Tech Stack for Building Custom EMR Software
Technology has become clearly a game-changing factor in the modern healthcare landscape. You see, there is at least a machine or software that simplifies your care delivery for you, right? Well, if not simplified, then at least it helps you in the process.
Riding the digitalization trend in clinical care, a significant change has been brought in by the Electronic Medical Records. They have become the epicenter of care delivery, and today, almost all healthcare practices use EMR software solutions for their practice.
However, a trend that has been shaping the healthcare IT landscape is the EMR software development. You see, healthcare practices are becoming more independent and specialized, and providers are building their own EMR software systems.
On the contrary, the number of failed EMR software systems has also increased. So, the question is, is the custom EMR software development approach wrong?
The answer is NO. In fact, develop custom EMR software, and you can not only improve the quality of care but also make the software more practice and patient-centric. But then why are almost 50% of the practices failing in EMR software platform development?
Well, having worked in the industry for a while and trying to make the lives of healthcare providers simpler with technology, a blocker that I’ve observed is the selection of the tech stack for EMR development.
Being someone who works on technology and uses that technology, I can sometimes overlook the selection of the right tech stack. But the selection of the right tech stack can certainly be done correctly. For instance, if you know something, if not everything, about the EMR software technology stack.
In this blog, let’s simplify technology and help you in selecting the right technology stack for building your own EMR software.
Key Considerations for Tech Stack Selection
The technology stack you choose determines everything for your EMR software. From security and performance to data-sharing capabilities, everything depends on the technology stack. So, here are some of the key considerations that you need to take into account while choosing the right EMR technology stack.
1. Scalability and Performance
You need high-performing software that is able to handle high traffic and sustain while dealing with different types of data, which will only increase. However, as a clinical healthcare software, the complexity of the system should also be considered.
The right technology stack improves the performance of your software and covers the scalability aspects. However, given the evolving nature of the technological landscape as well, choosing cloud-native technologies would help you in future-proofing your software ecosystem with scalable databases and flexible customizations.
However, you must set some indicators to measure your performance and sustain the load to check the system responsiveness. After all, the purpose of a software system is to help you save time and not increase it.
2. Security and Compliance
The healthcare information of your patients can reveal almost everything to them, and since all that is stored in software, accessing it can be like a gold mine for cyber attackers. That is why there are regulatory compliances that you need to adhere to and take effective security measures to protect the sensitive information of your patients.
When discussing tech selection with EMR software developers, choose a technology stack with strong security features such as encryption and access controls. And assert the importance of complying with all the relevant regulations such as HIPAA, HITECH Act, FDA, state laws, etc.
3. Interoperability
Your EMR software also needs to share and receive data from other software systems. Though sharing can be easily achieved, getting that data in an understandable manner is a challenge, especially in the healthcare industry. This is where the concern of interoperability must be addressed while choosing the EMR software development technology stack.
Laboratories, pharmacies, radiologists, and insurance companies are some of the many healthcare software systems that you need to integrate your software with. To achieve this, choose those technologies that allow open standards and have well-defined APIs.
To improve the collaboration between healthcare providers, you need to ensure that your EMR system supports data exchange not only with other EMR systems but also with Healthcare Information Exchanges (HIEs) as well.
4. User Experience (UX)
Last but not least, the usability of your EMR software depends on the user experience it provides to its users. And let’s be honest, no provider likes to work on boring, age-old interfaces. It only worsens the experience and lacks interactiveness.
Since you are planning to build your own EMR, why not make the interface user-friendly and intuitive, allowing healthcare providers to easily navigate and provide care without much hassle?
To build an intuitive and interactive interface for your custom EMR software, leverage the use of modern EMR technology stack for frontend technologies like React, Angular, or Vue.js. These frontend technologies are used to build highly responsive and interactive interfaces for both web software and mobile applications.
One practice to adopt while EMR software development is to adopt an iterative design process and conduct surveys to gather user feedback. User feedback can help you understand the struggles of your user groups while using and how they can be improved.
