7 Ways to Future-Proof Your Software Development Process

COVID-19 marked a turning point for digital health. In fact, it made mobile medical apps mainstream in healthcare. According to Statista, as of 2025, the Google Play Store had over 36K healthcare apps, and the Apple App Store had over 35K. These apps cover telemedicine, fitness, wellness, mental health, nutrition, and pharmacy delivery, competing for users' attention and digitalizing the traditional healthcare industry.

Since development isn't just about coding, it requires complex regulatory navigation, technological and market demands, and strategic investment.

The cost of developing a health app will vary depending on what kind of app you want to launch. In fact, all types of eHealth apps, from telemedicine, fitness and wellness, mental health, and nutrition planning to pharmacy delivery apps—are getting great traction in the market today. 

In this article, you will learn what affects the cost of developing a healthcare mobile app.

Healthcare Apps Market Overview

The mHealth app sector demonstrates skyrocketing growth driven by evolving healthcare delivery models. According to Grand View Research, the global healthcare app market will grow at a 14.9% CAGR through 2030. This growth is due to increased smartphone use for health tracking, the rise of AI assistants, and a demand for remote, patient-centered care.

Advantages of Developing a Healthcare App

Digitalization and automatization run the world, and healthcare thrives here the most. Since patients can now reach doctors with a few clicks, digital monitoring and telemedicine cut care costs by 25%.

About 63.4% of U.S. adults use mobile health apps, with many relying on them daily for fitness and wellness tracking. Additionally, a survey showed that 59% of participants have 1-3 health-related apps, which highlights even more significance of healthcare apps.

And the benefits don't end here. Dive with us into some of the other top benefits of healthcare apps:

Improved Patient Engagement

mHealth apps lead to better patient outcomes. With remote monitoring and reminders, they provide direct communication with providers and offer personalized health management tools.

Patient Customization and Tailored Treatments

Custom mobile apps streamline access to patient records. They help doctors create personalized treatment plans, improving outcomes and patient-provider relationships.

Medication Adherence Support

Medication reminders and tracking tools within these apps promote adherence, empower patients, enable timely provider intervention, and improve the management of chronic conditions.

Health and Fitness Tracking

Real-time data fosters proactive wellness and motivates users to achieve their health goals. Sharing this data with healthcare providers facilitates personalized care and timely interventions.

Analysis of Patient Behavior

These apps track patient behavior, including mood, medication use, and lifestyle choices. Real-time feedback lets doctors adjust their plans. Improved communication boosts patient engagement and outcomes.

Real-Time Global Collaboration

These apps break down geographical barriers and enable global healthcare teams to collaborate on personalized treatments. Continuous patient monitoring enables prompt intervention, fosters proactive healthcare, and raises global care standards.

Emergency Services Integration:

Healthcare apps with emergency services let users quickly contact help, share their location, and get help in emergencies. This approach improves response times and can save lives.

Reduced Diagnostic Errors

mHealth apps enhance diagnostic accuracy and patient safety. Intelligent tools support better decision-making, while predictive features help identify potential drug interactions and other adverse events.

Secure and Convenient Payment Options

Integrated payment gateways enable seamless transactions via credit/debit cards or PayPal. Automated notifications and easy access to payment history streamline billing and enhance patient satisfaction.

Efficient Data Management

Using AI and blockchain in mobile health apps improves data management, streamlines processes, and enhances doctor-patient communication. This approach leads to more personalized treatment and better health outcomes.

Types of Healthcare Apps and Their Development Cost

In this section, we'll look at the average cost to build a healthcare app across various categories.

Telemedicine App

Telemedicine is a synonym for modern healthcare. Now, healthcare professionals are at the fingertips and available from the comfort of home. From virtual consultations to video calls, the possibilities are vast. 

Check for key components, cost, and timeline of the app deployment below:

Health and Wellness Tracking App

Given the vast and growing market, launching a wellness app is a promising venture. Look at the success of Headspace and Calm. They help many users find a sense of calm every day. Wellness apps typically include features like meditation, mindfulness practices, and productivity tools. With AI-powered nudges, you can help users stay mindful and re-energized.

Inspect the key aspects, budget requirements, and timeline for deploying the app below:

Medical Networking App

These platforms harness the power of the Internet to foster connections and collaboration. Healthcare providers can use these apps to expand their knowledge and share important information with respected colleagues.

Below, we've listed the app's features, financial estimates, and launch timeline:

E-prescription Apps

E-prescription apps are reshaping the prescription process, blending security with efficiency. They allow healthcare professionals to prescribe precise dosages, which pharmacies receive in real-time. This seamless flow ensures that medications are delivered right to patients' homes, making healthcare as easy as a tap on the screen.

Here's a detailed look at the app's features, cost projections, and expected timeline.

Hospital & Clinics Management Apps

Hospital and clinic management apps simplify administrative tasks, improve resource allocation, and boost overall efficiency in healthcare settings.

Below, we've detailed the app's features, pricing estimates, and launch schedule.

Chronic Disease Management Apps

Chronic disease management apps help users track symptoms, manage medications, and communicate with healthcare providers.

Take a closer look at the app's features, estimated costs, and projected timeline.

Appointment Scheduling Apps

Healthcare appointment scheduling apps make booking and modifying appointments easier, which improves patient satisfaction.

The app's primary functions, projected costs, and deployment timeline are listed below.

EHR/EMR Systems

Modern healthcare demands secure digital record systems. Blockchain EHR platforms protect sensitive patient data while facilitating doctor-patient communication. Smart contract automation streamlines medical workflows.

Check the app's core functionalities, expected expenses, and rollout schedule below.

Remote Monitoring Apps

Remote monitoring apps provide real-time insights into patients' health metrics, empowering healthcare professionals to act swiftly. This seamless connection ensures timely interventions, making healthcare more responsive and effective.

See the app's features, financial estimates, and launch timeline below.

Medical billing and coding

Medical Billing means submitting and following up on claims with health insurers to get paid for services by healthcare providers. It also includes verifying patient insurance, processing payments, and managing accounts receivable.

Medical Coding turns healthcare diagnoses, procedures, and services into universal alphanumeric codes. Accurate coding is crucial; it directly impacts billing accuracy and claim approvals.

If speaking to the real-world case, the hospital tracked underpayments and payer performance by implementing the billing system, boosting patient collections from 5% to 22-26%.

