Automating Workflows with Advanced Charts and Dashboards
Daria Lymanska
CEO & Founder
May 12, 2023
2
min read
In the world of business and analytics, data plays a crucial role in making important decisions. Visualization tools such as charts, graphs, and dashboards are used to understand data better and make informed decisions.
What types of dashboards and charts exist
Charts and dashboards are graphical representations of data that can be used to show trends, compare data, or show relative proportions. Some of the most common types of charts include:
Line charts - are used to show changes in the values of a variable over time. They are often used to show trends, such as changes in sales over time.
Bar charts - are used to compare the values of a variable between several categories. For example, you can use bar charts to compare sales of different products in your company.
Pie charts - used to show relative shares. For example, a pie chart might show what percentage of sales were made in a particular region.
Dashboards are sets of graphs, charts, and tables that show key performance indicators of a company. They allow you to visualize data and provide a broader view than individual charts. It can be used to monitor performance, track goals, and plan business strategies.
Many dashboards include financial, sales, marketing, operations, and others. Each type is designed to display a company's specific performance metrics.
For example, a financial dashboard might contain information about financial metrics such as profits, losses, budgets, and cash flows. A sales dashboard might show the number of sales, average checks, conversion rates, etc. A marketing dashboard can include information about traffic, conversions, cost of customer engagement, etc. An operational dashboard can display data on production capacity, resource efficiency, latency levels, etc.
Regardless of the type of chart or dashboard used, the key is to present the data intelligently. Data visualization should be clear and easy to interpret to facilitate decision-making. Therefore, when creating charts and dashboards, you need to consider the audience, purpose, and context in which these tools will be used.
The functions they perform
On the technical side, charts and dashboards are tools for visualizing data and presenting information in a clear and user-friendly format.
Charts are usually created using specialized libraries and software tools that allow you to generate graphical elements such as charts, graphs, pie charts, etc. Chart data can come from various sources, including databases, Excel files, APIs, etc.
On the other hand, dashboards are usually created using specialized software tools that allow you to combine data from various sources and display it in a user-friendly format. Dashboards can include multiple widgets such as graphs, tables, text boxes, etc., which can be customized and linked to quickly display data.
Regarding function, charts and dashboards can perform different tasks depending on business needs. They can be used to monitor performance, track sales, manage resources, predict trends, etc. In addition, they can be configured to automatically alert users of potential problems and delays in processes, allowing you to react quickly and correct the situation.
What problems do charts and dashboards solve
Charts and dashboards are powerful tools that help businesses solve many problems. Here are some of them:
Resource Management: Dashboards and charts can help businesses manage their resources, such as money, time, people, etc. That allows a company to use its resources more efficiently and increase productivity.
Planning and Strategy: They can help businesses develop plans and strategies based on data analysis. Also, their use can help identify trends, predict future events, and make fact-based decisions.
Identifying potential problems: They can help businesses identify potential problems and risks. That allows the company to take steps to prevent them or reduce their possible impact.
Improve communication: Dashboards and charts can help improve communication within a business by allowing employees to share information quickly and efficiently. They can also help enterprises to understand customer needs and expectations better.
Workflow automation with advanced charts and dashboards
In today's dynamic business environment, workflow automation is becoming increasingly necessary for businesses of all sizes. By automating repetitive tasks and streamlining business processes, companies can save time, reduce costs and increase efficiency. It's also a convenient way to display and process collected data.
The first step in automating a workflow is identifying which one can be automated. The workflow should be well-defined, with clear inputs and outputs. Defining the metrics that need to be tracked is also important. Metrics such as time-to-completion, task completion rate, and error rate can help businesses measure the effectiveness of the workflow.
The next step is to choose the right tools for automating the workflow. There are several advanced charts and dashboard applications available in the market, each with its own features and capabilities. Businesses should choose a tool that meets their specific needs and is easy to use. Some popular advanced chart and dashboard applications include Tableau, Power BI, and Google Data Studio.
When it comes to developing custom charts for a finished product or business idea from scratch, it's important to understand what requirements they must meet. Selecting appropriate chart types and configuring data visualizations are important to ensure that the insights generated by the dashboards are easy to understand and act upon. For example:
Ease of use
Compatibility with existing systems
Cost
Customization options
Support and training
Which metrics are most important?
Which chart types will best represent the data?
What colors and visualizations will be used?
What level of detail is required?
The next step is to connect data sources to the advanced charts and dashboards. This stage can involve integrating existing systems or importing data from spreadsheets or databases. Once the data sources are connected, the application can start to generate real-time insights into the workflow. It is important to ensure that the data is accurate and up-to-date.
