15 Top Healthcare Software Types – Industry Overview

Meticulous Research forecasts that the healthcare IT market will reach $907.18 billion by 2031, growing at a CAGR of 13.2% from 2024 to 2031.

This rapid growth is being driven by technological advances, increasing demand for efficient healthcare delivery, patient engagement, and the need for regulatory compliance. Here’s an overview of the current state of the landscape, the reasons for its growth, and potential changes on the horizon.

Healthcare industry overview 2024

• There are already many different applications that support healthcare: These apps include electronic health records (EHRs), practice management software, telemedicine, medical imaging software, and health information exchange (HIE) systems. Each serves a unique purpose, from managing patient data to enabling remote consultations. In this article, we will discuss them in detail.

• Smooth connection is a priority: There is a strong focus on connecting diverse healthcare systems and ensuring that they enable easy collaboration between healthcare professionals and patients. This means that different healthcare software solutions can seamlessly communicate and share data, which is critical to providing comprehensive patient care.

• Stay on top of regulatory compliance: Healthcare software must comply with strict regulations, such as HIPAA in the United States, that look to ensure the privacy and security of patient information. It’s all the more reason to adopt robust security features and data management practices.

• Adoption of new technologies: Artificial intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), and machine learning solutions are becoming an integral part of healthcare software for predictive analytics, personalized medicine, and improving diagnostic accuracy. These technologies help process massive amounts of data to provide actionable insights.

Reasons for healthcare software growth

Growing demand for healthcare services	With a growing and aging population and increasing prevalence of chronic diseases, there is a greater demand for healthcare services, which in turn drives the need for efficient healthcare software solutions.
Technological advancements	We see continued innovation in various technology areas such as computing, mobile, and data analytics. All are making it easier and more cost-effective to develop and deploy healthcare software.
Focus on patient-centered care	Modern healthcare emphasizes patient-centered care. This requires efficient management of patient information and improved patient engagement. Healthcare software helps patients and providers communicate and engage with each other.
Pandemic impact	The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the adoption of telehealth and remote monitoring solutions. Healthcare providers needed to continue providing care while minimizing physical contact.

Potential future trends in healthcare:

• Expansion of telemedicine: More remote consultations and virtual care.
• Improved data analytics: Better patient outcomes through big data.
• Focus on cybersecurity: Stronger measures to protect sensitive information.
• Personalized medicine: Tailored treatments based on genetic profiles.
• Wearable technology: Real-time health information for proactive care.

This rapid growth underscores the importance of healthcare software in improving patient care, streamlining healthcare operations, and meeting regulatory requirements. In this changing field, many types of healthcare software are becoming essential tools for physicians, administrators, and patients. 

Here are the top 15 types of healthcare software services that are transforming the industry.

15 most popular types of healthcare software

Electronic health record (EHR) software

One of the most widely used tools in hospitals and clinics, electronic health record software functions similarly to a CRM but is uniquely tailored to the medical field.

Types of EHR systems:

• Electronic Patient Record (EPR): Stores patient information securely in digital or cloud storage.
• Electronic Medical Record (EMR): Focuses on medication data, past and planned procedures, and recovery progress.

Benefits:

• Patient information management: Collects data on patients, including medications, physician recommendations, and past procedures.
• Financial module: Often includes billing and payment capabilities.
• Patient portal: Enables patients to access their medical records, visit history, and prescriptions.
• Comprehensive data storage: Stores detailed patient information from multiple locations, such as past visits, exams, and procedures.
• Enhanced accessibility: Provides views for both medical staff and patients, ensuring that all parties are informed of medical history.
• Improved patient care: Provides a complete view of a patient’s health, which improves treatment.

Examples: Epic Systems, Veradigm (formerly Allscripts), Meditech

Medical database software

Similar to electronic health record (EHR) software, medical database software stores detailed patient information such as medical histories, treatments, diagnoses, recoveries, medications, and more. The key difference, however, is categorization – medical database software organizes data by disease diagnosis rather than by individual patient profile.

Benefits:

• Classify cases by disease: Provides easy access to information categorized by specific diseases, facilitating targeted research and treatment planning.
• Analyze similar cases: Physicians can analyze and compare similar cases to develop better treatment strategies and understand patient variation.
• Enhance medical knowledge: Acts as a comprehensive reference tool for reviewing a wide range of clinical cases, helping physicians improve their knowledge and expertise in treating various diseases.

Examples: NextGen Healthcare, Athenahealth

Medical research software

Medical research software serves two primary purposes: training medical personnel and sharing research with the medical community to get better outcomes and aid in diagnosis when similar clinical cases are not available in-house.

Benefits:

• Education: Medical research software provides access to the latest medical literature, reviews, and journals, helping healthcare professionals stay informed and apply the latest research to their practice.
• Diagnostic support: When internal references are insufficient, this software aids diagnosis by providing insights from recent studies and aggregated, anonymized data.
• Secure data sharing: With patient consent, practices can securely share anonymized patient data to contribute to future research, fostering collaboration and innovation within the medical community.

