I'm looking to start a SaaS product designed for the medical industry, specifically targeting clinics that are dominated by just two main vendors. These solutions require clinics to manage their own infrastructure, and many doctors really just want a solution that works without the hassle of servers. My idea is to provide a cloud-based alternative that circumvents these issues.
However, I'm wondering if it's actually feasible to create a web app that could serve as a full replacement for these existing systems. I want to know if I'm wasting my time or if there are potential pitfalls I should be aware of. Here are some requirements I have in mind:
- Hardware access for dot matrix printers
- Offline access to serve patients and pull records, even if the network goes down
- Data protection considerations, especially since we are in the EU and have specific regulations to comply with.
I'm thinking about using PostgreSQL and MongoDB for persistent data, Java Spring for the backend, and Angular for the frontend, although I'm still undecided on a CSS framework. I'd love your thoughts on whether this is a viable project!
3 Answers
Honestly, having offline access is a huge hurdle. It's pretty much a deal-breaker for enterprise-level apps if you ask me. There are ways to cache data, but it sounds like there's a lot to cover here just for that requirement alone.
How big is your development team? Diving into enterprise healthcare applications isn’t trivial at all. You need to think about all the functionalities required, especially if you're looking to replace existing mature systems. Regulatory requirements can get pretty complex, more so than the technical challenges. Just to be clear, compliance with GDPR might complicate offline usage too, as you would need all patient data client-side — not ideal for security!
I’m on my own right now, but I plan to create a prototype to attract some funding. I aim to start with private practices before targeting larger hospitals. I believe local storage isn't as big an issue as long as data is managed within the EU.
Have you looked into the EU regulations that apply? While HIPAA isn't relevant, compliance with EU health standards is crucial. It might be tough without a practice eager to test the product, as feedback is essential to build the right features and gain traction.
Absolutely, I’ve been doing research on EU data regulations and should be okay as long as data stays in EU servers. Right now, I'm just focusing on getting a demo out there to attract potential testers.
Thanks for the input! I was considering caching options for data that needs to be accessed offline. Do you think something like PWAs might be the answer, or is that too new and untested for what I’m aiming for?