Key Features of Medical Billing Software

1. Patient Record Management.

Efficient management of patient records eliminates manual filing and ensures quick access to necessary information. 

2. Medical Coding Automation.

The software supports standardized coding systems like ICD-10 and CPT to automate the coding process and reduce claim denials due to errors. 

3. Payment Processing Integration.

Integrated payment processing capabilities allow secure online payments via various methods, enhancing patient convenience. 

4. Financial Performance Analytics.

Tools for generating reports on collections, rejections, and overall financial performance help healthcare providers analyze their revenue cycle. 

5. Electronic Health Record Synchronization.

Seamless integration with Electronic Health Records (EHR) systems consolidates data accurately, improving workflow efficiency and reducing billing errors.

Steps in Developing Medical Billing Software

Developing medical billing software requires a strategic approach. It must balance technical complexity, compliance with regulations, and a user-centric design. This process involves planning, skilled development, and rigorous testing to meet healthcare standards. 

Define Requirements.

Clearly outline the functionalities needed based on user feedback and technical specifications.

Software Development.

Engage a team of developers to create the software, focusing on design specifications, security considerations, and compliance with regulations like HIPAA.

Testing.

Conduct thorough testing to ensure functionality meets compliance standards and is free from technical issues before deployment.

Formula to Calculate Medical App Development Cost

The final estimate of your healthcare mobile app development cost relies on the duration of your project. However, you can calculate the approximate cost using the formula for the healthcare app development cost:

The hourly rate is the cost charged per hour of work, and development hours account for the total time used in the process.

Note! 

The hourly rates depend on the skills and location of the app developers. If you have an offshore team, you might gain some cost advantages. Yet, skilled professionals might charge higher fixed prices. You must balance expertise and budget to get the best app development value.

Cost Per Feature in Healthcare App Development

The cost of healthcare app development is the cornerstone. Each added feature impacts the overall budget. For instance, user authentication can cost $2,000 to $5,000. Telemedicine features may cost $10,000 to $15,000. User-centric options, like appointment scheduling, cost $1,000 to $3,000 each. Strategic planning is essential to manage costs effectively. 

Let's take a closer look at the price of each feature:

Cost Per Hour for App Development By Region

The hourly rate for healthcare app development isn't set in stone; it varies widely based on several key factors. They involve the app's complexity, the developers' expertise, their location, and the project's scope.

Here's a quick guide to typical hourly rates across different regions:

North America (USA, Canada): $100 – $250

The rates in North America are among the highest globally due to the high demand for skilled developers and the cost of living in major tech hubs like Silicon Valley. Senior full-stack developers can charge between $150 and $200 per hour.

Western Europe (UK, Germany, France): $80 – $200

This region has high rates due to a strong demand for skilled developers and a robust business environment. Countries like Germany and the UK typically charge between $22 and $90 per hour for developers, depending on their experience level. The average salary for software engineers in Western Europe ranges from $60,000 to $95,000 annually.

Eastern Europe (Poland, Ukraine, Romania): $40 – $100

Eastern Europe offers a competitive balance of cost and quality. The average hourly rate is lower than in Western Europe, with many skilled developers available between $24 and $46 per hour. With strong technical education and a growing IT workforce, Poland and Ukraine offer readily available development talent.

Asia (India, China, Philippines): $20 – $80

Asia generally offers the lowest rates for software development. However, quality can vary widely among developers. Rates typically range from $10 to $80 per hour. It is crucial to thoroughly vet developers in this region to ensure quality and reliability.

Australia and New Zealand: $80 – $150

Developers in Australia and New Zealand command higher salaries due to the high cost of living and demand for skilled labor. Average hourly rates range from approximately $50 to $150, depending on experience and specialization.

South America (Brazil, Argentina): $30 – $100

South America presents competitive rates with a growing pool of talented developers. Hourly rates typically range from $20 to $100, making it an attractive option for companies seeking cost-effective development solutions while maintaining quality.

Hidden Expenses in App Development

When planning a budget for mhealth app development, don't forget to account for these additional costs:

• Project Management: Usually adds 10-20% to the overall medical app development cost.
• Design: UI/UX design rates typically range from $50 to $150 per hour.
• Testing and QA: Costs generally fall between $30 and $100 per hour.
• Maintenance and Support: Ongoing expenses after launch are often billed at the same hourly rate as development.

Note!

These approximate figures may fluctuate based on your project's specifics and development team.

Legal and regulatory costs

Legal and regulatory healthcare app development costs can range from $5,000 to $15,000 annually. This covers compliance with key regulations like HIPAA in the U.S. and GDPR in Europe. These costs include fees for obtaining certifications, conducting privacy audits, and ensuring compliance with evolving legal standards. Developers must also consider the costs of data protection. They may need to consult lawyers to navigate complex regulations.

What Affects the Healthcare App Development Costs?

Healthcare software solutions come with different price tags. For example, an EHR system may cost $10K to $250K, while telemedicine platforms can range from $40K to $400K. What factors contribute to these costs? We're here to explain.

Scope and complexity

Healthcare app development costs hinge on project complexity. Advanced features like AI-powered decision support, analytics, and device integration drive up expenses and development timelines. Precise project scoping is critical: it minimizes unexpected costs and ensures optimal resource allocation.

Regulatory compliance

Protecting patient data via HIPAA compliance is non-negotiable, as it entails trust in healthcare services overall. However, it often comes at a cost: increased development complexity, higher expenses, and the added overhead of certifications impact both—budget and time to market.

Integration requirements

System compatibility drives up healthcare software development expenses. For compatibility and seamless data transfer, developers must invest substantial effort in connecting new software with legacy Electronic Health Record (EHR) and Electronic Medical Record (EMR) systems. The integration process becomes more complex when incorporating third-party services like payment platforms, telehealth tools, and laboratory information systems, dramatically increasing both development and testing costs.

Technology stack

Cross-platform software development multiplies costs. Creating separate codebases for web, iOS, and Android platforms can exponentially increase development expenses. Moreover, integrating cutting-edge technologies like AI and blockchain requires rare expertise, significantly inflating development costs.

Development team composition

Healthcare app development costs depend on the team structure. An in-house team may provide more control, while outsourcing to a third-party vendor can be more cost-efficient with proper management. Remember that specialized skills, such as cybersecurity experts and data scientists, are usually more expensive.