The dashboards should be monitored in real-time to ensure the workflow runs smoothly. The metrics generated by the dashboards can help businesses make informed decisions and take corrective action if necessary. Real-time monitoring can also help identify issues or bottlenecks in the workflow, allowing them to make changes quickly.
To ensure the success of workflow automation with advanced charts and dashboard applications, businesses should follow some best practices. These include regularly reviewing the workflow and its metrics to identify areas for improvement, ensuring that the dashboards are easy to understand and act upon, and involving stakeholders in the automation process.
Summary
Automating workflows with advanced charts and dashboard applications can help businesses save time, reduce costs, and improve efficiency. By following the steps outlined in this guide and adopting best practices, businesses can make the most of workflow automation and gain valuable insights into their data. By automating repetitive tasks and streamlining business processes, they can focus on critical tasks, improve productivity, and stay ahead of the competition.
What is workflow automation, and why is it important?
Workflow automation is the process of streamlining and automating repetitive tasks in a business. It helps save time, reduce costs, and improve efficiency by letting employees focus on more critical tasks.
What types of charts are best for visualizing business data?
Common charts include line charts (for showing trends over time), bar charts (for comparing categories), and pie charts (for showing proportions). The best chart depends on what you need to visualize—trends, comparisons, or distribution.
What are the key benefits of using dashboards?
Dashboards give you a quick, comprehensive view of essential business metrics. They help track performance, spot trends, manage resources, and quickly identify potential issues.
Can dashboards and charts help identify workflow bottlenecks?
Yes, real-time monitoring through dashboards can highlight where delays or issues occur, allowing you to adjust workflows quickly to keep things running smoothly.
The implementation of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) has the potential to turn the healthcare industry upside down. And this global transformation is already beginning. Innovative technologies are being used in diagnostics and treatment. They are influencing pharmaceuticals, research work, and other aspects of medical practice.
Analysts at Global Market Insights have calculated that the AI market in healthcare is valued at $18.7 billion. However, by 2032, the situation will change. According to forecasts, its size will exceed $317 billion.
Considering this trend, we find it appropriate to explore the prospects that AI and the technologies based on it offer to medical professionals worldwide. We will also focus on the near future of AI-based medical solutions and discuss examples of digital products that are already available to specialists.
What Are Machine Learning Healthcare Projects?
Machine learning projects in the medical field involve the use of ML algorithms and models to perform various tasks for healthcare workers. These include:
data collection and analysis;
predicting the condition of patients and treatment outcomes;
making decisions about the appropriateness of certain prescriptions, and more.
The effectiveness of using AI and ML in healthcare is confirmed by numerous specialized studies. Below are some examples:
The Houston Method Research Institute used an AI-based tool for diagnostic purposes. Specifically, it was used to detect malignant breast tumors. The results shocked scientists. The system demonstrated a disease detection accuracy approaching 99%. Moreover, AI was able to analyze mammograms 30 times faster than humans.
The Nationwide Korean Cohort Study focused on researching the effectiveness of predicting infectious disease outcomes using machine learning. The results showed that the accuracy of the applied ML model was over 90%.
Scientists from Indiana University and Purdue University in Indianapolis developed an ML-powered system to predict the outcome of acute myeloid leukemia. The results of the model's tests demonstrated that it could predict remission with 100% accuracy. The likelihood of recurrence was correctly identified in 90% of cases.
Researchers at BMJ Health & Care Informatics developed and tested a machine learning model for detecting NASH (non-alcoholic steatohepatitis). This disease is difficult to diagnose. However, the use of ML contributes to more accurate screening of NASH and allows for the timely application of effective treatments.
All of these statistics confirm the vast potential of machine learning in healthcare projects. So, what is this technology most often used for?
Popular Use Cases of AI Projects in Healthcare
According to Morgan Stanley Research, 94% of respondents (medical companies) reported using AI or ML in their practice.
Let’s take a look at which aspects of healthcare these technologies can optimize.
1. Pathology Detection
Machine learning models can be used to analyze various types of images. The goal is to recognize pathological conditions.
For example, they can be used to diagnose cancer, tuberculosis, and other infections.
How does this work in practice? Here are several examples of using ML in the field of pathology detection:
A machine learning-based program analyzes tissue samples and helps identify malignant growths.
ML algorithms recognize tuberculosis by examining sputum samples from an infected person.
ML-based systems help differentiate between benign and malignant tumors.
An example of such software is AIM-PD-L1: an AI and ML-based tool that detects PD-L1. This protein is formed as a result of cancer cell development. Research on this solution showed that its results closely align with human diagnostics. Thus, the tool can be useful in identifying pathology.
Another solution from the same developer, PathAI, is the PathExplore panel for histopathological features. It can analyze tissue images at the pixel level. This allows it to examine millions of cells and accurately identify malignant ones.
