Growing challenges for SaaS companies in Healthcare
The challenges for companies developing SaaS products for healthcare are increasing. This is caused in part by:
- Legacy systems, no matter how successful they once were, often also offer a mediocre user experience that increases churn and makes convincing new prospects more difficult.
- Flexible integration with other systems and staying up-to-date with regulations and security requirements is quite a chore for most healthcare software developers.
- In addition, the consequences of overdue technical maintenance place a high burden on development teams. They often lack the necessary knowledge and experience to develop products in a modern way.
It is irresponsible not to address these problems due to other priorities. Moreover, within the healthcare sector there is an urgent need for innovative SaaS products that can help reduce administrative pressure.
Our clients have chosen to work with us to address their challenges. We have worked closely with them to help them modernise their digital products. From refactoring and improving the UX to complete rebuilds. The result was future-proof products with enthusiastic end users and an optimal product-market fit.
Prevent your product from gradually losing its relevance in the market. Make an appointment to discuss how we can help you achieve your goals.
The urgency of change – turn the tide or get left behind?
Not addressing the challenges in the development of healthcare SaaS products can lead to serious consequences:
Increasing burden on development teams
Overdue technical maintenance burdens development teams and results in delays, reduced productivity, unnecessary errors and frustration.
Loss of users and customers
A poor user experience of legacy systems leads to customer loss (churn) and makes it difficult to convince new customers.
Missed opportunities and competitive disadvantage
A modern digital foundation is essential for your product. Secure integration with other systems is crucial for innovation and competitiveness.
Complexities in system integration
Not being able to flexibly integrate with other systems leads to inefficiencies, increased operational costs and customer dissatisfaction.
Failure to comply with regulations and security requirements
Failure to keep up with regulations and security requirements can lead to legal problems, data breaches and loss of customer trust.
In short, the impact of these challenges on risk, efficiency, growth and job satisfaction is significant. Time for action!
Companies with whom we have previously worked successfully in healthcare:
How can we together address these challenges most effectively?
1. Improving user experience (UX) and reducing administrative burden: In the healthcare sector, UX is crucial. It needs to be clear, unambiguous and validated, especially as everything in this sector is risk-based. A deep understanding of the sector and the processes required is essential. It is important to note that this includes the translation process, as confusing UX or incorrect translations can put patients’ health at risk. To address this, it is necessary to involve UX experts and translators and validate the processes according to relevant standards such as IEC 62366.
“By 2040, one in four people will work in the healthcare sector.”
2. Security and privacy: Health data is highly sensitive and subject to strict regulations such as GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation), NEN 7510 in the Netherlands and ISO 27001. It is crucial to have a deep understanding of these standards and legislation to ensure that your technology solutions meet the highest standards for security and privacy. At the same time, solutions need to be found for dealing with potential conflicts between GDPR and local healthcare regulations.
Based on our standard approach, we already cover 60% of the required technical management measures (controls) for the NEN. Through risk sessions, we help you understand the risks applicable to your product – and which are already covered by our standard approach. The reports from the risk sessions can also be used for your NEN/ISO audit.
3. Integration: Integrating new healthcare software is a complex process. This often includes linking systems with Electronic Patient/Health Records (EPR/EHR) or ‘PBM’ (Personal Health Environment). It is vital to have experience with the latest integration standards such as HL7 FHIR and older standards to ensure smooth data exchange. Moreover, if you decide to offer APIs for integration with legacy systems, you need to develop a strong API strategy. This will prevent your external legacy from emerging and preventing others from keeping up with you.
To illustrate, let’s take the Vecozo platform. Vecozo ensures secure and efficient exchange of administrative data in healthcare, such as checking insurance law (CoV check) and submitting claims. At a number of our customers, we have integrated Vecozo and built a solid foundation from which we can further expand and upscale when needed.
4. On-Premise deployment: In some cases, healthcare technologies need to be implemented on-premise, which poses unique challenges. Managing security updates, licences and coordinating with healthcare IT teams requires a thorough approach and planning.
5. Modernising Legacy Systems: Many healthcare organisations have a significant base of legacy software that needs to be modernised. This requires time, expertise and strategic planning to ensure that existing systems can be seamlessly integrated with new technologies.
Addressing these challenges requires not only in-depth knowledge of the Health Tech sector, but also a multidisciplinary approach involving experts in UX, security, integration, and technology strategy. By addressing these challenges in a structured and collaborative way, we can move the Health Tech sector forward and contribute to better care for all.
Working together for a healthy future for your organisation
Our years of experience in understanding the complex needs within healthcare enables us to provide not only technology solutions, but also in-depth insights into our customers’ specific needs. In addition, our expertise in UX design, security, compliance and seamless integration enables us to provide solutions that accelerate business development without adding extra administrative burdens.
Together with you, we want to turn the tide in healthcare, contributing to improving healthcare and ensuring a successful future for your organisation. Curious about the possibilities? Make an initial (call) appointment and we will be happy to see what we can do for each other.
Previously realised SaaS solutions that we are proud of:
“GlobalOrange’s active thinking has ensured that there is now a unique product that is not simply an implementation of my original idea.”