Design and user experience

Design determines healthcare software success. While a high-quality, user-friendly design may increase initial healthcare app development costs upfront, it drives better adoption and satisfaction in the long run. Features for disabled users will have higher design and development costs. Major expenses come from thorough research, testing, and iterative development.

Testing and quality assurance  

The smooth operation of healthcare software depends on regular testing. In-depth testing for functionality, security, compliance, and performance raises healthcare app development costs due to the lengthy cycles involved. Feedback from real users during testing further raises the overall project expenses.

Maintenance and support

Healthcare software expenses don't end at development. Maintenance and post-launch support (e.g., bug fixes, updates, regulatory compliance changes) demand ongoing investment. Additionally, providing user support services adds to overall operational expenses.

These factors guide informed decisions on scope, technology, and resources for healthcare software development. Plus, they empower effective budgeting and cost management, often resulting in successful healthcare software development initiatives. 

Best Practices for Cost-Efficient Healthcare App Development

Deployment of healthcare apps is an expensive process. Sometimes, it squishes the expenditures; software integration expenses range from $20,000 to $100,000, while regulatory compliance adds $20,000 to $80,000 to development budgets. These substantial costs necessitate strategic financial management.

Smart business owners seek smart moves to keep healthcare app development costs under control. Here are some options available in detail:

Opt For Cross-Platform Development Tools.

React Native and Flutter can cut your budget by up to 1.5 times through a shared iOS and Android codebase. In addition, source code from a cross-platform mobile app can be repurposed to create a web application.

Leverage Off-the-Shelf SDKs and Code Libraries.

Businesses can use existing solutions and customize them to fit their needs instead of building common features from scratch. Pick a ready-made option and modify it to fit your specific needs.

Consider White-Label and No-Code Solutions.

Branded and system-integrable off-the-shelf products provide a cost-effective way to roll out services like telehealth. This white-label product integrates with your digital systems, like practice management platforms. It lets clinics cost-effectively start telehealth services using no-code solutions.

Conduct Rapid Prototyping.

Before diving into full development, opt for prototyping. This stage can help validate your ideas and test the UI/UX while cutting unnecessary costs.

Employ a Multidisciplinary Team.

Hire a full-stack team that includes in-house talent in design, development, QA, etc. Clearer, more concise communication keeps mHealth app development costs under control.

Outsource Smart. 

Outsourcing holds potential as a strategic solution yet demands careful evaluation before proceeding. Combining medical app development intricacies with cultural misunderstandings can produce a product that fails to fulfill expectations. The cost of healthcare app development in the USA mirrors its distinct challenges and established standards.

Involve in the Development Process From the Start.

One of the greatest mistakes is to hire an experienced team and then leave to manage themselves. Make the feedback a routine, and maintain communication with the development team throughout the process. If you lack time and material—hire a dedicated project manager. Make sure your reliable partner maintains regular updates with you.

Conduct Thorough Testing.

QA is on your development partner. Nevertheless, you can also verify stuff on your end. Early detection of bugs simplifies their resolution while keeping costs low. To prevent old errors from recurring, developers should conduct retrospective tests.

Implement DevOps Best Practices. 

Without appropriate DevOps practices, developers lose valuable time. Automated DevOps systems allow developers to focus on writing code features rather than spending time on manual quality assurance and releases.

Optimize Maintenance Costs. 

Long-term maintenance costs decrease when automated platforms track issues and collect user feedback.

Prioritize Features Wisely.

Start with core features before building a Minimum Viable Product (MVP), enabling market testing before further development.

Regulatory Compliance For Health Apps

Developing medical applications requires strict adherence to international data protection standards. These regulations safeguard patient information and ensure legal compliance across global markets. Here's a comprehensive breakdown of key regulatory frameworks:

1. European Union: GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation)

Coverage: Patient health records and personal data

Key Features:

• Mandatory data breach reporting within 72 hours
• Patient right to data access and deletion
• Requires explicit consent for data collection

Fines: Up to €20M  or 4% of global revenue

2. United States: HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act)

Coverage: Protected health information (PHI)

Requirements:

• End-to-end data encryption
• Access control mechanisms
• Audit trails for all data access
• Regular security assessments

Penalties: Up to $1.5M per violation annually

3. Canada: PIPEDA (Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act)

Coverage: Private sector data handling

Key Requirements:

• Explicit consent for data collection
• Purpose limitation
• Data accuracy maintenance
• Security safeguards

Penalties: CAD 100K per violation.

Tech Stack For Healthcare App Development

Discussing the tech stack goes first, right before answering the ultimate question of how to develop a health app. Also, will the dev work blow the budget?

Since the health app's tech affects its performance, convenience, and company expenditures. Here are some common tech stacks for mhealth app development used by the Darly Studion team:

Programming Languages: 

Java, Python, C#, C++, JavaScript, PHP, and HTML5.

The choice of specific language depends on the functionality you need. If the app stores and analyzes large data or uses AI, choose Python and Java for the backend and JavaScript for the front end.

Operating Systems: 

Windows, macOS, Linux, and mobile Apple iOS or Google Android.

Here, we just need to choose a trustworthy provider with great support. We choose an OS with strong security and top performance.

Databases: 

MySQL, Oracle, PostgreSQL, Memcached, and MongoDB.

To select the best database or a mix, contact a development team. They will evaluate your data type, volume, and request frequency to guide you in choosing the right database size and provider.

Servers: 

Apache server and NGINX.

These two options lead the market, but their HIPAA compliance is most important to us.

Other useful tools:

• DevOps tools: GitHub, Jenkins, Selenium, Rollbar, or Bitbucket.
• Business tools such as Slack and G Suite—for communication and management.
• Tools like Google Analytics for tracking, Stripe for payments, and Elasticsearch for search enhance functionality.
• Cloud storage and hosting providers such as Amazon S3, Amazon EC2, or DigitalOcean.

Now that we've covered the technology stack for healthcare apps let's break down the next practical steps.

Design for Healthcare App Development: Best Practices

Creating effective healthcare applications requires meticulous attention to design principles that balance clinical utility with user experience. Studies show that 93% of physicians believe mobile health apps can improve patient care, while 80% of users abandon healthcare apps within the first 2 weeks due to poor design.