Popular Tech Stacks for EMR Development
If you’re still reading this, then you’re about to know some of the choices you will be making when choosing the EMR software technology stack. So, basically, a technology stack is like a group of technologies you use to build your own EMR software.
But before this, it was important for you to know the different aspects of your custom EMR software that are determined by the technology stack you choose. On that note, let’s get into the popular tech stacks that are commonly used to develop custom EMR software by companies to meet the practice’s unique needs and requirements.
1. Cloud Platforms
In development, you sort of need to build your own technical ecosystem. What can be better than a cloud infrastructure? It is easily scalable, reliable, and cost-effective. Let me explain, most of the cloud platforms have introduced pay-as-you-go models, which eliminate the need for you to invest separately in hardware and software, reducing the development and operational costs.
Moreover, the flexibility these cloud platforms provide has become a deciding factor in accommodating growth. You see, with the ability to easily scale resources, the increasing workload on your system can be easily managed.
Here are some of the most commonly used cloud platforms that are used for EMR development:
- AWS (Amazon Web Services): It offers a wide range of services and is designed to offer maximum flexibility for systems. Moreover, it is easily scalable, has a diverse pricing model, and supports robust security features like encryption, access control, and compliance certifications like HIPAA, HITRUST, GDPR, etc.
- Azure: Azure is developed by Microsoft, which makes it a cloud technology that perfectly integrates with Microsoft’s infrastructure. It has a unique autoscaling feature and can handle fluctuating workloads very efficiently. Furthermore, the security offerings are comprehensive, making it one of the most sought-after choices during EMR system development.
- Google Cloud: Google Cloud, as the name suggests, is developed by Google and is known for providing innovative services. However, with their emergence in cloud computing, they have shifted their focus to data analytics and machine learning, which makes it a good choice for developing future-proof EMR software. Moreover, it offers highly flexible and scalable features, and security offerings also involve compliance certification, data encryption practice, and role-based access management features as well.
With cloud platforms, you improve access, scalability, and software performance. However, when choosing a cloud platform, emphasize the security features and choose an EMR software development company that has a proven track record of robust cloud-based EMR development with compliance and strong security.
2. Programming Languages
Now, it’s time to code! However, you need programming languages for that. You see, computers communicate in binary language, and programming languages are nothing but the languages that computer systems understand. And they are used to not only perform a particular functionality but also to develop the frontend, backend, and other aspects of your custom EMR.
Here are some of the most popular programming languages that are commonly used to develop healthcare software solutions and especially in custom EMR software development.
- Python: Of all the programming languages, Python is one of the cleanest, which makes it a perfect option for quick development. Furthermore, libraries like Django and Flask equip EMR software developers with innovative tools for web development to inculcate features that use data analysis and machine learning. However, the major drawback of using Python is its slower performance rate as compared to other technologies like Java and its inability to fully utilize multi-core processors.
- Java: The preferred programming language for large-scale applications is Java. It has a strong system and memory management ability, which makes it compatible with different operating systems. For your EMR developers, it offers a vast ecosystem of libraries and frameworks, which speeds up the software development process. However, it is a complex language and needs rigorous coding practices, unlike Python or other programming languages.
- C#: C Sharp has recently become one of the most commonly used programming languages for EMR software development. It is developed by Microsoft and is known for its excellent performance and robust libraries, and strong typing. Though its performance and sustainability are maximum with Microsoft products, its ability to run smoothly with similar output makes it suitable for serving the user population with diverse platforms.
Apart from these, there are several other programming languages like Node.js, C++, JavaScript, etc., and all these technologies come with different advantages and disadvantages. When discussing the technology stack with your custom EMR software development company, iterate on why choosing that particular programming language is beneficial for development with respect to its unique needs and requirements.
Last but not least, choose a language that aligns perfectly with the skills of your EMR developers. This is to ensure the speed of development and other aspects.
