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Modern medical centers, clinics, and even general hospitals are gradually transforming their internal processes, focusing on the digitalization of document flow and more. The same applies to billing operations, which are increasing over time.

The popularization of digitalization in payment processes is reflected in the growing demand for specialized systems. According to analysts at Straits Research, the medical billing software niche was valued at $15.34 billion in 2024. According to forecasts from the same source, in 2025 the niche will reach $16.96 billion and will continue to grow at a CAGR of 10.5% until 2033, reaching a total value of $37.68 billion.

There are plenty of reasons for such growth:

• Specialized systems significantly accelerate and automate payment operations.
• They make reporting and taxation processes autonomous.
• They guarantee transaction transparency and compliance with industry standards.

That’s why today we’ll dive deep into the core of medical billing software features. From this material, you will learn about the advantages of such systems, as well as their types, features, and the cost of integration. Familiarize yourself with the article before implementing the appropriate software in your medical facility.

Understanding Medical Billing Software

At first glance, it may seem enough to simply use online banking, POS terminals for accepting payments, keep records in spreadsheets, and not bother with the development, deployment, and configuration of Medical Billing Software. However, unsystematized and manual data management, including payment data, can lead to a number of problems. For example:

• Too many manual operations that require time and resources.
• Risk of revenue loss due to human error.
• Difficulty in accounting and generating reports.

Thus, Medical Billing Software not only automates your facility’s financial operations but also reduces risks, helps to systematize payment processes, reporting, and more. And that’s not all.

Importance of Medical Billing Software in Healthcare

According to a study by Bain & Company, about 80% of respondents—including heads of medical centers—plan to gradually increase spending on IT infrastructure components, including Medical Billing Software.

Why is this so important? For example, because of the advantages and medical billing software features that improve the operational capabilities of healthcare facilities. In particular, we are talking about:

• Automation and improved efficiency of payment processes—that is, minimizing the human factor and reducing the risk of calculation errors.
• Improved transaction accuracy, such as automatic calculation of service costs, report generation, and submission to the appropriate authorities.
• Acceleration of processes—fast information exchange with insurance companies, tax authorities, banks, and other related institutions.
• Compliance with industry standards, such as patient data protection policies and regulations like HIPAA in the United States.
• Increased service satisfaction levels—for example, due to faster billing for patients, simplified payment processes, etc.
• Analytical potential—automated reporting allows the company to better understand the capabilities and needs of the center, plan its development, and control financial flows.

And these are far from all the benefits a medical center receives from integrating specialized software. On the contrary, the key advantages lie in the details—and that’s what we’ll focus on next.

Essential Features of Medical Billing Software

Of the 201 healthcare facility executives in the U.S. who participated in the Bain & Company survey, 56% identified software and technologies as one of the top three strategic development priorities. In other words, the focus on modernizing healthcare provider infrastructure is a trend that will continue for quite a long time.

Among the main priorities for implementing modern IT systems, including Medical Billing Software, the following can be noted:

• User-Friendly Interface.
• Automated Claim Processing.
• Insurance Verification.
• Compliance with Healthcare Regulations.
• Patient Management and Scheduling.
• EHR Integration.
• Customizable Reporting and Analytics.f
• Automated Invoicing and Payment Processing.
• Denial Management and Appeals Tracking.

Let’s go through each point in more detail.

User-Friendly Interface

Traditionally, a fairly large number of tools can be used in medical infrastructure to manage finances. These include spreadsheets for calculations and reporting, third-party programs for data exchange, and external platforms like online banking.

Medical Billing Software offers a unified system with an intuitive and logical interface accessible to employees of all age groups and levels of computer literacy. This somewhat simplifies the learning curve and allows for faster processing of all payment operations—or even their automation.

Automated Claim Processing

Under normal conditions, a patient receives a service and pays for it at the facility’s cashier, right? With specialized billing systems, payment for services provided occurs almost instantly through the issuance of claims.

For example, a doctor or assistant selects the type of service, enters its cost (if it is not fixed), and issues the patient an invoice for payment—either in digital form (such as a QR code) or printed. Payment can be made via the built-in payment aggregator, after which the system automatically issues a receipt and registers the transaction.