User Interface Design

Medical professionals spend an average of 4.5 hours daily interacting with healthcare interfaces. Design must accommodate the 15-second average attention span during critical care scenarios, with interfaces allowing task completion within three clicks or less.

Visual Elements

• Color schemes with a minimum 4.5:1 contrast ratio (WCAG 2.1 standards)
• Typography: 16px minimum for body text, 24px for headers
• Maximum of 6-8 core icons per screen to prevent cognitive overload
• 95% of users expect consistent branding across all touchpoints

Functionality Considerations

• Critical features accessible within 0.8 seconds
• The data visualization comprehension rate should exceed 90%
• Forms designed to reduce error rates below 1%
• 99.9% uptime for offline critical functions

Security Measures

• 2-factor authentication reduces breaches by 99.9%
• 256-bit AES encryption ensures the security of data at rest and in transit
• HIPAA compliance requires 72-hour breach notification
• Monthly security audits covering 100% of the codebase

Accessibility Features

• Voice commands with a 95% accuracy rate
• Screen readers supporting 40+ languages
• Text scaling from 100% to 400%
• Regional support for 25+ major healthcare markets

Performance Optimization

• Page load times under 3 seconds (Google's benchmark)
• Data sync completion within 5 seconds
• Maximum 5% battery drain per hour of active use
• 99% crash-free sessions rate

Testing Requirements

• Minimum 500 hours of user testing with healthcare professionals
• 100% compliance with ISO 13485 medical device standards
• Testing across 15+ device types and 5+ operating systems
• Weekly security scans covering 50+ vulnerability types

Key Metrics for Success:

1. User Retention: Target 70% after 30 days
2. Task Success Rate: Minimum 95%
3. Error Recovery: Under 5 seconds
4. System Response Time: Under 0.1 seconds
5. User Satisfaction Score: Above 85%

Healthcare Application Development Steps

Crafting a custom medical software development service demands mastering five non-negotiable development stages:

Step 1. Shape the concept for your app

Before writing a single line of code, decode the fundamental value proposition, transforming your app from a mere download to a user's daily digital health companion.

Decode your audience's DNA.

Segment users by age, location, and average income. Analyze their needs to create a value proposition that challenges industry standards.

Conduct market research.

Identify the strengths and weaknesses of your target market. Benchmark against competitors and develop a unique value framework.

List selling points.

Create a comprehensive list of features and additional services that will appeal to your target audience and encourage them to choose your mhealth app.

Define your goals.

Clearly outline the objectives you want the app to achieve and align them with your budget for effective planning.

Step 2. Choose the monetization model

Basically, there are six monetization business models for healthcare apps, from freemium to paid-in-app. This aspect is pretty simple for healthcare providers who decided to build a healthcare app as another platform to sell their services. 

Healthcare providers who use healthcare apps to sell their services will find this aspect straightforward because they don't need to generate revenue from the app, which functions as an additional tool. However, the question is a bit more complicated for owners of apps such as meditation or healthy lifestyle platforms. 

Step 3. Create UI/UX design

In this development phase, UI/UX designers establish the app's functionality and visual design while managing platform branding when necessary. The most time-consuming task during this stage remains developing prototypes that include visual mockups for each app screen and user interaction.

Another crucial part of the design process is selecting fonts, color schemes, and button placement. mHealth platforms must prioritize responsive design across all devices while ensuring users can reach their goals efficiently.

Step 4. Build an MVP

Even if you lack the necessary funding to implement your ideas today, that doesn't mean you cannot begin developing your project. That's what an MVP is for.

MVP creation enables faster launch and collection of initial user feedback. As your app develops, you can raise more funding. This will help expand its capabilities. An MVP approach cuts financial risk since it requires less investment to test a product's viability before committing further.

Step 5. Collect feedback and update

Typically, at this stage, QA engineers perform another round of testing after developers deploy updates to ensure that there are no bugs and that project requirements match the results.

Timeline of Custom Healthcare Software Development Services 

The timeline for custom healthcare software development varies according to the complexity, scope, and specific requirements. Let's explore the general phases involved.

Initial consultation and planning.

This phase starts by engaging stakeholders to clarify their needs and objectives. It then lays down the scope, key features, and deliverables, resulting in a high-level timeline and budget. The project team then defines roles and responsibilities. This process typically takes two to four weeks.

Research and analysis.

The research and analysis phase starts by analyzing market trends and examining competitors' healthcare software solutions. The next step is gathering insights through surveys and interviews with potential users. The technology stack, third-party integrations, and compliance requirements are evaluated at this stage to ensure thoroughness. This vital phase will take three to five weeks and lay a solid foundation for your project.

Designing phase.

The design phase usually spans four to eight weeks. At this phase, create wireframes and prototypes for key screens and user journeys to develop a user-friendly interface. Additionally, conduct a usability test. Every detail must shine.

Development phase.

This phase lasts 12 to 24 weeks. It focuses on building the software's core: the backend, the front end, and key features like patient records, scheduling, and billing. The backend includes the databases and APIs. The front end must be user-friendly. Plus, robust security measures are integrated, including HIPAA and GDPR compliance.

Testing.

Before release, the software undergoes a 6  to 10-week testing cycle. This includes unit tests, integration tests, performance tests, security tests, and user acceptance tests, which help ensure the software performs well and is secure.

Deployment and training.

The deployment and training of your healthcare software will take three to six weeks. At this phase, developers ensure the software works well, that any early issues are fixed quickly, and that the app is user-friendly. 

Must-Have Features of Healthcare Apps

The type and main function of a healthcare app dictate its features. Yet, there are the most common that mHealth apps share, whether for telemedicine, hospitals, or urgent care. Here are the essentials:

• Sign-up / Sign-in. While in-app registration might require hefty user details and time to figure everything out, the sign-in process should be swift and easy. For a smooth experience, allow users to sign in with their email.

• Doctors' and patients' profiles. Doctors' profiles should display their specialization, education, current workplace, and availability. Patients' profiles must include their medical history, prescribed medications, and other key health details to ensure a seamless interaction.

• Appointment management. The calendar feature helps doctors track appointments and allows patients to browse available slots to book visits. A seamless experience for everyone involved!

• Push notifications. Designed for both healthcare workers and patients, these features act as reminders for upcoming appointments and medication alerts.

• In-app chat. With in-app chat, users can easily connect with healthcare managers or doctors. It enables faster communication, making healthcare more accessible and efficient.

