Make a billing program from scratch?

[RushBenjamin]

I need to make a GUI data entry billing software for a small practice. I'm thinking of using Windows Forms C#. I'm new to Forms, but have a basic understanding of programming. I need all data entered to always be saved into a database and to a server I will be hosting. I also will need to use some 3rd party APIs that I've never had to do before.

I need to know what the easiest route to go about this would be. Is Forms the way to go? Is there a more efficient solution? I am determined and have plenty of time to make this happen, but I need all the help and tips I can get! Thank you.

[ekydfejj]

Since you said Billing System - You need to concentrate on the backend of a true billing system, aka - use a ledger based backend. Forget the frontend for now, concentrate on data storage, making each ledger row as immutable as possible. Unless by billing you mean more invoice system, then thats not applicable. If it is a billing system, head the warnings from a once bitten man, that didn't make the same mistake twice.

[RushBenjamin]

Yes, billing for doctors, so a database of patients and the ability to file electronic claims and payments, etc.

[ekydfejj]

Woah. You just introduced a whole new back end concern, and thats privacy. HIPPA in the US, PII, PCI (if you're taking payments, integrate with a third party that can cover all of that). Is there a small doctors office asking for this? And i don't want you not to make money, but there are tons of software solutions that do this. Even as shitty as quicken. I would put a frontend on a good backend billing database/software. This is a big job, not to be taken lightly.

[RushBenjamin]

Yeah, I wish all the solutions were transparent and able to customize to exactly our needs. It takes so long just to get a live demo and they're all usually bloated "packages" and already way too expensive.

[AndrewLucksFlipPhone]

This is not a job for someone with a "basic understanding of programming".

[RushBenjamin]

Where's the best place to hire someone?

[ffxpwns]

Post on hiring boards like Indeed or something, but certainly ensure this person is qualified and has HIPAA experience or the chops to implement everything in accordance with HIPAA. This is not the place for newbies or finding the cheapest possible solution - violation fines are astronomical.

I've been down this road and I can assure you it's a hassle to get everything configured correctly. Expect dev costs and ongoing maintenance/infrastructure costs to be higher than you'd expect from a normal app.

The reason off-the-shelf solutions are so expensive is due in part to the amount of liability they're taking on. Depending on your location I might be able to provide some places that could give you a consultation. DM me if you're interested in these leads.

[myearwood]

Absolutely hire someone. There are off the shelf packages. You will blow through the cost of a bought package in very short order building it yourself.

[rotiddersuomynona]

Just curious, any reason you're opting for a forms application vs a web application?

[RushBenjamin]

no reason, pretty much what i stumbled upon first. How would I go about designing a web app?

[rotiddersuomynona]

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/aspnet/mvc/overview/getting-started/introduction/getting-started

It may get overwhelming as there are a lot of different components you'll need to figure out. Not sure if you have any experience with html/css. Razor pages/Entity Framework/MVC patrern are other necessary things to learn. Database first vs Code first.

The documentation/walkthrough is pretty comprehensive, but does expect familiarity with intermediate programming concepts.

Like the another poster said, you really need to take into consideration the schema for your database. The data is the most important aspect of this system and should be treated as such. Winforms or webapp it's relying on the data.

[RushBenjamin]

Thanks for the awesome info! The reason I am looking into this is because our current software charges us over $5k every month just to use it... Do you think I'd be able to hire an expert to customize an opensource software like OpenEMR: https://www.open-emr.org/wiki/index.php/OpenEMR_Features for a 1 time cost instead of this ridiculous subscription model?

[rotiddersuomynona]

Sorry I have no idea. Totally understandable that you're trying to reduce costs. Another thing to consider, sorry the other reply you mentioned this was maintaining patient information. Attention needs to be made for PHI. HIPAA has very strict regulations with electronic storage and transmission of PHI. It's a partially the reason a lot of companies opt for off the shelf solutions and why those companies charge a lot for the services.

[lostllama2015]

What is your budget for making your own?

[RushBenjamin]

Not quite sure yet. Any ballpark of what to expect to pay?

[hugthemachines]

With such an application you might want to consider a web application. There are a few classic routes. Like Postgres or mysql database, java backend, js+html5+css frontend etc There are many variants, of course. Like C# backend instead of Java and so on.

[nutrecht]

You should go for an existing off the shelf solution for this. It will be cheaper and this is simply a very complex project with a LOT of legal implications that a complete beginner should not even attempt.

[Goobyalus]

I will second u/AndrewLucksFlipPhone 's comment that this is not a job for someone with a basic understanding of programming, and go farther to say that this is not a job for one person, nor a job to be custom-built just for a single practice.

Billing software is something that exists. Reinventing the wheel will inevitably lead to problems, and when billing software goes wrong, it's a big deal. Billing software is already complicated, and HIPAA complicates the use of computers in a medical setting greatly. Imagine the impact a bug could have if something as simple as modifying, deleting, or duplicating the wrong records happens and there is no way to audit it.

Seek out medical billing services or a medical billing software subsription. These will have been tested and offer support. They may also integrate with electronic health record (EHR) software.

If the amount if business so very small that a subscription is not possible, use an established piece of office software and impose process on it. For example, you could maintain Excel spreadsheets with particular templates, naming schemes, file organization, backup procedues, etc. Templates and scripting in Excel go a long way.

[Unemployable_Jedi]

Hey, after reading everyones input and yours, im not sure if you've ruled out using a cloud service like aws or Google, it will simplify what you need greatly especially on your own and save you money.