Insurance Verification

If the patient’s case is covered by their insurance policy, a request for reimbursement of medical expenses can be submitted immediately after the service is provided.

The system automatically checks the patient’s policy number and the possibility of coverage for treatment. This reduces the time needed for payment processing and eliminates risks, such as denial by the insurance company.

Compliance with Healthcare Regulations

Modern systems must comply with industry requirements such as encryption and overall protection of sensitive data, payment algorithms, etc.

Medical Billing Software typically complies with standards like HIPAA, GDPR, and ISO. In particular, it includes security elements that protect EHR-integrated data, EMR records, account details, transaction information, and more.

Patient Management and Scheduling

Advanced Medical Billing Software platforms go far beyond classic solutions and resemble a mix of ERP/CRM systems with additional accounting and financial functionality.

Thus, even processes like staff scheduling, patient management, appointment coordination, and more can be handled from a single interoperable interface. And yes, staff is divided into roles that are granted access only to specific subsystems. Therefore, confidentiality is maximized. 

EHR Integration

To simplify patient management, a secure CRM system can be added to the Medical Billing Software. It allows for real-time updates of data from EHRs present in other compatible medical center networks, insurance references, and so on.

This significantly simplifies doctors' access to patients’ medical histories, allergy information, previous prescriptions, etc. Accordingly, especially in emergency cases, the specialist will be able to provide help to clients faster and more efficiently. 

Customizable Reporting and Analytics

Not just automation of reporting, but also its personalization. Medical Billing Software can include several templates for the quick preparation and submission of information to regulators.

For example, reports about a patient’s treatment for subsequent submission to the insurance company, or financial reporting for a certain period to the tax authorities.

Automated Invoicing and Payment Processing

Medical Billing Software can issue invoices in both digital and physical formats. Likewise, it can print receipts or any other payment-related documents.

There is also the option to link patients’ financial data for automatic payment of services or to speed up transactions through a system of instant payments with requests sent to the user’s device.

Denial Management and Appeals Tracking

Even in crisis situations, Medical Billing Software can be a useful asset—for example, when the facility does not receive timely payment from the patient, or the patient disputes the issued invoice.

In such cases, it is possible to track payment progress, justify pricing to the relevant authorities, or even split payments to gradually settle outstanding debts.

Ultimately, the key functionality depends on the type of Medical Billing Software required by a particular healthcare facility. Therefore, next, we’ll look at the available implementation options for such solutions.

Types of Medical Billing Software

If briefly, payment software can be divided into several distinct types. Namely:

• Independent Billing Applications.
• Cloud-Based Billing Platforms.
• Integrated Medical Billing Systems.
• Customized Billing Software.
• EHR-Integrated Billing Solutions.

Medical billing software features will vary depending on the type of system chosen. In fact, so will the cost of development, deployment, and maintenance of each variant listed above.

When choosing software of this class, it should be done in such a way that its functionality and capabilities align as closely as possible with the needs of the facility, and its cost is compensated by the center’s income. Therefore, we offer a more detailed overview of each of the software subtypes and medical billing features.

Independent Billing Applications

Separate solutions used directly for transaction processing, invoicing, and revenue tracking. Typically, they do not integrate with medical systems, so they have poorer compatibility with data.

This type of software can be used in private clinics where the number of patients and staff is quite limited, as well as the profitability, and consequently, the requirements for reporting.

Cloud-Based Billing Platforms

This type of software can offer a better experience with the financial components of medical centers. Traditionally, these are SaaS solutions that are personalized for the needs of specific clinics. Such products can be quite versatile and interoperable.

Typically, solutions of this type have cross-platform performance, so they offer a mobile experience for both the clinic staff and clients. Specifically, this includes the ability for remote management of visit schedules, personal cabinets, one-click payments, and more.

Integrated Medical Billing Systems

Somewhat more complex to implement, but better in potential, these systems can be either SaaS solutions or separate programs that have a modular design and are integrated into the existing digital infrastructure of the clinic.

