The Importance of Field Experience in Healthcare Software Development

Developers Venturing into Healthcare: Are They Truly Understanding the Industry?

Having spent three years working within a hospital environment, I’ve witnessed firsthand the influx of technology vendors who arrive promising revolutionary solutions for patient care. Yet, many of these solutions lack a fundamental understanding of the intricacies involved in daily clinical operations.

A recent example that stands out involved a startup demoing a patient intake system. Unfortunately, their solution would have extended appointment times by approximately 20 minutes—simply because they failed to consult with front desk staff. The vendor assumed their product would seamlessly integrate, unaware that front desk personnel, like Karen, have spent years refining their workflows. She knows the process inside and out, often better than the entire engineering team designing the system.

Reflecting on my early days as a developer, I too was guilty of overlooking the complexities unique to healthcare. I once created a basic patient scheduling application, only to realize that I lacked understanding of critical elements such as insurance authorization, provider credentialing, and different appointment types. It took me six months of engaging directly with clinical staff to develop a solution that genuinely met their needs.

The reality is this: many developers attempt to create healthcare software remotely, without firsthand experience of what a functioning clinic looks like—especially during busy periods like flu season. Healthcare systems are intricate, and attempting to “move fast and break things” can have serious consequences. When missteps occur, they can directly impact patient wellbeing, such as missing out on essential medications like insulin.

Has anyone else found themselves humbled by the healthcare industry? Or is the lesson here simply that digitizing processes without understanding the context is not a viable strategy? Truly effective healthcare technology requires more than just coding skills—it demands immersive understanding of clinical workflows and real-world challenges.