2. Medical Imaging and Diagnostics
Healthcare machine-learning projects often use innovative technologies to analyze various images. These include CT scans, MRIs, mammograms, X-rays, and more.
Here’s how machine learning models can be used in diagnostics based on visual data:
An ML-based system can analyze CT scan results and, with a high degree of accuracy, identify malignant tumors.
Similarly, such platforms can diagnose ischemic strokes, such as hemorrhage, based on brain MRIs.
Specialized ML-based tools allow for retina scans. This helps in the early detection of blindness due to diabetes, specifically diabetic retinopathy.
There are many similar solutions available on the market. Among them are Viz.ai and InnerEye.
The first, Viz.ai, is a care coordination system based on AI. It allows for automate detection of many diseases, including vascular pathologies.
The second, InnerEye, is a solution from Microsoft that significantly speeds up work with patient images. For example, with this platform, doctors can accurately differentiate between healthy and cancerous cells. It also accelerates the start of treatment by 13 times.
3. Personalized Medicine
Each patient is unique due to the following characteristics:
genetic predisposition;
medical history;
lifestyle;
comorbid health issues, and more.
Machine learning-based platforms are able to take all these factors into account when selecting treatment methods.
Here’s how this can work in practice:
ML models analyze genomic data and recommend individualized treatment methods for oncological diseases.
Thanks to predictive analytics, AI-based tools can adjust insulin dosage. This is possible through constant monitoring of its level in the patient.
Machine learning algorithms help choose the optimal antidepressant based on the patient's psychological state and genetic predispositions.
As an example, let's look at IBM Watson for Oncology. This is a machine learning-based system that considers many factors when recommending cancer treatments. These include the compatibility of prescribed medications, possible side effects, and the effectiveness of treatment in each specific case. As a result, the system provides healthcare professionals with several therapy options from which they can choose the most optimal.
4. Drug Discovery Process
The use of ML can accelerate the invention of new pharmaceuticals. Specialized systems show excellent results in discovering the medicinal properties of various substances. They can also analyze the interactions of drug components and optimize clinical trials.
AI in healthcare projects can be used for this purpose as follows:
ML models accelerate the search for antibiotics and antiviral drugs.
AI-based modeling helps reduce the number of failed clinical trials, thus saving time and resources.
Machine learning algorithms can analyze the structure of substances, assisting in the development of new drugs.
A notable example of using AI and ML in creating new drugs is AlphaFold by DeepMind. This tool is designed to determine the structure of proteins, which are the foundation of biological processes in every living organism. Currently, the platform is successfully used for:
fighting malaria;
searching for a treatment for Parkinson's disease;
counteracting bacteria resistant to existing drugs.
5. Epidemic Prediction
One of the capabilities of ML models is analyzing patterns and making predictions about outbreaks of various diseases.
Here are some examples of using ML-powered solutions:
Such systems can predict global pandemics. To do this, they analyze data on population movement and disease statistics.
ML algorithms track seasonal disease spikes, such as the flu.
“Smart” platforms can predict outbreaks of specific diseases in high-risk areas. For example, they can forecast cases of malaria or dengue fever.
EPIWATCH is one of the leading examples of such platforms. This tool uses artificial intelligence to predict epidemics that could reach a global scale. The system collects and processes extensive infectious disease data in real time. It has proven effective in providing early warnings about potential pandemics.
6. Remote Patient Monitoring
In recent years, IoT (Internet of Things) devices have become widely used in medicine. These are objects equipped with sensors that can collect and transmit data wirelessly without human intervention.
According to Yahoo!Finance, the IoT market in healthcare, was valued at $58.8 billion in 2024, and by 2032, it is expected to exceed $305.5 billion.
This situation is explained by the fact that AI and ML enhance the efficiency of wearable devices and health monitoring systems in general.
The use of ML in remote monitoring includes the following cases:
Smartwatches can track irregular heart rhythms and detect instances of sleep apnea.
ML models can analyze ECG data in real time. Based on the obtained data, they can predict a heart attack.
AI-based inhalers can track the patient’s readings and warn about an asthma attack.
There are many such solutions on the market. These include popular devices like the Apple Watch and Fitbit. These smart bracelets can monitor heart rhythms and detect uncontrolled breathing stops.
There are also more complex systems available to healthcare professionals. For example, SafeBeing from Somatix. Thanks to wearable devices, this platform responds to patient gestures and draws conclusions about their health condition.
7. Virtual Assistants
Not everyone can visit a medical facility in a timely manner. Moreover, many people need assistance and support after being discharged from the hospital. AI handles these challenges effectively. Developers are actively creating digital assistants with integrated ML algorithms. These assistants are capable of providing first-aid and consulting patients after treatment.