This type of product is almost universal; however, it offers somewhat worse compatibility with data compared to other platforms and systems. Although, provided that professionals are handling the development and integration, no issues should arise.

Customized Billing Software

Personalized products, often developed in the format of platforms with built-in tools such as ERP, CRM, EDMS, etc. Medical billing software features in such systems are tightly integrated with other components, ensuring instant and secure data exchange.

Note that custom development can offer the most flexible pricing and overall profitability. Yes, it is possible to implement the platform step by step, starting with an MVP, and gradually modernizing the system, scaling it, or transforming it according to the needs of the facility.

EHR-Integrated Billing Solutions

A universal class of systems suitable for facilities that provide a wide range of services to clients. Integration with EHR allows staff to quickly and securely access patient data, as well as store their own information, including treatment course, medical history, contraindications, etc.

This is a rather expensive but the best option for large medical institutions and clinics. Of course, each of the types of systems described can be deployed in any type of hospital. But is it worth it? Let’s also examine this question.

How to Choose the Right Medical Billing Software

It may sound cliché, but your choice should primarily consider the needs of the institution regarding medical billing software features. Here are the factors to pay attention to first:

• Functionality. What and how much needs to be automated, what integrations are necessary, and what financial management capabilities are required.
• Compliance. Primarily with HIPAA, GDPR, ISO standards, or others, if it's critical for the institution.
• Integrations. Specifically with the current infrastructure of the clinic, such as EHR, CRM, and payment aggregators.
• Ease of Use. Intuitiveness and ease of training staff of all age groups.
• Platform Type. Whether it's a local or cloud-based solution, or possibly a hybrid. This will also affect the UX and usage costs.
• Cost. Pricing models for the product, its maintenance, and updates.

If for some reason you are unable to determine what exactly your institution needs, you can always seek help and consultation from the experts at Darly Solutions. In fact, they can also help define an initial estimate for development, integration, deployment, and system maintenance. 

Cost of Custom Medical Billing Software Development

Regarding the pricing of products of this type, their range can vary widely. Specifically, the following factors will affect the cost:

• Platform complexity. A basic system may cost around $30,000, while a solution with AI, coding CPT, ICD-10, etc., could be priced starting from $150,000.
• Technologies. The rule is similar—simpler and more accessible systems tend to have a lower product cost.
• Number and complexity of integrations. There is a logical progression as the complexity increases.
• UI/UX design. This depends partly on the chosen technologies but is usually calculated separately.
  Security and regulatory compliance. This factor is mostly included in the base development cost, but sometimes it is itemized separately if specific data protection measures are needed.
  Development time and team. This is rarely considered as a separate pricing factor, but you will have to pay extra for faster delivery.
• Maintenance. Platform upgrades, bug fixes, and routine security patches are usually listed as a separate item.

The cost of creating Medical Billing Software is a dynamic figure, primarily depending on the center's needs and the service provider's pricing. So, if you want to save costs or at least avoid going bankrupt, use Darly Solutions’ help and a step-by-step implementation plan.

Future Trends in Medical Billing Software

This type of software follows all the traditional IT sector trends. Specifically:

• AI and ML for forecasting and automating reporting, analytics, operations, and risk management.
• Integration of blockchain elements for protecting data, transactions, and financial information.
• Development of telemedicine and expansion of IoT potential for use in this field.
• Transition to 100% cloud-based solutions for maximum mobility of medical services.
• Expansion of regulatory requirements aimed at service personalization and patient protection.

The technological horizon is currently quite dynamic, so trends that influence the niche today might be replaced by new ones tomorrow. But Darly Solutions always keeps its finger on the pulse and offers you a quality combination of the latest technologies and reliable practices.

Conclusion

Medical Billing Software is not an option but a real need for medical institutions that wish to provide modern services and have automated tools for billing. Yes, the development and implementation of such systems can be costly, but in the end, clinics gain long-term benefits.

For the development and implementation of Medical Billing Software, you need a clear understanding of your institution’s needs and a reliable provider. By choosing Darly Solutions, you get a comprehensive service that covers all stages of deploying this type of platform.

Ready to start collaboration? Contact our team manager to launch the project!