• Video consultations. The shift to video call appointments came as a safer alternative during the pandemic when in-person consultations posed higher risks. Now, this option saves time for doctors and patients and lowers the chance of spreading illnesses.

• EHR integration. Each medical visit or procedure adds to a patient's treatment history, stored in an EHR (electronic health record) system. Including an EHR system in your app is vital for delivering the best care and streamlining the process for future healthcare providers treating the patient.

• E-prescriptions. As consultations move online, doctors should also be able to prescribe medications digitally, which cuts time waiting in key and frees up doctors' time. Another benefit is that e-prescriptions are more secure and difficult to forge.

• Payment gateway. Paid medical services go hand in hand with in-app payments. Thus, opt for payment gateways that accept credit and debit cards, digital wallets, crypto payments, and other alternative methods.

• Ratings and reviews. Designed for patients, this feature simplifies selecting a trusted professional who fits their specific requirements.

Challenges in Healthcare App Development

Healthcare app development faces several challenges that can hinder progress.

Non-Compliance with the Law.

HIPAA and FDA regulations safeguard personal data and guarantee the safety of products. Failure to follow these rules leads to financial penalties and the erosion of trust. To ensure compliance and avoid penalties, businesses must consult legal experts.

Lack of Security.

Hackers can quickly access sensitive data, such as customer information or financial records, when business security systems fail. Businesses can suffer reputational damage and financial losses due to this. To prevent this, businesses must improve their security and work with tech experts.

Presence of Multiple Channels and Devices.

Multiple channels and devices present integration challenges since they operate on unique systems and protocols while meeting different requirements. Differences between technology standards and data formats trigger compatibility problems that need additional effort to fix. 

Marketing and Launch Cost of Healthcare Application

Depending on scale and strategy, a healthcare app's marketing and launch costs can range from $5,000 to over $100,000. Key cost components include:

‍

• Market Research: $5,000 to $15,000 for analyzing market needs and competition.
• Launch Campaigns: $5,000 to $100,000 based on scope and platforms.
• User Acquisition Costs: Cost per install (CPI) ranges from $1.42 to $3.75, varying by advertising platform (e.g., Google Ads, Facebook Ads).

‍

Effective budgeting is essential for a successful launch and user engagement.

Business and Monetization Models of Healthcare Apps

Since healthcare thrives on digitalization, many people have at least one app on their devices. However, the competition for user attention takes high stakes. The question arises: How can we promote and monetize mhealth apps? 

Below, we have listed some of the most common business and monetization models:

Freemium Model

The freemium healthcare app offers a basic version and charges for premium features like advanced health evaluations. This model promotes rapid market penetration and attracts a large user base. In the long run, it drives sustainable revenue by converting a percentage of free users to paid tiers.

Subscription Plans

Subscription models work best for healthcare apps offering ongoing value. Tiered pricing can include basic tracking features, fitness coaching or telehealth services, access to a library of health articles, and premium telemedicine services with personalized health plans. Before enroll this model, ensure its pricing reflects the app's unique value proposition.

In-App Purchases

Even though it has a complicated deployment architecture, it is an incredibly lucrative way to monetize the app. In short, this model helps to upsell extra features or content within the app. Thus, users can purchase in-app items such as extra lives in games, extra workouts in fitness apps, or pre-paid visits and prescriptions in mhealth apps. 

Also, businesses often sell branded merchandise or partner with other brands via in-app purchases to promote themselves more.

Telemedicine Consultations

The pandemic marked the popular era of telemedicine. Now, many apps offer video consultations with subscription plans or pay-per-consultation fees. However, the healthcare specialists' credentials and licenses are the most important. They are the foundation of brand trust and revenue.

Advertising and Sponsorships

Healthcare apps monetize through strategic sponsorships and expert content. Targeted advertising creates win-win partnerships. It lets companies reach specific audiences and generate app revenue.

Partner with medical experts to create credible content, like articles and videos. This strategy will boost the app's credibility, expand its reach, and diversify revenue.

Pay-per-usage Model

The pay-per-usage model, common in SaaS, is now being implemented in healthcare apps. This cost-effective approach allows users to access healthcare resources and pay only for their actual usage, avoiding the commitment of a subscription. Which often results in user trust and brand loyalty.

These models can be mixed and matched depending on the target audience and specific functionalities of the healthcare app. However, first things first,  robust business and monetization require a consistent content publishing strategy and tools to publish high-quality medical content regularly.

Healthcare App Development in a Nutshell

Indeed, healthcare apps are transforming digital health with more accessible and intuitive tools. From telemedicine and health trackers, the healthcare app development cost varies by type, scope, team, and overall business aim. 

But the truth is one. Building a successful mobile health app requires strategic planning, research, and expertise in medical software development combined with a significant investment. This is especially true since medical app development costs go beyond initial creation, including planning, regulatory compliance, and ongoing maintenance.

Effective apps demand resource management and collaboration with experienced teams. A smart approach can help businesses develop impactful solutions that benefit both patients and healthcare providers. 

Partnering with Darly Solutions enables companies to create healthcare apps that meet technical standards while delivering real value in digital health.

Build Your Healthcare Application With Darly Solutions

From market analysis to launch, Darly Solutions uses a strategic 5-step process to build high-quality healthcare mobile apps tailored to your audience. Follow us:

1. Market & User Analysis: We help you understand your target audience (patients, doctors, etc.) and analyze existing apps to identify opportunities.
2. Planning & Business Analysis: We collaborate with you to define the app's concept, business goals, technology, and resources, ensuring alignment with your strategy.
3. Design & Prototyping: We design user-friendly interfaces and develop prototypes to validate requirements and gather feedback.
4. Development & Testing: Using Agile methodology, we build and rigorously test the app in iterative sprints.
5. Release & Support: We handle app store publication system integration and provide ongoing maintenance and support.

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Interesting fact: there are approximately 8,462 project management methodologies to choose from. Every project manager understands that selecting the right methodology is crucial to getting the job right.

So, how to understand which one is right for your project?

There are many various ways to deliver projects. Generally speaking, these ways are our project management models—applying different principles, themes, frameworks, processes and standards to help provide structure to the way we deliver projects.

Agile is one of the more recognizable project management methodologies. This methodology is best suited for projects that are iterative and incremental. It’s a type of process where demands and solutions evolve through the collaborative effort of self-organizing and cross-functional teams and their customers.

