How to Interview and Hire Healthcare Web Developers
Why hire expert healthcare web developers? The medical industry has inherent and somewhat unique complexities. Patients naturally have high expectations from healthcare businesses and non-profit healthcare organizations. Since the medical industry deals with the most private aspects of people’s lives, it has a lot of weight on its shoulders.
Healthcare organizations across the board are constantly under pressure to improve their operational efficiency, especially since the healthcare space continues to see rising costs for products and services. Medical devices cost more, the costs of medicines rise, and health insurance policies cost more! As such, patients expect better care and service.
Technological solutions have the power to solve many of these problems for medical organizations. It goes without saying, therefore, healthcare organizations bet heavily on mobile and web-based applications.
These factors continue to increase the demand for medical web design and development experts. Healthcare organizations need to plan well to hire such professionals.
You might think of hiring freelance web design and development professionals. However, this exposes your project to high risks. Hiring competent web developers from a trustworthy healthcare web development company like DevTeam.Space is the best option. More on that later.
You need to first understand the skill requirements for medical web design and development. These are as follows:
Primary skills for medical website development
Developers need the following primary skills for medical website development:
- Knowledge of developing the front-end and back-end of web applications;
- In-depth knowledge of JavaScript, HTML, and CSS;
- Good knowledge of JavaScript-based web frameworks like Angular and React;
- Extensive knowledge of Node.js, the JavaScript-based runtime environment for backend development;
- Experience in working with SQL and NoSQL databases;
- Familiarity with important open-source SQL and NoSQL databases like MySQL, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, etc.;
- Knowledge of how to choose between MySQL and MongoDB;
- Understanding of the strengths of MongoDB and PostgreSQL;
- Expertise with tech stacks like MEAN (MongoDB-Express.JS-Angular-Node.JS) and MERN (MongoDB-Express.JS-React-Node.JS);
- Knowledge of programming languages used for backend development, e.g., Java, Golang, Python, etc.;
- Proficiency with IDEs (Integrated Development Environments) like Eclipse;
- Familiarity with popular open-source test automation frameworks like Selenium;
- Familiarity with web design guidelines;
- Knowledge of version-control tools like Git.
Note: Do you want to create your healthcare website by using a content management system (CMS)? Look for developers with relevant expertise in WordPress, etc. Such developers need to understand aspects like search engine optimization (SEO). They should understand how tools like Google Analytics are used for digital marketing.
Other software development skills needed for healthcare website development
Programmers need the following additional skills for healthcare website development:
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1. Application security skills needed by healthcare web developers
The healthcare industry deals with highly sensitive information like PHI (Protected health information). It deals with client information, which might have sensitive data elements too. Stringent regulatory frameworks exist in many countries to protect data privacy and security. Healthcare organizations must comply with all of them. E.g., healthcare organizations in the US need to be fully HIPAA compliant.
You need to prioritize information security in healthcare website development. Look for developers with the following skills:
- How to proactively identify and mitigate application security risks;
- The processes and steps to implement modern solutions like MFA (multi-factor authentication);
- How to support security and compliance testing;
- Data encryption and how to implement it;
- How to incorporate modern solutions like digital signatures;
- How to incorporate antivirus solutions and firewalls;
- API security;
- How to utilize cloud computing security solutions effectively.
2. API development skills needed for developing a medical web app
You might need to develop APIs to implement different interactive features. E.g., all the features on patient portals might require you to develop APIs. You need healthcare web developers with API development skills:
They should know the following:
- How to use API development tools like Postman;
- Steps to use API documentation tools like Swagger;
- How to host APIs using cloud platforms;
- API security techniques like authentication, encryption, quotas, throttling, etc.;
- Differences between GraphQL vs REST APIs;
- RESTful API development steps;
- How to create API endpoints;
- How to create rules for API requests and responses;
- Processes and steps to test APIs.