No matter how ambitious your goals are when you first think of creating a custom software solution, strict budget and deadline constraints can easily dash them. So, what should you do in this case?

Specifically, before your tech team starts implementing a healthtech solution, you can choose two different paths for them: native and cross-platform mobile app development. In the vast majority of cases, in this area, the second option can cover all the needs and requirements for the project without harming its critical aspects, such as usability, performance, reliability, etc. At the same time, you will be able to launch your product on the market faster and save your financial resources. 

However, such a development process is somewhat different from the one that precedes the launch of several native applications. Below, we'll cover how these differences can impact critical aspects of your project and share insights that help you fix them.

Best Practices for Cross-Platform Development in Healthcare

Since cross-platform app development involves adapting a healthcare solution to multiple platforms at once, it is important for the team to adhere to the following best practices to ensure the proper quality of the resulting solution.

Compliance and Security

The first thing you should probably start the development process for the healthcare industry is to ensure compliance with generally accepted standards and policies. The most common among them are HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) and GDPR (EU regulation aimed at giving citizens control over their personal data). Along with that, software engineers must use standard security mechanisms such as encryption, integration of secure connection certificates, etc. Ultimately, it is better to check the requirements for medical software development according to the legislation in force in a particular region – this way, you will not face any fines and bans.

User Experience (UX) Design

Now, let's talk about user experience in health apps – it should be smooth regardless of the platform they are running on. Since many healthcare mobile applications are positioned as an alternative to offline services from legally operating medical institutions, they must comply with accessibility rules that are described in detail in WCAG 2.0. These guidelines allow developers to implement seamless interaction with medtech solutions for people with all kinds of disabilities. Depending on the type of medical tasks assigned, you will need to ensure that your healthcare app UI/UX design meets WCAG 2.0 requirements to the appropriate level.

Performance Optimization

Nowadays, high performance is considered one of the key aspects ensuring the app’s survival in the market; however, in the healthcare sector, this parameter is much more critical since someone's life may depend on it. Indeed, if your digital solution involves an urgent call to a doctor, lags in its functioning may end tragically for some of the users. At the same time, it is believed that native applications work faster than those created in the process of cross-platform or hybrid app development. This is not true – such modern development tools as React Native, Flutter, Ionic, and many others allow teams to build software with complex business logic without reducing its speed. Of course, these frameworks will not handle resource-intensive gaming applications, but, most likely, this is not the original task. Whatever approach and technology stack you choose, your team involved in software development for healthcare will need to spend some time testing the application before launching and ensuring that it works equally effectively on all platforms.

Testing and Quality Assurance

Yes, we have already outlined the importance of this process above, but we will repeat it once again: no application can be launched for public access before it has passed a series of tests, both with the participation of the team itself and involving focus groups assembled from representatives of the target audience of your software. The most common types of testing are modular, integration, functional, acceptance, system, smoke, and so on. Each of these types takes place at a certain stage of development (and has to be performed on each platform separately), but the amount of code covered by test cases and the number of iterations will directly depend on the established deadlines. 

Integration

Finally, it is worth saying a few words about integrating your app with existing third-party products and services that your organization already uses. This is usually necessary to expand the functionality of the former and, in particular, to ensure seamless data transfer between applications. However, while the vast majority of modern custom healthcare solutions integrate via API, it is quite predictable that your team will face some issues if you use legacy software. For this, an additional middleware will have to be developed – it will take responsibility for converting data to the required format and back.

Conclusion

In general, as you may know, cross-platform development is cheaper than native development, because most of the code is reused between platforms, and you do not need to hire two separate teams to create native software for each of them (in particular iOS and Android). Moreover, with the right approach, frameworks such as Ionic allow you to build both mobile cross-platform and web applications, reusing most of the code, which, in turn, speeds up and reduces the cost of development for mobile and web platforms, respectively.

So, now, knowing the specifics of developing solutions using cross-platform app development tools, you will be better informed about how to ensure their proper quality and control each stage of their creation. However, if you would like to outsource this complex task without unnecessary doubts so as not to spend too much time on supervising, feel free to contact us.