Agile is a methodology that has methodologies within itself, such as Scrum and Kanban. Scrum methodology is one of the most popular and simple frameworks to put the principles of Agile into practice.

Let’s talk about the Scrum and how it works

Scrum is a subset of Agile. It is a framework for agile development that helps teams work together with the customers. Much like a sports team training for the big game, Scrum encourages teams to learn through experiences, self-organize while working on a problem, and reflect on their wins and losses to continuously improve. Its goal is to develop, deliver, and sustain complex products through collaboration, accountability, and iterative progress. According to this, it is not surprising that Scrum is the most widely-used one among the teams.

Scrum team roles

• Product owner: The product owner represents stakeholders, which are typically customers.
• Development team: Group of professionals that consists of three to nine individuals who have the business, design, analytical and development skills to carry out the actual work, solve problems and produce deliverable products.
• Project manager: Manager who ensures the understanding and execution of Scrum is followed. The manager’s responsibilities include coaching and motivating the team, removing impediments during the development, and ensuring that the team has the best possible conditions to meet its goals and produce deliverable products.

Phases of Scrum Model

Now, let’s take a look at the main steps of the development process that Scrum consists of.

Step 1. Product Backlog Creation

A product backlog is a list that contains features to be implemented during the development process. It’s ordered by priority and every item is called a User story. A user story is an informal, general explanation of a software feature written from the perspective of the end user or customer. It helps development teams capture simplified, high-level descriptions of a user’s requirements written from that end user’s perspective. The examples below show how these stories can look like:

• As an internet banking customer, I want to see a rolling balance for my everyday accounts, so that I can keep track of my spending after each transaction is applied

• As a manager, I want to be able to understand my colleagues’ progress, so I can better report our success and failures.
• As a customer, I want to receive an SMS when the item arrives, so that I can go pick it up right away.
• As Max, I want to organize my work, so I can feel more in control.

This structure is not required, but it is helpful for defining done.“Why can’t we just write features or tasks instead?”

Step 2. Sprint Planning and Sprint Backlog Creation

The sprint duration is very important so that the user stories are as small as possible. The typical average sprint duration lasts about 2 weeks. If the sprint duration is small, then the advantage is that more customer feedback can be received and most of the errors and bugs can be addressed earlier. If the sprint duration is long, then it allows the developer to work thoroughly.

The next stage is to do the sprint backlog creation. It consists of user stories that will be completed during the current sprint. The scrum team must select the important user stories and make them into smaller tasks. They need to plan on how to get the task completed. The Scrum team should be capable of finishing all these stories on time. Also, one important thing is to prioritize the necessary tasks.

For example, the goal for Sprint: “A website visitor can order a product”. We discuss with the team and product owner how to implement this. Roughly, customers have to go through three steps to order something: 1) select a product, 2) enter address and billing information, 3) perform the payment. We discover several exception paths. After the discussion about what technology we will use for this goal and how the team will implement this functionality, we start creating the Sprint Backlog.

Below are some of the items that can end up on the Sprint Backlog:

• When an order is placed, send an email to the sales department;
• Allow customers to pay for their order by credit card;
• Encrypt user information in order (e.g. email, address);

Step 3: Working On Sprint and Scrum Meetings

The actual user stories are moved as small tasks in the sprint backlog, where the actual work starts. This is where the implementation of a software application, such as website development, begins.

To begin with, a task board is made with a lot of cards is used. The cards specify the details about the tasks such as assignee, work details, due date or the time duration, etc. The cards can be arranged according to their importance. When work on a task has been started, the corresponding sticker is moved from the “To do” field to the “In progress” one. When work is completed, the sticker can be moved to the “Testing” field, and after the task is successfully tested, the sticker goes to the “Done” field.

For this activity, we use specialized software JIRA and Trello for this task.

In this step the scrum meetings are important as it is done to track the progress status and who is doing what status. The burndown chart is the output of this meeting, as it provides the details about how many tasks are completed and if there are any issues or problems in completing the tasks in the “Work In Progress” columns.

It is also important to notice one more Scrum feature is Daily Scrum meetings. These meetings’ main purpose is to get full information about the current project status and make sure that all team members are on the same stage. During Scrum meetings, every single team member should tell what he has done for the day, which tasks will be the next, and what problems team members faced during the work.

Day by day Scrum meetings help increase the flexibility of the development process. They also allow understanding of what changes should be made.

Step 4. Testing, Product Increment and Sprint Review

The result of every sprint in Scrum is a potentially shippable product increment that can be presented to the customer. After each iteration, the development team creates a new version of a software product and adds new features with increased value. In the end part of every sprint, there is Sprint Review where the overall results can be demonstrated and analyzed. According to this info, the stakeholders can make a decision about further project changes and plan the next sprint.

Step 5. Retrospective and Next Sprint Planning

Retrospective’s main goal is to consider the results and the ways how to improve the development process on the next step. The team should talk about the lessons learned and the pitfalls that were during the development part. An important feature is to improve the work of the Scrum team as a whole. The team should conclude what went well during the working process and what can be done better during future iteration. When the ways of improvement are defined, the team can start and concentrate on the next sprint planning.

Project Closure

The project closure phase represents the final phase of the project management. Around this time, the final product is ready for delivery. Here, the main focus of the project manager and the team should be on product release and product delivery. In this stage, all the activities related to the project are wrapped up.

Once the product is handed to the customers, the documentation is finalized and the project is closed.

Conclusion

The main differential features of Scrum are flexibility and constant progress. It’s provided mostly by regular communication and close cooperation between the stakeholders at each step.

When the sprint is done, the customer can assess the working product functionality at the current iteration and make decisions about how the project should evolve during the next sprints.

Use Case: Web Development

Problem Statement: Important changes need to be implemented on an existing company website.

Scrum team roles:

1. Product Owner: Team Lead
2. Development Team: Developers
3. Scrum Master: Project Manager

Basic Flow of Events:

1. The website needs to be updated.

Using Scrum:

1. Product Owner creates a backlog, i.e. the prioritized changes to make.
2. The development team and the QA team is created.
3. Sprint of 7 days is decided.
4. Project manager is assigned to set up the meetings and help with issues.
5. Tasks are assigned to the team
6. A daily 15-minute Scrum is set up for holding team meetings
7. The website is updated each day with the work done
8. QA notifies issues on the same day
9. Each week, the Sprint Review meeting is held with the CEO for an update on progress

Scrum is best suited for projects that consist of teams of less than seven people who need a flexible approach to deliver a product or service.

