

Ask HN: I'm creating an app that will help hospitals' processes. I need advice - ajushi

Hi guys,
I found a process that I can automate in hospitals (it's not a critical process with regards with patient's lives). It needs interoperability among hospitals.<p>My questions are:
1. How can I monitize it? Should I sell it to the government agency that governs the hospitals?<p>2. I know PHP and C# and bit of Python. Which language would be more beneficial and easier to sell?<p>Thanks in advance!
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debacle
> Should I sell it to the government agency that governs the hospitals?

I don't think you've done your market research.

> Which language would be more beneficial and easier to sell?

Neither. In my experience Java is the big language in Health IT these days.
Just write in whatever language you feel will give you the best product.

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fourmii
Beware of the red tape/bureaucracy. Healthcare is a lucrative industry, there
are always those both inside the hospital organizations and their vendors who
have a lot at stake with the status quo and will try to protect their lot. I
worked for a large hospital system and I eventually left because I got to
witness the dedicated, hard-working doctors and nurses on the front line
struggling with a lack of resource and decent processes while the higher up
administrators and bureacrats got to sit in their nice offices were often out
of touch with the reality on the ground... And also, make sure you're pretty
read up on the regulation and governance. Good luck!

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jnorthrop
Before you start talking to hospitals make sure you fully understand HIPAA[1]
regulations. Handling any personal health information is very regulated and if
you are building a system for hospitals it will be the very first thing they
will challenge you on. That is, if you are in the US.

[1]<http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/>

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redspark
Set up a meeting with a Hospital Administrator, if they aren't the person to
talk to, they should be able to point you in the right direction.

Make sure the problem is worth solving (will someone pay you to solve their
pain?)

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leejw00t354
In regards to what language is best, it probably won't matter too much unless
performance is critical to the application. Just pick the language you're most
conformable developing in.

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mrose
As a word of warning, I should caution you that you are entering a domain
filled with administrative red tape and bureaucratic obstacles. Regardless of
which area of medical workflow you are targeting, I think it would behoove you
to "team up" with someone on the inside, such as a doctor or someone in an
administrative capacity in a large healthcare organization. The functional
guidance provided will be a great boon, both in cutting through red tape, and
by allowing you to focus on the technology aspects of the solution you are
trying to build.