The future of healthcare is digital. In 2022 alone, the global patient portal market reached $2.9B, as the Grand View Research reports. By  2030, it’s projected to grow even higher—at a CAGR of 19.44%. This trend reflects how public and private healthcare organizations strive to digitize paper documentation and automate everyday business operations.

Indeed, the stakes in healthcare are high. Even minor errors can lead to incorrect diagnoses and worsen patients’ conditions. This is where patient portal software greatly minimizes errors, particularly those caused by human factors 

Below, read on how to create a patient portal. We’ll analyze the target audience’s needs, dive into the most successful examples of its implementation, and examine the nature of the target audience's requirements.

What is a patient portal system?

An online patient portal is a web or mobile solution (usually for Android and iOS platforms) that gives patients access to medical records, helps schedule appointments in a few clicks, and easily communicate with healthcare providers at any time. 

By automating the interaction between the parties via the patient portal, organizations can improve the quality of care while making their services more accessible and convenient for patients.

In particular, modern patient portal requirements are:

• Fast and secure access to their medical data and records with guaranteed privacy protection.
• High-quality medical services without the need to wait in long queues.
• A clear understanding of the treatment plan and progress.

Healthcare organizations instead aim to:

• Reduce their administrative costs – in particular, for maintaining paper documentation.
• Maximize personnel efficiency without the risk of burnout.
• Increase patient satisfaction through transparent interaction and remote patient monitoring.
• Comply with the healthcare regulations.
• Reach a new level of income by reducing expenses and attracting new patients.

That is why the patient portal system is the one-stop solution that, if implemented correctly, covers all the above-mentioned needs. This is typically achieved through the following features:

• Access to medical records (including medical history and test results).
• Appointment booking (with the option to select the date, time, and doctor).
• Online consultations (for example, via video calls and chats with doctors).
• Repeat prescription orders (automatic issuance of electronic prescriptions and reminders for refills).
• Online bill payment.
• Personal data management (including patient contact information).
• Push notifications (reminders for upcoming visits, tests, vaccinations, etc.).
• Educational materials.
• Feedback tools (surveys for patient satisfaction and forms for submitting complaints, etc.).

Types of patient portals: Which fits your healthcare needs?

Generally, there are two global types of patient portals: integrated and standalone. The former is presented as a component of electronic health records (EMR/EHR) and is fully tied to the infrastructure of a healthcare facility. Integrated portals ensure uninterrupted data exchange between doctors and patients but, in the case of ready-made solutions, are limited by the functionality offered by the specific healthcare provider.

Standalone portals, however, come in two forms: SaaS and on-premise. The former are hosted in the cloud and are available by subscription, which is especially convenient for healthcare providers within small organizations. Their advantage is quick deployment and configuration. At the same time, their customization options are often limited. 

As for the second category, these are software solutions installed on local servers of a specific healthcare organization. They provide comprehensive control over data but require significant infrastructure and support costs. They can also be difficult to scale and integrate with third-party solutions.

It is worth noting that every medical organization has its own regular processes and specific business tasks distributed among different departments. In particular:

• The reception desk keeps track of patient records.
• Laboratories collect, process, and store test results.
• The finance department is responsible for payments and insurance processes.
• Doctors and medical personnel work with medical records and appointments.

All the above processes can rarely be integrated into a single system, which makes it difficult to automate them using only one off-the-shelf patient portal. Moreover, medical institutions vary greatly in specialization (including clinics, dentistry, laboratories, hospitals, etc.), and ready-made products do not always meet their needs. 

If we add to this the need to comply with regional security standards for patient data, it becomes clear that out-of-the-box solutions may not be viable. This is the main reason why healthcare organizations are increasingly resorting to custom healthcare portal development.

Patient portal requirements: Key features and functionalities

Now, let's check the main functionalities and features that should be integrated into a patient portal.

User authentication and access management system

This portal component uses OAuth 2.0 and OpenID Connect for secure login. It protects users' credentials and enables multi-factor authentication. Usually, developers provide multi-level access with restrictions based on user roles (including patients, doctors, administrators, etc.). 

