Over the last few years, the healthcare industry has become more digitized than it has ever been. The impact of digital transformation is echoed in all aspects of health care – from record keeping to clinical pathways. According to Deloitte, 60% of health systems are already midway to the ideal digital state, while 12% have reached digital excellence.
Digitalization has many faces in the healthcare vertical. Healthcare portals are one of the leading digital options that help healthcare providers bring their internal and external communication online. Today, we’ll learn all about health web portals and how you can build one to enable individuals’ easier access to care.
Table of Contents
What is a health web portal?
A web portal is a multifunctional platform with a variety of interactive services, including feature-rich services. Thus, healthcare web portal development and testing refers to building a secure e-Health space that gives patients 24-hour access to their health data, billing, prescriptions, and even virtual care in a HIPAA-compliant way.
Although patients portals are among the most popular categories of e-Health portals, this development niche can also include:
- Portals for healthcare staff (HR software to automate workflows, knowledge-sharing platforms, scheduling, etc);
- Healthcare information portals (the one-stop shop for storing medical articles, drug information and symptoms, latest studies, etc.);
- Vendor portals (providing data on medical supply vendors and facilitating business-vendor communications).
Core features for a patient e-portal
An e-Health portal is packed with useful functionality that enhances doctor-patient collaboration. Here are some common features that make up most health patient portals.
Advanced login and authentication method
Since these online destinations store sensitive patient data, portal owners should implement advanced verification technologies to prevent breaches. According to HIPAA regulations, a password policy should be based on the latest recommendations from NIST. Alternatively, portals can be protected with 2-factor authentication or any other login method.
EHR integration
Patient portals are often tethered with Electronic Health Records to ensure the interoperability of patient data and its syncing. Users should also be able to view their medical data in real-time, including lab results, clinical notes, prescriptions, and others.
Appointment scheduling
E-health online destinations make it easy for patients to set appointments with a physician. Patients are given multiple time and day options based on a professional’s availability. Scheduling happens in real-time, thus helping doctors with a more effective time allocation.
Online payments
Health online platforms also allow patients to clear unpaid invoices online without leaving the portal. Developers integrate payment gateways to help users send their payments in a PCI-compliant way.
Prescription management
Patients also use portals to manage their medications and request refills. That’s why detailed medication data should also be embedded into this web solution.
Telehealth
As for more complex alternatives, portals can also offer remote healthcare capabilities. Also known as telehealth, this technology offers real-time video, messaging, or phone communication options for patients and healthcare providers. Since the market of telehealth is projected to reach over $89 billion by the end of 2022, this feature is among the trending ones.
Healthcare web portal development: Step by step
Here are the main steps you need to follow when developing a web e-health portal.
Do research
Each development initiative should stem from a well-defined vision. To achieve it, make sure you thoroughly research the market, analyze competitors and define your target audience. Combined, those insights will set the tone for the whole development process.
Hire an experienced vendor
Securing the right talent is a surefire way to build a high-quality product aligned with your business needs. An ideal development team should have hands-on experience in e-health development and a proven track record of finished projects.
Create design
User experience and user interface design are one of the pillars that help your business establish a digital presence. Your UX/UI designers should map user flow, develop detailed user personas and create a user-friendly portal that supports user needs. Consider using branded design to amplify your brand awareness.
Define your tech stack and jump into development
At this stage, your development team selects an optimal set of technology to ensure the infallible performance of your web solution. Make sure that developers are well aware of HIPAA guidelines and build your web portal according to the regulation.
Test and deploy
When your web solution is ready, Q&A specialists validate its performance and conformance with the user and business needs. Post-production, you should maintain your web portal and update it with new features.
The Bottom Line
Developing a web portal helps engage patients in the delivery of healthcare and improves patient outcomes. When building a healthcare web solution, security, cutting-edge technology, and straightforward design help make your solution valuable both for patients and healthcare providers.