Examples: PubMed.gov, EndNote, Zotero, Mendeley

Medical diagnosis software

There are two types of medical diagnostic software: simple apps for patients, and a more complex type in the form of diagnostic software for medical professionals.

• Patient diagnosis apps, such as symptom checkers, use simple questionnaires or chatbots to provide medical insights based on symptoms. These apps became popular during the COVID-19 pandemic, helping people decide if they needed to go to the hospital. Governments used them in public health strategies. In addition to COVID-19, these apps help patients understand and manage other conditions by providing guidance.

• Diagnostic software for healthcare professionals uses AI to help doctors collect and analyze patient data, leading to faster and more accurate diagnoses. It enables the sharing of anonymized information between healthcare institutions, fostering collaboration and improving patient care. The software uses AI, machine learning and automation to analyze large amounts of data, improving diagnostic accuracy and reducing costs.

Benefits:

• Clinical interoperability: Ensures seamless data exchange between different healthcare systems.
• Improved diagnosis: Uses AI to identify patterns and compare data for accurate diagnosis. Also, it improves the accuracy of imaging interpretations.
• Predictive medical analytics: Anticipates potential health problems and drug interactions based on patient data.
• Tailored medicines for patients: Supports personalized treatment plans.
• Drug development and manufacturing: Helps create new drugs and improve existing ones.

Examples: COVID Symptom Study, Human DX

Medical imaging software

Medical imaging and visualization software are essential for processing MRI, CT, and PET scans, creating 3D models for medical applications. This software plays a critical role in diagnosing patients, planning procedures, and customizing medical treatments.

Benefits:

• 3D modeling of human anatomy: Creates customized anatomical models for individual patients to facilitate accurate treatment planning, such as orthodontic procedures.
• Design and print medical devices or prosthetic body parts: Helps create customized medical devices for specific patient needs such as prosthetic limbs and coronary stents.
• Image manipulation: Adjusts brightness, contrast, and zoom for better image analysis and accurate diagnosis.
• Secure image sharing and annotation: Enables healthcare providers to securely share images as well as annotate with measurements, notes, and other relevant information.

Examples: Materialise, Vepro

E-prescribing software

This secure system allows healthcare professionals to send prescriptions directly to a patient’s preferred pharmacy, ensuring timely access to medications. E-prescribing software is becoming essential for physicians as more countries adopt electronic prescribing.

Benefits:

• Prescription management: Enables tracking, renewing, and canceling prescriptions. Also, it provides access to a history of a patient’s prescriptions.
• Drug database integration: Provides up-to-date drug interaction information and supports the easy refill and renewal of prescriptions.
• EMR integration: Streamlines data flow between e-prescribing and EMR systems, keeping patient information current and consistent.
• Regulatory compliance: Adapts to country-specific regulations.

Examples: MediTab, ScriptSure

Telemedicine software

Telemedicine software allows healthcare professionals to conduct online appointments with patients through web browsers or mobile applications. Many of these platforms include features such as video conferencing, e-prescribing, and billing modules. Initially driven by the need to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission during the pandemic, telemedicine has become a staple of modern healthcare, making medical care more accessible and efficient.

Benefits:

• Convenience: Enables remote consultations via secure video or audio calls, reducing the need for in-person visits.
• Accessibility: Provides easy access to medical care, especially for patients in remote areas or those with mobility issues.
• Efficiency: Streamlines scheduling, communication, and payment processes, improving the overall patient experience.
• Safety: Minimizes the risk of infectious disease transmission by enabling patients to receive care in the safety of their own homes.

Examples: Teladoc Health, Amwell

Appointment scheduling (booking) software

Hospitals, clinics, and medical practices can all better manage their online appointment systems with scheduling software. This typically includes a patient panel that enables individuals to schedule appointments through an app or website. It also often includes an email notification system and automated reminders for both doctors and patients alike about upcoming appointments.

Benefits:

• Efficient management: Provides a management panel for clinics to view and analyze physician schedules, ensuring a transparent and organized system.
• Streamlined tasks: Helps front desk staff streamline the process of confirming and rescheduling appointments, reducing their workload.

Examples: Zocdoc, Calendly

Medical billing software

By implementing billing software, hospital accounting departments can more effectively track patient bills, payments, and other financial transactions. It is often integrated with larger systems, such as electronic health records (EHR) or hospital management software.

Benefits:

• Efficient accounting: Simplifies the management of financial operations in healthcare facilities.
• Comprehensive tracking: Keeps track of patient bills and payments, ensuring accurate financial records.

Examples: AdvancedMD, Athenahealth

Hospital management software

Hospital administrators can better manage day-to-day operations with the utilization of hospital management software. These programs automate various tasks, such as accounting, medical billing, claims processing, outpatient management, inventory control, and bed management.