At the same time, when implementing role-based access, it is important to adhere to widely recognized patient data security policies, such as HIPAA and GDPR. Specifically, doctors and administrators should have full access to all patient data. In contrast, individual patients should only be able to view, edit, and delete their info.

Medical data storage

The storage is located on local or cloud servers using AES-256 and TLS 1.3 for data encryption. By the way, many cloud vendors have ready-made solutions for healthcare organizations that meet the standards of patient data privacy (including AWS HealthLake, Azure Healthcare, and others). It is also crucial to ensure that such storage is protected against data misuse and unauthorized access.

Integration with EHR systems

This integration is necessary for consolidating patient data. Thus, developers must adhere to FHIR and HL7 standards to ensure compatibility and data exchange. As for the integration itself, if we are not talking about legacy solutions, it is carried out through an API. 

Finally, to ensure that the patient portal system complies with the requirements of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (particularly, the ONC's Cures Act), it is essential that the platform could get full access to the patient, with all the ability to edit and delete.

Appointment schedules, doctors’ cards, and telemedicine tools

The first two components involve creating a catalog with therapists’ information and a scheduling system where patients can book visits. This can be achieved through RESTful API to synchronize with hospital calendars. Also, integrating with trusted video communication platforms like Zoom Healthcare can facilitate direct communication between patients and doctors.

Automation of bill calculations and online payments

Online payments are processed through integrations with payment gateways like Stripe or PayPal. In general, they must support PCI DSS standards. As for the automated billing system, this is essentially a regular calculator that “pulls up” data on the cost of services selected by the patient and sums them up (minus insurance and benefits, if any).

Integration with wearable devices

This is necessary so that doctors can monitor the condition of patients in real time. To do this, developers use APIs to collect data from devices (for example, from Apple HealthKit or Google Fit, as well as more specialized IoT equipment). At the same time, they must also implement a mechanism for obtaining prior patient consent to collect personal data.

Messaging 

It also makes sense to integrate a chat (with the ability to attach media files) for interaction with doctors, supporting end-to-end encryption (E2E) and using WebSockets protocols that provide real-time messaging.

User dashboards

The patient portal needs an interface for each user role. Basically, it should adapt the data and tools for doctors, admins, and patients. Among other things, it can also be enriched with advanced analytical tools. For example, Power BI or Tableau can be used to generate reports and visualize data (assessing attendance dynamics, treatment results, patient satisfaction, etc.).

How to develop a patient portal software: From concept to launch

When it comes to custom solutions, our telehealth website development services are provided in several subsequent stages. Let’s consider them in detail.

Ideation and requirements analysis

At this stage, our team consolidates the portal concept of custom healthcare portal development, according to your business goals, unique aspects of your internal business processes and IT infrastructure, the needs of the target audience, and an analysis of competitors’ strengths and weaknesses. Based on this blueprint, we create documentation indicating functional and non-functional requirements.

Architecture design

From now on, our patient portal development team has everything ready to define the project's technological stack (for the frontend, backend, and database) and choose a specific architectural approach. We also approve the necessary third-party Integrations (including EHR, payment gateways, telemedicine solutions, etc.). 

Finally, we select tools and protocols to ensure our portal has a proper security level, including data encryption, user authentication/authorization methods, diagrams of interaction between components, etc.

UI/UX design

This stage involves building interface prototypes and gradually transforming them into a full-fledged design after usability testing. At the same time, our patient portal app development experts always take into account the requirements for the accessibility of the user interface. Basically, they are most accurately outlined in the WCAG 2.1 and ADA guidelines.

Development

Now, we can start working on the frontend and backend of the patient portal. Once individual functional modules are ready, we conduct unit testing to prevent hard-to-fix bugs at later stages of the project. This stage also involves the implementation of security mechanisms and integration with third-party solutions.

Testing and quality control

When the code base is ready, our patient portal development experts conduct rigorous testing, including functional, load, security, usability, etc. This stage ensures that the solution meets the best specs and software quality standards in healthcare.