What can such tools do?
These platforms help assess health status independently and suggest possible diseases.
Smart chatbots help schedule doctor visits, remind patients to take medications, and more.
Virtual assistants help monitor the progress of chronic diseases.
There are many such solutions available to patients. Let’s look at the features of Ada Health as an example. This platform helps assess symptoms and provide preliminary diagnoses using machine learning algorithms. It can:
track changes in the body over time;
provide recommendations regarding treatment and a healthy lifestyle.
8. Psychiatric Assistance
ML algorithms help diagnose and treat various psychiatric disorders, including those used in the fight against depression and anxiety.
Practical examples of ML usage in psychiatry:
Intelligent chatbots can mimic real-world conversations. They can answer patients' questions and provide recommendations.
ML models can analyze user behavior on social media and detect suicidal tendencies.
These digital solutions can analyze human speech and identify early signs of Alzheimer’s disease.
Woebot is a smart chatbot that helps people with mental health disorders. It can assess a user’s mood and emotions. Among its functions are conducting conversations with patients and providing personalized strategies for coping with difficulties.
9. Robotic Surgery
Just imagine. Surgeons no longer need to be in the operating room. All procedures are performed by a robot. Sounds like a scene from a sci-fi movie? Nevertheless, this is our reality. Developers have already created robotic systems based on AI that enhance the accuracy of surgical interventions and reduce rehabilitation time.
What can such software do?
Smart surgical systems can perform minimally invasive surgeries.
AI-based software shows excellent results in neurosurgery and orthopedics.
ML models predict potential surgical risks and possible complications.
Here, we cannot fail to mention the famous Da Vinci surgical robot created by Intuitive Surgical. This robotic system offers medical professionals incredible possibilities in the field of minimally invasive surgery. Its features include fluorescence visualization, integrated table movement, a vision cart, and more. This allows for precise and effective surgical interventions.
10. Automation of Administrative Tasks
Routine tasks such as organizing document flow or billing require a lot of time, diverting medical staff from their primary duties — treating patients. The implementation of machine learning-based software allows automation of these processes, reducing the time spent by medical personnel.
AI-powered systems are handling numerous administrative tasks:
Platforms based on NLP can extract data from medical records and update patient electronic charts.
ML algorithms analyze insurance cases, minimizing fraudulent claims.
Smart scheduling systems efficiently manage hospital resources.
An example of such software is the Optum system. It offers numerous solutions for the healthcare business, including a platform for Revenue Cycle Management. Its capabilities include billing, increasing revenue efficiency, medical coding, and documentation.
Benefits of Machine Learning for Healthcare Analytics Projects
The use of ML models in healthcare allows for the analysis of large amounts of medical data. Furthermore, such models are continuously trained and improved. The implementation of tools based on these models brings a number of benefits to both medical professionals and patients:
Early Disease Diagnosis
Identifying serious diseases at early stages reduces mortality, improves the quality of life for patients, and increases the likelihood of full recovery or sustained remission. For medical institutions, this helps reduce their expenses and saves time.
ML models excel at early diagnosis. They analyze medical images, test results, and patient medical histories. They then track patterns and detect even the slightest deviations from the norm.
Improvement in Patient Care Quality
This is facilitated by AI-based digital solutions for personalized care, virtual assistants, and chatbots. They help maintain a person's health outside of the hospital, for instance, after discharge or before visiting a specialist.
At the same time, such platforms help reduce the workload on medical institutions. They can provide the patient with an initial consultation and allow medical professionals to remotely monitor the patient's condition.
Development of the Pharmaceutical Industry
Innovative technologies allow for faster development of new medications. This is a step toward effectively combating various diseases. This is particularly relevant during global epidemics.
Cost Reduction
ML automates many processes in healthcare, from documentation management in clinics to diagnostics and treatment prescriptions. Additionally, the use of smart technologies helps reduce human errors and allows for some patients to switch to home care. As a result, medical institutions can increase the number of patients served and their profits.
Improvement in Treatment Effectiveness
In medicine, predictive models are used, which are trained on large sets of historical patient data. Such models can predict:
the likelihood of recurrence;
the need for hospitalization;
the tendency for the disease to progress.
Medical professionals can use all this data to adjust the prescribed treatment to improve its effectiveness.
Key Challenges in Healthcare Machine Learning Projects
The implementation of machine learning in healthcare projects opens up many opportunities for the industry. We have already seen this today. However, alongside numerous advantages, some challenges may arise for innovators.
Security of Confidential Data
The digitalization of healthcare has led to a particularly sharp issue. We mean the preservation of medical confidentiality and the privacy of patient data. The use of virtual tools implies entering personal information into the system, which increases the risk of data leakage.