According to analysts, global employers are unable to fill about 40 million IT vacancies due to a shortage of technical specialists in their region. And the situation is expected to worsen further. For example, in the USA, it is projected that by 2030, there will be a shortage of over 85 million programmers.

What to do? The solution is simple: consider an extended development team as an alternative to in-house developers.

What are these teams? What are the benefits of this approach to creating digital solutions? We will discuss this and much more in this article.

What Is an Extended Development Team?

An extended software development team consists of specialists who work together on a single project, but can be located anywhere, even in different time zones. This type of work organization is typically designed to combine the internal team with external specialists.

In other words, by involving an extended team in your project, you can gain all the advantages of outsourcing while saving budget and maintaining full control over the development process.

According to research, 92% of G2000 companies use tended teams and other forms of outsourcing. Now is the time to consider involving freelance specialists and experience all the benefits of this approach for your business.

Key Benefits of an Extended Team Model

Integrating external specialists into an internal team helps achieve even the boldest business goals through the following advantages:

Access to Global Talent Pool

Do you want to create a truly innovative product that no competitor offers? Be prepared for the fact that the local market may not have a programmer with the relevant experience. Alternatively, a lack of personnel may make it very difficult to attract the right specialist.

‍The number of developers varies from country to country. In fact, the difference can be significant even within the same country. For example, in the USA, the highest number of software engineers resides in California. There are over 628,000 in this state, while in Michigan and North Carolina, the number of specialists barely exceeds 100,000.

In such a situation, extended development teams can be a real lifesaver. With their help, you will be able to attract experts from any corner of the world to your project.

Cost-Effective Scaling

Hiring an employee in-house is always costly. According to numerous studies, it can cost a company anywhere from $28,000 to $35,000. And this is just the cost of provided benefits, insurance, vacation, and additional payments (such as overtime). In addition, you'll need to spend on training and onboarding staff.

Apart from the high costs, all of this takes a lot of time, and the need for scaling sometimes cannot be delayed.

However, if you consider involving external specialists, these problems can be easily avoided. A reliable provider will quickly find the right specialist, and your expenses will be limited to payment per hour or based on the actual volume of work completed.

‍Additionally, with the extended team model, you have another opportunity to save. This is possible due to the lack of regional constraints—as the cost of labor for developers is evaluated differently in various countries. For example, in North America, the average software development hourly rate is $77. In Eastern Europe, the same service can be obtained for $58 per hour, and in the Asia Pacific region, developers charge even less—around $28 per hour.

Faster Development and Delivery

An extended software development team helps accelerate development cycles. Here’s how this happens:

• Involving developers from different time zones allows such a team to work on the project almost around the clock. Is this possible with in-house specialists? Hardly.

• By expanding your team, you can save time on hiring and staff training. On average, the recruitment process in the IT field takes 35 days.

• You can hire several extended teams to handle different tasks. They will work on the project in parallel, thereby reducing development time.

Flexibility and Adaptability

The hiring model discussed in this article allows you to be as flexible as possible when it comes to changes in project needs. Let’s break it down further.

• Have the project goals changed, and you need to scale quickly? As you know, finding an external specialist is much faster than hiring an in-house employee. Additionally, you can adjust the requirements for candidates as the product evolves.

• Geographical flexibility also plays a role here. If you're experiencing a shortage of the right talent in your region, you can look for experts in the required technology stack overseas. With extended development teams, anything is possible.

Hassle-Free Management

When working with external specialists, you can fully control the process of developing a digital solution. At the same time, managing such a team is economically efficient and requires less time.

Why?

• When turning to trusted providers, they take on all the responsibilities for staff selection. You don’t spend time and money on searching, interviews, and hiring.

• The high qualification of extended teams frees you from the need for micromanagement. This allows you to focus on project management and achieving global business goals.

• Outsourcing service providers typically have established communication channels. They use specialized tools like Slack, Trello, or Jira to bridge geographical distances. Moreover, such companies often provide a project manager. It’s their responsibility to ensure smooth collaboration.

Operational Process of an Extended Development Team

To ensure the seamless integration of external specialists into your internal team, several stages of organizing updated workflows must be followed. Remember, your team is the foundation on which the creation of the software product will be based. Therefore, no detail should be overlooked.

Initial Planning Stage

This stage is crucial for the success of the project. Clear planning is the key to knowing the direction you need to move in.

It includes the following steps:

1. Formulating business goals. Start by defining the product you want to create and how it will benefit your business. It is also recommended to immediately outline the required features to be developed. This will help clearly define expectations for the final product and avoid misunderstandings between stakeholders and the team.

2. Assessing internal resources. Identify what knowledge and skills are needed to achieve the set goals. After that, assess your internal team. Are there enough specialists? Do they have the necessary expertise?

3. Project timeline and budget planning. Set realistic deadlines and determine the expenses you can afford. Consider development costs, project management, and potential unforeseen issues.

4. Choosing the collaboration model. If the project requires external developers, you have several options. Among them are outsourcing, dedicated teams, and the extended team model discussed in this article. We will discuss the differences between these three approaches later.

5. Risk assessment. Suppose you have chosen the extended team model. Think in advance about the risks you may face, such as communication gaps and potential time zone differences. In addition to the risks associated with engaging external specialists, consider other possible problems, including technical ones.

Finding the Right Tech Partner

Opt for a proven company with a good reputation. This guarantees that highly qualified professionals will be selected for you, whose expertise fully matches the project requirements. 

Here are a few tips to help you choose a reliable provider:

• Study the company’s website, focusing on its portfolio.
• Read reviews about the provider online.
• Compare the specialization of the potential partner with the plan for your project.
• Assess the cost-to-quality ratio of the services offered.
• Ensure that the company’s values align with yours.

Building the Development Team

The main task at this stage is to ensure smooth integration of the new specialists into the existing team. To do this, it is important to clearly define the roles they will perform on the project.

And a few more recommendations:

• Work on staff selection together with your technical partner. This does not mean total control or direct participation in the interviews. Just stay in the loop to ensure the candidate matches your requirements as closely as possible.