3. Cloud computing knowledge for medical web development
Cloud computing is important for web platform development in all industries including healthcare. Look for healthcare developers with the following cloud computing knowledge:
- Familiarity with different types of cloud platforms, e.g., IaaS (Infrastructure-as-a-Service), PaaS (Platform-as-a-Service), etc.
- Differences between different cloud computing delivery models, e.g., public cloud, private cloud, and hybrid cloud;
- Familiarity with the top cloud providers like AWS, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud Platform, etc.;
- How to integrate APIs for services like online payments using a cloud platform;
- How to implement important features like push notifications using cloud computing platforms;
- DevOps tools provided by the leading cloud providers.
4. Healthcare industry knowledge
Modern healthcare application development projects need developers with industry knowledge to provide value to their target audience. Look for healthcare web developers with expertise in the specific domain area of your interest, e.g.:
- Regulations like HIPAA;
- Healthcare practice management;
- The use of online video consultation in the healthcare industry;
- Pharma and life sciences area.
5. Code review skills needed for healthcare web development
You ought to prioritize quality management when developing a medical web app. Therefore, you need to focus on testing and code review in addition to application development services. Your team can detect bugs early in the lifecycle with the help of code review. Look for developers with knowledge of code review strategies. They need code review experience.
6. Software engineering and software development methodologies skills
Medical website developers need a good understanding of software engineering. They should know enough about testing, DevOps, coding guidelines, defect management, etc. You need healthcare website development professionals that know the prominent software development methodologies. E.g., they should know about the agile methodology.
7. Software architecture skills needed for healthcare website development
While delivering complex functionalities, healthcare websites need to offer excellent user experience too. You need a healthcare website to be maintainable, testable, performant, and scalable. Developers need knowledge of software architecture in such projects.
8. Competencies needed by medical website developers
Medical web developers need the following competencies:
- Passion for excellence: Medical web development professionals need an eye for detail and a passion for excellence.
- Commitment: Complexities induce uncertainties in healthcare website design and development projects. You need committed developers to meet the project objectives despite uncertainties.
- Teamwork: Successful medical website developers work effectively as a team.
- Communication skills: Medical website development can be a complex project, and communication skills are important.
- Empathy: You need medical website design and development experts that can understand the requirements from the perspective of your end users.
- Problem-solving skills: Developers need problem-solving skills to navigate the complexities of a healthcare software development project.
How to find the best developers for creating medical websites?
You now know the skills required for developing healthcare websites. You can start the hiring process now by taking the following steps:
1. Choose the right platform to hire healthcare web developers
Healthcare organizations pursue software development projects to meet their business requirements. The inherent nature of medical products and services makes such software developments complex.
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You might plan to launch new healthcare products, which is your reason for undertaking a software development project. Alternatively, you might develop a software system to monitor and meet HIPAA compliance requirements. Such projects are high-visibility ones. Hiring the right people will help you with successful project execution, whereas, hiring the wrong people can derail your project. You must make the right hiring decisions.
You might think that hiring freelancers is a good idea. Several freelance platforms exist. You can hire freelance healthcare web developers at a low hourly rate, which, on the face of it, appears to reduce your development costs.
This is a risky approach. Software development projects to create medical solutions can be very complex. You might find it hard to execute such projects with the help of freelancers.
Freelancers work part-time on your project, therefore, you don’t get enough bandwidth from them. It’s hard to manage part-timers, and you will find it harder to manage remote freelancers.
Freelance platforms don’t provide project management support, therefore, you are on your own. Healthcare web solution development projects deal with sensitive data. Freelancers might not exercise care while handling protected health information (PHI).
Freelancers might leave your project mid-way. You need to find replacement developers. All of these issues, and the many more that surround hiring freelancers, can serve to dramatically boost costs and lead to time overruns.
We recommend you hire full-time healthcare web developers from a trustworthy software development company like DevTeam.Space. Our dedicated developers are skilled and experienced. They routinely upskill, therefore, they are motivated.
We handle your sensitive data carefully. You get complimentary support from a dedicated tech account manager. Our account manager provides oversight of all of the work completed by our developers. We follow a stringent vetting process. We train our developers in our AI-powered agile process.