To mitigate these risks, maximum anonymity should be maintained. For example, financial and insurance data, as well as the patient's address, should not be included. It is also important to implement reliable data encryption methods and threat notification mechanisms on the platforms.
Quality of Data for Model Training
The effectiveness of ML models depends on the data input into the system. Inaccurate input data can lead to incorrect diagnoses, wrong treatments, and even death.
To prevent this problem, machine learning software should be used under the supervision of highly qualified medical staff.
Skepticism of Healthcare Professionals and Patients
Since machine learning projects in the medical field are still in the early stages of gaining ground, many doctors and patients are not fully confident in its capabilities. The main concerns include inaccurate diagnostics and the complete replacement of human involvement in medical practice.
To build trust, continuous training for healthcare professionals and patients is necessary. It is also important to notify people about the chosen treatment methods.
As for the complete replacement of human labor, this is highly questionable. Scientists believe that innovative technology will, in fact, expand the role of healthcare professionals. Their duties will include overseeing the operation of ML models and interpreting their results.
Difficulty of Integration with Existing Software
To ensure the smooth operation of medical institutions, new software products need to be seamlessly integrated into the existing infrastructure. The task becomes more complex because clinics may be using outdated systems that are not compatible with new technologies.
To solve this problem, investment in qualified IT personnel and gradual replacement of old software with new ones is necessary.
Technologies Used in Machine Learning Projects in Healthcare
Such high efficiency in AI projects in healthcare is achieved thanks to the wide range of technologies used in specialized software. Let's look at the main ones.
Computer Vision
This is the ability of a machine to understand and interpret visual information from the external world. In healthcare, it is used for analyzing medical images for subsequent diagnosis and treatment.
Examples of use:
detection of tumors in X-rays, CT scans, or MRIs;
analysis of biopsy results to identify malignant formations.
Robotic Process Automation (RPA)
This involves using bots (software robots) to perform repetitive tasks. In medicine, this technology is applied to automate administrative processes.
Examples of use:
processing insurance claims;
billing;
inputting data into electronic patient records.
Logistic Regression
This is a statistical machine learning algorithm that is effective for predicting the probability of disease and classifying ailments.
Examples of use:
assessing the risk of developing diabetes;
determining the likelihood of cardiovascular diseases.
Support Vector Machines (SVM)
This is a supervised machine learning algorithm that is best suited for classification, i.e., separating data into different categories. It is used in medicine for diagnostic purposes.
Examples of use:
differentiating between benign and malignant tumor cells based on biopsy data;
classifying genes to identify genetic disorders.
Natural Language Processing (NLP)
This is a field of artificial intelligence that enables computers to understand, interpret, and generate human language. It is used to process medical text, such as doctor’s notes or specialized literature.
Examples of use:
analyzing electronic medical records to extract patient data;
virtual assistants and chatbots to assist patients outside medical facilities.
Large Language Models (LLM)
These are a specific type of machine learning models trained on large datasets. Their capabilities include understanding and generating human-like language.
Examples of use:
answering complex medical questions;
automating clinical documentation.
Deep Learning (DL)
A subset of machine learning that uses neural networks with multiple layers to perform tasks. It is applicable for image recognition and speech processing. It is widely used in medical imaging, as well as in fields such as genomics and pharmaceuticals.
Examples of use:
developing new medications;
diagnosing diseases based on visual data.
Reinforcement Learning (RL)
A type of machine learning where an agent learns by interacting with its environment, in other words, through trial and error. This technology helps optimize the effectiveness of treatment strategies.
Examples of use:
robotic surgical systems;
personalized treatment for various diseases.
The powerful potential of AI-based technologies suggests that the future of healthcare lies in them.
Future Trends in AI and Machine Learning in Healthcare Projects
It is predicted that in the coming years, AI and machine learning will continue to strengthen their position in healthcare. This is facilitated by:
better awareness of these technologies among doctors and patients;
an increase in the number of developers capable of creating and integrating innovative systems;
a growing demand for skilled healthcare services and medications.
What can we expect in the near future?
Transformation of Primary Healthcare
AI and machine learning systems will take on more responsibility during a patient's initial visit to the doctor. They will classify patients based on their risk level, using examination results. Patients with a low probability of illness will be notified immediately. Those with a high risk will be referred to specialists.
This will reduce the waiting time for referrals and ease the burden on specialists.
Improvement of Healthcare Accessibility
According to the International Labour Organization, 56% of people living in rural areas have no access to healthcare. In cities, the situation is better but still concerning, with 22% of the population unable to access medical services.