Deployment and launch

Before launching the portal, we prepare all the necessary infrastructure, build a CI/CD pipeline, and set up a monitoring system. If needed, we can train your staff on how to use the portal. After all the previous stages are checked—we usually start deployment.

Post-release support and updates

To better understand ​​​​its further optimization, our patient portal development experts regularly check the portal’s logs and metrics, collecting feedback. In addition, as post-release bugs are discovered, we fix them and, if necessary, implement new features.

Understanding the needs of your patients

A patient portal and medical website design should fully adapt to the target audience's problems. That is why it is essential to define them in advance. Based on our experience, we would like to highlight the following ones:

• Long wait time when making an appointment.
  Patients often encounter long wait times in phone and in-person queues. A patient portal can help. It lets users book online appointments 24/7 and choose a specialist. In addition, it sends SMS or push notifications to remind patients about upcoming visits.
• Lack of full access to medical data.
  Many patients are forced to visit clinics because healthcare organizations still document their test results manually. The patient portal gives access to electronic medical records, test results, and doctor recommendations, which can be easily downloaded or saved (for offline access).
• Lack of understanding of the treatment plans.
  Patients may find it difficult to track their treatments' progress, which may result in forgotten, delayed, or canceled visits and procedures. To prevent this, portals display the treatment plan and the current status of therapy. In addition, patients get notifications about upcoming procedures, calendars, and recommendations, which is very smart.
• Difficulties in paying for medical services.
  The need for patients to be physically present makes offline payments resource-intensive. Patient portals eliminate this headache with integrated payment systems, allowing users to view their payment history and current bills in just a few clicks.
• Insufficient communication with the attending physician.
  In-person appointments to explain test results and treatment plans can be time-consuming for both patients and healthcare providers. Patient portals streamline this process with online chat and video calling capabilities.‍
• Weak control over the treatment of chronic conditions.
  Patients with chronic conditions often lack convenient tools for regular monitoring. Portals can address this with real-time health data visualization, medication reminders, and appointment scheduling, as well as integrating with wearable devices for continuous data collection.‍
• Low involvement in the treatment process.
  Since some patients find it difficult to understand how their actions affect treatment results, the patient portal development team can also add interactive tools to the portal to track patients' treatment progress or provide educational materials.
  Gamification elements can enhance the effect.

‍

Patient portal development challenges and solutions

In this section, we will analyze the most typical challenges of patient portal software development and the most effective ways to overcome them.

• Ensuring compliance with regulations.
  Telemedicine hugely relies on strong data protection, first—to comply with laws like HIPAA and GDPR, and second—obviously, it is for patient trust. End-to-end encryption, role-based access control (RBAC), and multi-factor authentication are key practices, along with regular system audits and penetration testing to ensure security.
• Integration with existing solutions in the organization's IT infrastructure.
  Many healthcare providers still use older systems that don't easily connect with modern software. To solve this, developers can build 'middleware'—software that acts as a bridge—to automate data transfer between patient portals and other systems, ensuring everything works smoothly.
• Ensuring high performance and scalability.
  Many portals frequently freeze when user traffic exceeds the original design capacity. To solve this, developers can host the portal in a cloud environment that scales as users grow and use a microservice architecture to balance the workload across the portal's services. Additionally, they can optimize a database through indexing and caching.
• Ensuring intuitiveness. 
  ‍Since the target audience of patient portals is diverse (including the elderly, people with disabilities, and people with no technical literacy), there should be universal access to the full use of all portal functionality. To solve this, during the development of the patient portal software, the team should conduct user research and surveys to guide and optimize the software effectively. They should also adhere to the compliance of this software with the WCAG 2.1 guidelines. 

• Accessibility on mobile OSes.
  As patients increasingly manage their healthcare on digital devices, patient portals must offer a seamless mobile experience. Poor mobile optimization can lead to slow loading times and display issues. Developers can address this by building progressive web apps (PWAs) or cross-platform solutions, implementing offline access for key features, and optimizing content loading with techniques like lazy loading and data compression.

