2 Years in Digital Health: What I’ve Learned About Building Meaningful Products
As a recent grad, approximately two years ago, I delved into the space of digital health, eager to learn about the potential of technology transforming healthcare. Since I’ve joined, I’ve worked on designing a clinician-patient cardiovascular health dashboard, developing a clinically curated app store providing solutions targeting IBS management, building a medication adherence text reminder program for diabetic patients, and more. Each project has given me a deeper understanding of digital solutions and patient engagement strategies, highlighting how they can improve health outcomes.
Throughout this journey, I’ve come to the understanding that developing a healthcare product is about more than just technology-it’s also about people, engagement, trust, and regulations.
Here are my most significant takeaways from my experience thus far.
1. Choose Simplicity Over Complexity
What I Thought: The more features a product has, the better it serves users.
What I’ve Learned: Simplicity promotes adoption and engagement.
In digital health, it’s tempting to add AI, data dashboards, and endless customization options. But at the end of the day, if a patient or clinician finds the product too complicated, they won’t use it. The most successful tools focus on a few core features and do them well.
Lesson: Simplify the product and ensure it’s user-friendly from the start.
2. Engagement is Harder Than It Looks
What I Thought: If a digital health tool is beneficial, people will use it.
What I’ve Learned: Even the best tools struggle with engagement.
In my work at MEMOTEXT, I’ve seen how hard it is to keep users engaged. Whether it’s a chatbot for mental health support or an adherence tool for medication, people drop off—sometimes after just one interaction. The difficulty isn’t just about getting users in the door but keeping them engaged long enough to see real benefits.
Lesson: Personalization, nudges, and timely reminders can help, but the key is to align the product with real user behaviors and needs—not just what we think they want.
3. Data Privacy is a Non-Negotiable
What I Thought: If a product is secure, that’s enough.
What I’ve Learned: Privacy concerns can make or break user trust.
Healthcare data is sensitive, and users are understandably wary about where their information goes. I’ve seen how even the perception of inadequate security can push users away from a product. Transparent communication about how data is stored, used, and secured is equally as important as the actual security measures in place.
Lesson: Trust is everything—and it’s built by being open and honest about privacy and security from day one.
4. Building for Healthcare is a Marathon, Not a Sprint
What I Thought: Digital health moves fast, like the tech industry.
What I’ve Learned: Healthcare innovation moves slow.
Additional layers in digital health in clinical approvals, patient safety, and ethical considerations usually slow things down. A feature update that might take weeks in other industries could take months (or longer) in healthcare due to compliance and testing requirements.
Lesson: Expect longer timelines and build products that can adapt to the changing regulatory landscape.
5. Users Don’t Always Behave the Way You Expect
What I Thought: If a product is designed well, people will use it as intended.
What I’ve Learned: Users surprise you—constantly.
I’ve seen users use developed tools in ways we never expected, ask questions outside the tools scope, and find loopholes in engagement strategies. Assumptions about user behaviour don’t always hold up in the real world.
Lesson: Test early, test often. Real user feedback is the only way to know if a product truly works.
6. Managing Client Expectations is Half the Battle
What I Thought: If the product is great, clients will automatically understand what it can and can’t do.
What I’ve Learned: Clear expectation-setting is just as important as the product itself.
In digital health, clients often come in with big ideas and tight timelines—they want AI-driven chatbots, seamless integrations, and instant results. But healthcare products don’t work like that. They require compliance checks, user testing, and ongoing refinement. Early on, I learned that setting realistic expectations upfront prevents frustration later.
Some key lessons:
- Underpromise, Overdeliver: It’s better to be upfront about limitations rather than overcommit and disappoint
- Explain the “Why”: When pushing back on a request, I’ve found that explaining why something isn’t feasible (e.g., regulatory constraints, user behavior insights) makes clients more
- Keep Communication Open: Regular check-ins ensure we’re aligned and can adjust as
Lesson: Clear, honest communication helps clients see what’s possible vs. what’s practical—leading to better collaboration and stronger partnerships.
Final Thoughts: Meaningful Digital Health is Human-Centered
After two years, my biggest realization is this: digital health isn’t about the technology—it’s about the people using it. A successful digital health product isn’t the one with the most advanced AI or the best-looking UI; it’s the one that fits seamlessly into people’s lives and actually helps them.
Key Takeaway: The best digital health solutions are built with real users in mind—not just what looks good on paper.
By: Keerthana Mundlapudi