AI and machine learning have the potential to fundamentally change this situation. This will be possible through telemedicine and mobile health services.
Focus on Data Security
AI system developers understand the importance of ensuring data security in healthcare. The HIPAA Journal states that in 2023, over 133 million medical records were exposed due to data breaches. This means the problem is becoming global in scale.
As a result, IT specialists will work on enhancing the reliability of the security measures being implemented.
Progress in Early Disease Detection
Modern intelligent software is capable of recognizing symptoms at the very early stages of disease development. However, in the near future, AI capabilities will go even further. The first steps in this direction are already being taken. An example is the Sybil tool developed by scientists from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. It can predict the development of lung cancer within a year with 94% accuracy.
This is a huge breakthrough in healthcare. It has the potential to save millions of lives.
Emphasis on Personalized Treatment Plans
Doctors will increasingly move away from general prescriptions that do not account for the specific characteristics of individual patients. AI systems will be used to analyze medical histories, genetics, and other factors. Based on this analysis, personalized treatment methods will be selected.
This approach is particularly relevant for treating complex diseases such as cancer.
Darly Solutions Case Studies
Finally, we would like to share the experience of the Darly Solutions team. Our custom healthcare software development company has implemented many successful AI-powered projects for healthcare.
A company approached us with concerns about patient safety during the diagnosis of infectious diseases. They decided to rely on AI and machine learning for the accuracy and safety of their research.
The Darly Solutions development team created a platform for the client that can achieve 99.9% accuracy in clinical diagnostics. To achieve such impressive results, we used the following technology stack:
Python for machine learning and data analytics;
JavaScript and React for creating an intuitive user interface;
WordPress for backend development.
We successfully implemented predictive tools, high-quality data visualization, and a user-centered UI/UX design in the diagnostic solution. As a result of our collaboration, the client’s goals were met. The company received a flexible, scalable, and highly efficient system.
Conclusion
It can be confidently stated that machine learning projects in the medical field are the future of global healthcare. Intelligent solutions have the potential to revolutionize disease diagnosis and treatment, patient care, and drug development.
Do you want to follow the latest trends and provide the highest quality services? Now is the perfect time to find an expert team to develop an AI and machine learning-based medical application.
The Darly Solutions team is ready to assist you with this! Contact our manager to discuss the project details and receive a digital solution that will exceed all your expectations.
Perhaps you are one of those people who believe that any experienced software engineer can be involved in any project. But in reality, it doesn’t work like that: depending on your task, you may need different expertise from the core members of your development team. Below, we will highlight existing types of software development and briefly consider their specifics.
Types of Software Development
The division of software development into types primarily depends on the platforms for which the created project is intended, that is, the user environment where it will be deployed. This could be a web browser, cloud, mobile, desktop, IoT, or embedded operating system. There are also platform-independent solutions that can be run on several operating systems without any restrictions.
Ultimately, the deployment environment turns out to be one of the main factors influencing the choice of the project’s technology stack, and, therefore, the developers themselves, who have the appropriate expertise.
Web Development
Web development involves creating different types of software – web applications and websites – that run through an Internet browser. Along with this, you have to understand that to implement your web solution, you will need several specialists at once whose scope of work will be concentrated within the following subtypes of web development.
Frontend Development
Frontend development concerns the creation of that part of the project with which the end user directly interacts. In particular, this consists of creating a user interface as well as functionality that is performed without the participation of a server and database.
Backend Development
Backend development lies in the implementation of the business logic of the project and its connections with the database/databases. This is its server part, which is hidden from the eyes of end users.
Full-Stack Development
Full-stack development involves a combination of frontend and backend development, but unlike them, it requires the participation of more general specialists who are well-versed in both server and browser technologies.
Mobile App Development
Mobile app development is aimed at the implementation of projects for mobile operating systems – usually iOS and Android. At the same time, there are also cross-platform projects that work equally well regardless of what OS is installed on the end user’s device.
iOS App Development
iOS app development involves creating applications completely tailored to work on the iOS operating system. Such projects require developers to have knowledge of Objective-C, Swift, and Java programming languages, as well as platform-native technologies and tools.
Android App Development
Similarly, Android app development is aimed at projects tailored to the specs of the Android mobile OS. To do this, developers need to have strong programming skills in Java and Kotlin, and be able to work with the Android Toolkit.
Cross-Platform App Development
Cross-platform development allows developers to cover several mobile platforms at once. In this case, they create a universal code base based on a single technology stack, regardless of which OS will run on user devices. From a business perspective, cross-platform projects allow you to achieve faster launch and lower budget since instead of several separate applications and teams that will work on them, you can hire just one that will create a software solution that can be simultaneously deployed on numerous platforms.