Benefits:

• Integration with EHR: Often integrates with Electronic Health Records (EHR) software to maintain comprehensive patient records.
• Comprehensive management: Provides information and management tools for administrators, caregivers, and patients.
• Registration and admissions: Digitized patient registration forms and admitting information that syncs with EMRs.
• Billing and insurance: Displays patient billing information and insurance details.
• Notifications and appointments: Sends notifications about admissions, procedures, physician appointments, medications, and prescriptions.
• Data collection and analysis: Enables hospitals to collect and analyze valuable data on various aspects of their operations.

Examples: Epic Systems, Allscripts

Medical equipment management software

The goal of medical equipment management software solutions is to relieve hospitals and medical practices of the burden of manual inventory and equipment maintenance.

Benefits:

• Automatic maintenance scheduling: Ensures the timely maintenance of medical equipment.
• Inventory alerts: Notifies staff of low inventory and replenishment needs.

Examples: Sortly

Health tracking apps

Health tracking apps help people keep track of their exercise, diet, sleep, and other health habits.

According to Grand View Research, the global mHealth apps market was valued at USD 32.42 billion in 2023 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 14.9% from 2024 to 2030. 

The market is growing because more people are using fitness and medical apps to track health data and manage patients. More people have access to the Internet and smartphones, and there’s more awareness about staying healthy and improving lifestyles, which is also driving this growth.

In 2022, 84 million people in the U.S. used health apps to monitor their health activities.

Key app categories:

• Fitness: 8fit
• Calorie tracker: Fitatu and My Fitness Pal
• Meditation and stress reduction: Calm and Shine

Integration with IoT devices

A growing number of mHealth apps integrate with IoT devices to collect and analyze users’ health data. Examples include:

• Wearable health monitor for heavy workers: epyGuard™

• Health-tracking jewelry: Oura Ring

• Glucometers and thermometers: Used for various health metrics, such as menstrual cycle tracking with the Kindara app

Benefits:

• Encourages self-care: Encourages active management of personal health and wellness.
• Personalized healthcare: Provides data that can be used to tailor healthcare to individual needs.
• Physician prescriptions: Countries such as Germany now allow doctors to prescribe digital health apps and integrate them into patients’ treatment plans.
• Comprehensive health insights: Accompanying wearables, such as the Apple Watch, and specialized devices that monitor various health parameters.

Personal health record software (medical diaries)

Unlike health tracking apps that focus on maintaining a healthy lifestyle, personal health and record management (PHR) software is designed to monitor disease. These apps act as medical diaries, either stored on the patient’s device or integrated with a doctor’s or hospital’s system.

Benefits:

• Disease monitoring: Enables the continuous tracking of symptoms, treatments, and medications.
• Improved communication: Facilitates better communication between patients and healthcare providers through detailed health reports.
• Early detection: Alerts medical staff to deteriorating conditions as soon as symptoms appear, enabling timely intervention.

Examples: MyChart

Remote patient monitoring (RPM)

Through collecting patient data outside of healthcare facilities, remote patient monitoring (RPM) services provide comprehensive health information and enable remote diagnosis. RPM gained significant traction during the pandemic, similar to telehealth services.

Benefits:

• Enhanced health data: Collects detailed patient information from multiple devices, such as heart rate monitors, blood pressure cuffs, glucose monitors and portable ECG monitors.
• Real-time monitoring: Provides continuous monitoring and alerts clinicians to any detected abnormalities.
• Improved in-home care: Benefits patients with chronic conditions, those recovering from surgery, and the elderly by improving the efficiency and effectiveness of home healthcare.
• Accessible healthcare: Makes health management more accessible and efficient, reducing the need for frequent hospital visits.

Examples: iHealth, Biofourmis

Healthcare app development with Droids On Roids

At Droids On Roids, we’ve been creating high-quality digital products for clients around the world since 2011, with healthcare being one of our specialties. For this sector, we’ve developed applications such as epyGuard™ IoT app, the Hematologist’s Calculator, OhMiBod and OhMiBod Remote for Apple Watch.

We implement the highest security standards and educate our clients on the critical importance of patient privacy. If you have a digital healthcare product idea and are looking for a partner who prioritizes patient safety and data security, contact us for a free consultation. We’ll advise you on the best strategies to ensure your product meets all regulatory requirements and is highly secure.

Healthcare 2024: Digital innovation for a brighter future

In 2024, we are already seeing significant technological advances in many types of different healthcare systems and software. Most of these gained popularity during the pandemic. The widespread adoption of telemedicine, remote patient monitoring, and mHealth applications has changed the way we access and manage healthcare. 

As we look to the future, we can expect even more advanced digital solutions to emerge. These innovations will continue to improve patient care, streamline administrative processes, and drive further improvements in health outcomes. By embracing these digital advances, the healthcare industry is poised to become more efficient, accessible and responsive, paving the way for a brighter future in healthcare.

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