3. Databases
Custom EMR software deals with a lot of different types of data, and it generates certain data of its own. This data needs to be structured, stored, retrieved, and updated. A database helps you in doing that while storing it. Here are some of the robust and scalable databases that you can choose for your custom EMR software development:
- Relational Databases: This is one of the most commonly used databases where the data is organized in tables, rows, and columns. This type of storage makes it easier to interconnect relationships between data sets, storage, retrieval, and manipulation. In relational databases, you can consider MySQL, PostgreSQL as your database management systems for your EMR software.
- NoSQL Databases: Other than relational databases, there is NoSQL database, which stands for Not Only SQL database, which is much more flexible and is designed to handle large volumes of unstructured data. Due to this, it has become an ideal choice for developing high scalability, performance, and availability EMR software. Some of the database management systems in NoSQL are MongoDB, Cassandra, and Couchbase.
Choosing your database depends on the type of data you deal with. Based on that, choosing the right database for EMR development becomes easier, but discussing the advantages and disadvantages of different database options with your EMR software development company is necessary.
TIP: Choose a database that is efficient in handling large volumes of data and navigate smoothly through the complexity.
Guide to Choosing the Right Tech Stack to Build Your Own EMR
Free DownloadConclusion
Technology stack has often been one of the major reasons for the failure of EMR software systems. But the right tech stack has also been the major reason for the success of custom EMR software development ventures. That is why careful planning and evaluation to choose the best technologies for your specific needs is important.
On that note, let this blog be your guide to choosing a tech stack for EMR development that supports high performance, enhances security, and elevates the user experience of your users. But the right choice always comes after knowing the specific needs and requirements, right? So click here to get your free consultation, and let’s get started.
Frequently Asked Questions
Selecting a tech stack for EMR development involves prioritizing:
- Scalability: To handle large datasets and a growing user base.
- Security: To protect sensitive patient data with robust encryption and access controls.
- Interoperability: To seamlessly integrate with other healthcare systems.
- Flexibility: To adapt to evolving needs and new technologies.
HIPAA mandates strong security measures for EMR software, including encryption, access controls, and audit trails. This influences technology choices by prioritizing those that can effectively implement these safeguards and protect patient data privacy.
For building secure and scalable Electronic Medical Record (EMR) systems, consider these languages:
- Java: Robust, platform-independent, and boasts a vast ecosystem of libraries for data handling and security.
- Python: Versatile, beginner-friendly, and offers powerful libraries like Pandas and NumPy for data analysis and machine learning.
- C#: Excellent for building .NET-based applications with strong security features and integration with Microsoft technologies.
These languages provide a strong foundation for secure EMR software development as well as scalable EMR software architecture that can handle sensitive patient data effectively.
Cloud hosting for custom EMR software offers several benefits over traditional on-premise solutions:
- Cost-effectiveness: Eliminates the need for upfront hardware and maintenance costs.
- Scalability: Easily adapts to changing needs by scaling resources up or down.
- Accessibility: Enables remote access to patient data from anywhere with an internet connection.
- Regular updates: Ensures the latest security patches and features are always available.
- Reduced IT burden: Offloads infrastructure management and maintenance to the cloud provider.
EMR software often benefits from a hybrid approach, combining SQL for structured data like patient demographics and NoSQL for unstructured data like medical images and notes. SQL provides robust data integrity and efficient querying, while NoSQL offers flexibility to handle diverse data types and scale efficiently.
AI and blockchain are transforming custom EMR development. AI enables predictive analytics, personalized treatment plans, and automated data entry, improving efficiency and accuracy. Blockchain ensures secure and tamper-proof data storage and sharing, enhancing patient privacy and interoperability.
Yes, mobile app development can be integrated with custom EMR software. This allows healthcare providers to access and update patient records, schedule appointments, and even perform telemedicine consultations directly from their mobile devices. With EMR system integration services, you can enhance patient care by improving accessibility, streamlining workflows, and enabling real-time data exchange between providers and the central EMR system.
Building custom EMR software involves significant costs, including development, infrastructure, maintenance, and compliance. The tech stack heavily influences these costs. Complex stacks with niche technologies or extensive integrations can increase development time and complexity, driving up expenses.
