of basing on the knowledge and experience of an external company specialising in a given field and matching that with your own needs.

  5. Reduced implementation time – project work is divided into stages with strictly defined tasks to be performed. In this way, from the moment the requirements are collected to the moment the product is released, passes the shortest possible time.

  6. Using international specialists – outsourcing allows you to hire suppliers from a different country (ideally with the best price-quality ratio), as most tasks can be carried out remotely.

  7. Development of a high-quality app – this refers not only to the functionalities and possibilities of the developed medtech software but also to ensuring data security and privacy, which is of particular importance in the medical sector.

A table comparing pros and cons of hiring an internal team or an outsourced team

Comparison of the pros of an internal and outsourced software development team.

How to choose a remote partner for mobile app development?

Outsourcing, while bringing many benefits that we have mentioned, unfortunately, can also cause problems. This happens when you find an unreliable partner. So, before you make a decision about cooperation, it’s worth verifying whether the software house you’re considering:

  • has the right knowledge and experience – code samples and implementation examples will be helpful;

  • has good reviews – references from satisfied clients speak for themselves, as do reviews on Clutch.co;

  • meets your business needs – in terms of availability, budget, process compliance, technological stack, and business culture;

  • has similar values to yours – this way, you avoid misunderstandings, and communication runs smoothly without any downtime. If it’s possible, it’s worth meeting your potential partner face to face (or at least over a virtual coffee), before you start working together.

Boost your digital health business – outsource healthcare app development to Revolve

At Revolve, we have been dedicated to building applications that matter from day one of the company. Before we started developing medtech software, we contacted healthcare representatives to better understand the challenges faced by healthcare companies. This gave us an excellent understanding of the needs of the medical market, where we’ve been actively operating since 2019.

“The market for digital health services is growing very fast. We can see this when working with our clients – for example, Orikami, with whom we developed an application to help diagnose people with Parkinson’s disease, or Smart4Diagnostics, with whom we worked on a mobile app used by medical professionals to scan the barcodes of blood samples and facilitate diagnostics. Developing new healthcare applications is a long process that’s difficult to do without a dedicated and experienced team. For this reason, many of our partners entrust us with end-to-end software development and the launch of high-quality, secure applications. And what’s crucial for them, we can also take care of application maintenance, updates, and further development.” – explains Łukasz Bandała, Head of Technology & co-CEO at Revolve.

Here are a few reasons to consider Revolve Healthcare as your medtech software development partner:

  • we know how to build software that’s compliant with ISO and MDR regulations;

  • you’ll receive support from a dedicated development team;

  • you’ll always be up-to-date on the status of your project;

  • we’ll ensure the security of data shared in your application;

  • you’ll cooperate with great people on clear and friendly terms.

If you would like to find out more about working with Revolve, or about healthcare software development in general, feel free to contact us!

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