Patient portal software cost: What to expect

The cost of telemedicine app development depends on project complexity,  the team involved in the patient portal software development process, geographic location, development timeline, and the scope of features. Let's examine each of the points that influenced the cost in detail:

1. Project complexity

• Basic consultation apps with user registration, appointment scheduling, video calls, and messaging: $30K-$100K.
• Advanced telehealth platforms with multi-user portals, integrated EHR, and health analytics: $100K-$300K+.
• Telemedicine platforms with IoT/AI integration: $250K-$500K.

2. Team composition

A typical team for creating a basic patient portal usually includes:

• 2-3 developers: Where 1-2 are front-end developers, and 1 back-end developer.
• The project manager: Tracks the project goals and wins. 
• QA specialist: Tests the app to make sure it works correctly.

3. Development timeline

The time it takes for patient portal software development also affects costs. Most telemedicine apps take between 2 to 6 months to develop:

• Simple apps usually take about 2-3 months.
• More complex apps may take up to 6-12 months.

4. Geographic location

American tech experts can be expensive. For example, a front-end developer might earn over $100K annually, about $8K monthly. He might charge between $70K-$80K for a three-month project.

Hiring remote developers can save you money. For instance, Eastern European developers or other regions often charge between $2,500 and $3,500 monthly. You can easily hire a similar team for about $30K to $40K for the same project.

If you want to find out the patient portal software cost in your case, please fill out this contact form. 

Improving patient outcomes with data management: A case by Darly Solutions

From theory to practice—let's examine our relevant Darly Solutions experience through a top case from our portfolio.

In particular, we were approached by a HealthTech company specializing in consolidating unstructured medical data for organizations in the healthcare sector. They needed a custom digital solution to monitor clinical data. 

Faced with a tight deadline and the need for high precision, we meticulously planned and assigned all the UX/UI design, web development, QA, and project management tasks. We also reviewed the team's work schedule, as some members had to work overtime. Finally, we carefully chose the technology stack. We settled on Angular, HTML, CSS, Docker, ngRx, TailwindCSS, NGX Pagination, and JSON. 

Finally, our efforts paid off. We launched the product on time and met all design, functionality, and quality standards. As a result, the client has a competitive product with all the chances to thrive in the innovative telemedicine sector.

Find out more about this case here.

The future of patient portal development

In general, the future of patient portal software development is closely connected with the fast development of modern technologies, such as:

• Artificial intelligence and machine learning.
  These technologies will personalize the portal and related healthcare services. AI-powered chatbots, including ones with recognition of human voice commands, will assist with scheduling appointments and answering FAQs. In advance, machine learning can also analyze patient data and symptoms to provide preliminary diagnoses.‍

• Blockchain.
  The introduction of blockchain technologies in patient portals can be aimed at more secure storage of their medical records and ensuring access to them only to authorized users. In addition, with its help, each interaction with data (adding, editing, and deleting) will be recorded, increasing the system's transparency.

• Virtual and augmented reality.
  These technologies can form the basis of next-generation telemedicine solutions. In particular, in the future, patients will be able to interact with doctors at a distance without reducing the quality of service. AR interfaces will also help inform patients about upcoming treatment plans.
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• Internet of Things and integration with wearable devices.
  IoT solutions can provide end-to-end RPM in real-time (for example, portals will be able to collect and analyze data on the patient's pulse, blood pressure, oxygen level, and activity). Based on this data, doctors can receive instant notifications of critical changes regardless of patients' locations.
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• Big data and business intelligence.
  Examples of patient portals use big data to identify trends, such as tracking the rise in the incidence of a particular virus or assessing the effectiveness of treatments. Also, end-to-end medical data analysis ensures timely prediction of exacerbation of chronic diseases. Finally, doctors and administrators of healthcare institutions will be able to monitor departments' workloads and optimize appointment scheduling.
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• Biometric identification.
  Biometric mechanisms can give users access to the portal through fingerprint, face, or voice scanning, making the authorization process more secure and easier.

Conclusion

Now you know everything about patient portal development and can safely choose an off-the-shelf solution or search for a team to implement a custom one. If the second option is closer to you but you would not like to turn the search process into a real headache, you can contact us, and we will be happy to discuss the details of our future cooperation to implement your idea.