Embedded Software Development
Embedded software development involves creating solutions to control machines or devices that are more primitive than computers, called embedded systems. This software development model is completely tailored to the specific hardware on which the software solution runs and has significant restrictions on the consumption of its resources.
Desktop Application Development
Desktop application software development consists of creating applications that are used to work offline on user PCs and laptops. Instead of applying the computing power of servers on the hosting provider's side, they rely entirely on the resources of the user device on which they are installed.
DevOps and Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD)
DevOps is a set of interaction practices between developers, testers, and other IT specialists in a project team needed to increase their performance and improve the quality of the work results. Typically, DevOps is applied to launch new versions of software regularly. In turn, CI/CD is one of the DeOps techniques, which consists of automating the software development process to ensure a recurrent development life cycle with a continuous delivery of the program code.
IoT (Internet of Things) Development
IoT development, also called M2M development, is aimed at creating software for systems where devices exchange data with each other without human intervention. These could be physical security systems, smart home and smart city solutions, logistics systems, and so on.
Cloud Development
Cloud development involves creating software that is run on a remote web server using a subscription-based delivery model. From the point of view of end users, this approach ensures the high availability of such software products since they only need to have access to the Internet.
Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) Development
While the development of augmented reality solutions involves using the camera of a smartphone or tablet on the user's device (this is necessary to overlay digital objects in the user's real environment), virtual reality solutions also need the use of special wearable devices, such as VR glasses.
Blockchain Software Development
Blockchain software development involves the creation of decentralized platforms, consensus protocols, smart contracts, and other blockchain-related solutions. Although this type of development became popular thanks to crypto projects, today, it covers a long list of niches, from logistics and healthcare to insurance and finances.
API Development
API development is the creation of software tools that allow independent software components to interact with each other using a set of definitions and protocols. Typically, APIs are used to integrate systems, services, and applications to ensure seamless and secure data exchange between them.
Choosing the Right Development Type
At the very beginning of the article, we already indicated that the deployment environment is the main factor influencing the types of software products that you should focus on creating. However, there are also a number of other aspects that will help you make the correct choice. These may include the following:
Project needs and objectives – they will help your team to define not only the tech stack but also the most suitable software development methodologies (usually, they are related to Agile)
Your business niche – it can be finance, healthcare, entertainment, e-commerce, industrial, education, logistics and supply chain, or something else
The resources you have – the specialists you’ve already hired, the project budget, access to data that will operate your software solution, etc.
As for small projects, they are usually dedicated to web development, mobile development, or desktop development — in such software development types, the talent pool is usually wide, and you will be able to choose specialists with the optimal ratio between expertise and rates. However, don't forget that choosing development services that are too cheap may mean you end up having to redo the project from scratch because it doesn't meet your expectations.
Trends in Software Development
Finally, let's take a brief look at the technologies that will be trending in the coming years and which ultimately can provide a strong competitive advantage to your project:
Artificial intelligence and machine learning – today, these technologies find a wide variety of applications, from personalized search results and chatbots to smart analytics and forecasting
Augmented and virtual reality – we have already mentioned these two trends above, so we would like to emphasize that their implementation becomes more and more affordable to project owners
Internet of Things – we also talked about this trend above; its relevance is explained by the possibility of on-site data collection from devices to which the user does not have physical access
Personalized user experience – in general, it can be achieved not only with the help of machine learning but also through predefined algorithms
Blockchain – it’s needless to say that the number of blockchain software development projects is growing every day, and currently, they cover not only the crypto industry
Conclusion
Now, after reading this article, you will be able to understand what type of project you can classify as and what specialists you will need in your project team. At the same time, whichever of the above-described examples of software development you choose, you can always contact us, and we are guaranteed to implement your business idea according to your requirements.
Nowadays, AI technology is significantly changing the different industries and the healthcare industry isn’t an exception. One of the additions – chatbots – has the potential to save time and money.
But should the healthcare industry use a bot service, it is a question many medical workers ask. However, we can define healthcare as a service that happens when patients visit the doctors, we will strictly limit our potential productivity gains. Chatbots can help healthcare providers with customer service and interact with healthcare consumers through text conversationally. So it is one of the most effective solutions to increase patient satisfaction.
According to surveys and researches published by IBM, up to 80% of routine questions could be answered by a chatbot. And it isn’t a surprise that the big part of these questions are asked by the patients and a simple chatbot can help with that.
For being in a win-win situation in healthcare, the providers should think about how to give patients, prospective patients, and other site visitors a way to answer questions, find the important information, and even book appointments as soon as possible without calling in. It’s easier and more convenient for people. It’s more efficient and successful for providers. And it can save a tremendous amount of money and time. That’s the dream, right? In the healthcare sector, the patient’s experience and satisfaction continue to be the top priority.