2. Interview developers for custom healthcare web development
You have zeroed in on a hiring platform, subsequently, you posted your job ad. Now it’s time to interview candidates. Get help from friends or colleagues if you don’t have web development expertise. Alternatively, consider hiring a consultant to help you. You can also check out the following sets of interview questions provided by our DevTeam.Space experts:
- JavaScript interview questions;
- Node.js interview questions;
- Java interview questions;
- Python interview questions;
- Ruby on Rails interview questions;
- SQL interview questions;
- Software engineer interview questions.
You should ask questions from all relevant technical skill areas. Don’t ask only theoretical questions. Ask questions to test the relevant expertise of developers.
Ask candidates about their healthcare web development experience. Find out how they solved problems in their past projects. Explain your project requirements and ask how they would approach such a project. You should expect specific suggestions.
3. Onboard healthcare web application developers
You have selected the right developers. Now you need to onboard them effectively, which helps them to become productive quickly. Share relevant project documents, e.g., functional requirements, technical solutions, and non-functional requirements (NFRs).
Explain your project. Describe the project plan and explain the project schedule. Provide an overview of the important milestones.
Provide access to the project’s technical environment. New developers should get access to the code repository and other relevant tools.
Introduce your existing team to the new developers. Explain the roles and responsibilities. Describe the work approval process in your project. Set a communication process with the new developers and establish accountability.
Interviewing tips to hire developers for healthcare web development
Review the following tips before hiring developers for creating healthcare websites:
1. Hire sufficiently experienced healthcare web developers
Healthcare website development can be complex due to the inherent complexities of the healthcare industry. You need medical web app developers with enough experience. Don’t hire only junior developers.
2. Look for developers with web performance tuning experience
Healthcare websites can face heavy traffic, and they might have complex functionalities. These raise the risk of performance degradation. You should hire healthcare web developers with performance-tuning expertise.
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3. Hire a cohesive team from DevTeam.Space instead of hiring multiple developers from different platforms
If you hire individual developers from different platforms, then they might work in silos. Hire a cohesive software development team from DevTeam.Space to mitigate this risk.
Examples of interview questions when hiring medical website developers
Ask questions that help you assess the relevant expertise of candidates, e.g.:
1. Describe your experience of creating medical websites that also cater to mobile users
Answer:
In reply to this open-ended question, expect developers to talk about responsive design. They should describe the entire process to make the website user-friendly even when accessed via mobile devices
2. Describe a few challenges you faced while developing medical web apps
Answer:
While responding to this open-ended question, developers should describe a few different challenges in past projects. E.g., they could highlight the following challenges:
- A mismatch between the needs of creative director vs the priorities of marketing people;
- Challenges in documenting all possible user behavior scenarios when creating user journeys;
- Implementing a robust security solution to protect sensitive data like the details of new patients;
- Pinpointing all the features where a company should develop its own APIs, e.g., calculation of the average price of a healthcare service based on the relevant inputs, managing customer information, etc.;
- Choosing the right tech stack.
3. Describe your experience with different technology stacks when developing healthcare websites
Answer:
Candidates might talk about the following tech stacks in reply to this open-ended question:
- MEAN stack;
- MERN stack;
- JavaScript/HTML/CSS for the front end and Java for the back end;
- Python for the back-end and JavaScript/HTML/CSS for the front-end.
They might talk about other tech stacks too.
Submit a Project With Zero Risk
Successful healthcare web design and development is crucial for healthcare providers and other organizations in this sector. These projects tend to be complex. You need to find good healthcare website design and development experts to get these projects right. Why take the risk of hiring anything but the best healthcare web developers?
DevTeam.Space is a community of experienced field expert software developers. All of our dedicated web developers have been vetted and trained in our AI-powered agile process.
We provide only the developer or development team with relevant expertise to you. If you would like to learn more, simply fill out our DevTeam.Space product specification form and one of our experienced account managers will get in touch to answer any questions you might have.