• Balance the size of the extended team. Make sure the number of employees corresponds to the goals of the project and its budget. A team that is too large may lead to unnecessary costs, while one that is too small can increase time-to-market.

Onboarding and Integration

This step involves introducing external specialists to the nuances of your internal processes:

1. Familiarization with the project specifics. Before starting work, make sure the hired developers fully understand the project’s goals and its specific requirements.

2. Setting up communication channels. Inform the extended development team about the communication channels used in your team. Set up tools like Slack, Trello, or Jira for project management and daily communication.

3. Providing access to technical infrastructure. Ensure that all team members have access to the tools necessary for efficient work. These may include version control systems, code repositories, etc.

4. Discussing internal procedures and rules. Communicate to the team how you plan to measure project progress, which metrics you will use to evaluate performance developers, and how often you expect feedback from them. This will help avoid misunderstandings and conflicts.

Establishing Clear Objectives

What do you think is the most important thing at this stage? The answer is simple. You need to ensure that both in-house and external specialists are working towards the same goal. To do this, you should:

• Clearly define the project goals. This may involve creating a product from scratch, implementing new functionality, or maintaining an existing system.

• Set milestones. Break the project into smaller segments. Each segment should have specific deadlines and deliverables. This will help track progress.

• Define KPIs. Predefine metrics to measure the team’s performance. These should relate to both the technical characteristics of the product (e.g., code quality or delivery speed) and the achievement of business goals (e.g., return on investment).

• Discuss communication issues: Frequency of meetings, reporting formats, communication channels—all of these should be discussed with the extended software development team at the very beginning of the collaboration. This will ensure you always know what stage of goal achievement you are at.

Project Kickoff and Execution

When all the details are discussed, it's time to start working on the project.

Project kickoff is the official start of collaboration. Now, the team needs to gather together (in whatever format possible), discuss the final details, and set the tone for the subsequent work.

The further work on the project includes:

• Prioritizing tasks. If the team uses an agile development methodology (which is most commonly used these days), this step involves planning the upcoming sprint. Specifically, it means defining the scope of work and aligning the team’s focus.

• Moving toward set goals. The team starts coding, testing, and building according to the project’s defined requirements.

• Monitoring progress and making adjustments. As the team completes tasks, it is important to track the status of the project. This allows for timely identification and resolution of problems.

The success of this stage depends on how accurately the previous steps for organizing the work with the extended team were followed.

Dedicated vs Outsourcing vs. Extended Teams: A Comparative Analysis

All three terms—dedicated team, outsourcing, and extended development team—refer to outsourcing work on a project to external developers. However, there are significant differences between them. Let's explore them further.

When to Consider an Extended Development Team?

There are several situations where it makes sense to consider the extended team model.

1. Need for rapid scaling. Is your business growing quickly? Do you need additional staff but don’t have time for long-term hiring? An extended team can help.

2. Need for specific expertise. If your internal team lacks certain skills, it’s not always necessary to hire a full-time employee. You can find an external specialist who will integrate into your team and contribute to the project.

3. Risk of missing deadlines. Is it time to release the product, but your internal resources are exhausted? This is another reason to turn to external developers. Extra hands and minds can easily save the situation.

4. Limited budget. Hiring external specialists is cheaper than increasing your full-time team. This is why extended teams are optimal for startups.

5. A responsible project requiring personal control. Not every project can be fully outsourced. Often, the client wants to retain the right to control the development process themselves. This opportunity is exactly what extended teams provide.

Want to get the best global talent at your disposal? Need to relieve your internal team? Want to speed up time-to-market and beat your competitors? Create an extended software development team on your project, and all of this will become a reality.

Challenges of Managing an Extended Development Team

If you’ve decided to integrate external developers into your internal team, you should consider not only the benefits of this approach, but also the certain challenges that come with it. It’s better to know about these challenges in advance.

• Communication Barriers. If you’re bringing in foreign specialists, be prepared for language, cultural, and time zone barriers. However, some of these can easily be turned into advantages. For example, thanks to different time zones, work on the project can continue around the clock.

• Integration difficulties. External developers may use work methods different from yours. Therefore, it’s important to discuss all expectations for collaboration in advance.

• Limited visibility. It can be challenging to monitor the work of remote employees as closely as you would like. To avoid this, it’s important to use reliable communication channels, reporting tools, analytics, and project management systems.

• Risks related to data security. This is especially relevant for projects involving sensitive user data. To minimize risks, work only with a trusted provider who ensures the reliability of the provided staff.

• Team engagement. It’s logical that full-time employees are more invested in the company’s development and the project’s success. Therefore, when bringing in external specialists, make sure to focus on their adaptation and motivation.

As you can see, with a thoughtful approach to forming extended development teams, all potential challenges can be easily overcome, leaving you in a winning position.

Future Trends in Extended Development Teams

The popularity of the extended team model in the field of software product development is gaining momentum. What transformations can we expect for this approach to organizing workflows in the near future?

• Focus on the use of AI and automation. Innovative technologies will allow companies to optimize project management and minimize the risks associated with working with remote employees.

• Preference for hybrid work formats. Companies will become increasingly interested in combining internal teams with external specialists. This will allow them to tap into the global talent pool while still maintaining control over processes.

• Emphasis on Agile and DevOps. Recent practices show that more and more teams are abandoning classical development methodologies in favor of flexible approaches. This allows extended teams to integrate more smoothly into internal processes and stay on the same wavelength as the in-house team.

• Expanded integration of specialized tools. Collaboration platforms are an essential attribute of extended development teams. As this model of cooperation spreads, new tools will emerge, and existing services will be improved.

• Maximum focus on data security. This issue is critical for all companies that engage external specialists. As a result, improved security protocols will emerge, and decentralized development and blockchain will become more relevant.

In summary, the future of extended teams is closely tied to the implementation of progressive technologies, process automation, and the increasing spread of this work format.

Create Your Extended Development Team with Darly Solutions

Darly Solutions is your reliable partner in creating unique digital solutions that will become a competitive advantage and the hallmark of your business.

We are ready to strengthen your internal team with specialists in Web and mobile development, UI/UX design, and testing. A qualified project manager will seamlessly integrate our experts into your processes and ensure smooth operations.

Contact Darly Solutions for a personalized consultation and experience the full potential of an extended development team from a trusted provider.