Chatbots in healthcare can offer the best health care service.
So the real question for clinics, hospitals and other private practices looking to improve the patient experience: Is it worth it?
Will chatbots really help and make a difference for your staff and patients?
At the end of the article you will find the answers to all your questions, so let’s have a look at how healthcare chatbots actually work, their benefits, and potential use cases.
We can divide chatbots into three categories:
Rules-based: Rule-based chatbots can also be named decision-tree bots. This type of chatbot uses a series of defined rules. These rules are the basis for the types of problems the chatbot is familiar with and can deliver solutions for. Usually, there are very simple or complicated rules. They can’t, however, answer any questions outside of the defined rules. These chatbots do not learn through interactions. They only perform and work with the scenarios you train them for. They follow pre-defined, if-this-then-that “playbooks” that automatically respond to a list of pre-populated queries and questions. These chatbots might answer common questions with simple and canned responses. They might also lead people to dead-ends like “I’m having trouble understanding” due to their limited technical capacity.
Adaptive: Using machine learning (ML), adaptive chatbots can learn patterns the more requests they receive.
AI-powered: An AI-powered chatbot is a smarter version that uses natural language processing (NLP) and ML to better understand the intent of the human and provide a more natural, near-human-level communication. An AI chatbot can quickly determine intent and context, move through more complex and nuanced conversations, and deliver the look and feel of chatting with an actual human being.
Chatbots are created to mimic human conversation. Using chatbots, patients can ask health-related questions, check on their appointments, or explore treatment options without calling in.
Why chatbots are perfectly suitable for healthcare
The chatbot is useful for any type of business. But for the healthcare field, they are especially valuable, because chatbots can provide the required information and actions to patients.
24/7 Service
Anytime chatbots can provide patients service and support. According to this, patients can get immediate engagement and answers.
Follow-up medical care
Quality and results are the most important goals for the patient experience. In many cases, it is difficult for doctors to provide quality care once a patient leaves the hospital. Chatbots could be a good solution for this challenge, and they can give follow-up care by prompting patients to record their symptoms or track their progress.
At-home care
Chatbots can be used anywhere, especially at home. The patient can use the range of actions that include not only looking up symptoms and scheduling appointments, it could also use chatbots for the patients after they are discharged from the hospital. The chatbot could help patients take their medications in time and connect with their doctors.
Keep patient update
This is a new way to address any patient. This will keep the patient and family to remain updated till the last moment. Do you need to go to the appointment? The chatbot will remind you via text message or email. Will the surgery for which you need to be prepared? A chatbot can help patients prepare for any size of surgery or operation beforehand.
Better Patient Experiences
In the end, chatbots no doubt can enhance patient satisfaction. They help improve patient satisfaction scores by providing the convenience of care and reducing wait time. The providers have the opportunity to offer services to the patients and make it convenient for patients to receive medical attention. Chatbots can also facilitate surveys and other patient feedback mechanisms to record and track sentiment.
Use cases in the healthcare industry
Let’s imagine the patient needs urgent help and information on what to do? The chatbot could quickly quiz users on the health problem they’re facing and recommend a sequence of actions until the ambulance arrives.
It can be used as a mass email by local or national health organizations. Nowadays, it is especially relevant to people to get to know important details about vaccinations or epidemics.
It can help patients track their moods or feelings that can be discussed with the psychiatrist or therapist at the next appointment. It could offer tips, notifications and advice between therapy sessions. Furthermore, it even can act more like a personal assistant. It can remind patients to take their medication, help them stay motivated to stick to their schedules and provide other relevant medical information.
The hospitals and clinics can use the chatbot to allow patients to learn more about their health by asking questions, check symptoms or conditions, and find relevant specialists if they need them.
The E-commerce industry that sells medical equipment or supplies could build a bot to recommend products to undecided customers. It is one of the ways to increase the visitors on the websites, directing the users to buy the products from it.
A doctor could set up a chatbot to let users schedule their next appointment easily.
The bot can be built to help users find in-network providers near them based on city or zip code.
A medical spa can increase lead generation and user satisfaction using the bot. It is a great idea to ask what users expressly request. Based on the feedback from the users, and add only those services and products which your users have expressly requested. Finally, it could help the best matches schedule a consultation.
Final Thoughts
The chatbots can significantly replace the great part of live chatting with medical personnel. The main advantage that chatbot can provide is improvement in the patient experience. These chatbots are created to be conversational, so they are more responsive and personal than search engines. Chatbots can pull more specific and relevant information for patients rather than search engines. But they can not completely replace a human medical professional’s expertise, but they can reduce the time and money and make it easier for hospital staff to perform their jobs.
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