What Does a 3-Day MVP Look Like in Health tech?
In traditional software development, an MVP (Minimum Viable Product) could take weeks or even months to build. But in today’s fast-moving health tech landscape, building a 3-day MVP is no longer an idealistic concept—it’s a strategic necessity. Whether you're a startup trying to validate an idea or a health system looking to solve a very specific operational problem, the 3-day MVP framework is the fastest way to test and learn.
So, what does it take to go from idea to MVP in just 72 hours in the healthcare space?
Let’s unpack the process—and why it’s changing the way innovators are solving problems in healthcare.
WhyBuild an MVP in Healthcare?
Healthcare is filled with critical pain points—fragmented workflows, regulatory hurdles, siloed data, administrative overload, and user experiences that lag behind other industries.A Minimum Viable Product gives you the quickest way to validate whether a solution to these problems works in the real world.
In a system where lives are at stake, innovation needs to be swift, but also intentional. MVPs let teams focus on the most critical functionality—just enough to test whether an idea solves areal problem, without wasting months and budgets on full builds that may miss the mark.
WhatHappens in 3 Days?
Day1: Define the Problem and the User
Before writing a single line of code, Day 1 is about clarity. That means:
- Defining the exact problem you're solving
- Identifying the primary users (e.g., physicians, billing teams, lab technicians)
- Outlining a use case that’s narrow enough to test in isolation
You’re not trying to solve the entire healthcare system in three days. Instead, you’re laser-focusing on one slice. For instance, let’s say a clinic struggles with managing lab orders and results due to poor integration between EHR and billing systems. That’s a great problem to target for a rapid MVP.
By the end of Day 1, the team should have a clickable wireframe or storyboard outlining what the MVP will do. Not a complete design, but enough to visualize how the tool will be used.
Day2: Build a Functional Prototype
This is where development kicks in.Using low-code tools, frameworks like React, or healthcare-specific APIs, developers rapidly build a functional version of the product.
Let’s say your MVP is a simple dashboard that helps track lab orders and match them to claim statuses. Instead of building the full billing integration, you might hardcode sample data or mock the backend, so users can still test the workflow without delays.
Here, usability takes priority over scalability.
This phase is also where MVPs intersect with backend systems like laboratory billing services. Even though full-scale integrations may not be in place, your MVP can simulate or include simplified billing logic to ensure you’re testing real-world scenarios, such as how lab tests are linked to patient records and billing codes.
By the end of Day 2, your MVP should be functional enough to walk a user through the core experience.
Day3: Test, Learn, Iterate
Day 3 is about getting it in front of users—ideally real users, whether that’s someone on the practice staff, aprovider, or a billing coordinator. The feedback loop is immediate.
The team watches how users interact with the MVP:
- Do they understand what to do?
- Does it reduce clicks?
- Are any steps unclear?
- Does it feel like it fits into their current workflow?
Expect surprises. That’s the point.The whole benefit of the MVP is uncovering what you didn’t expect. Maybe your billing coordinator wants a print feature. Maybe a physician doesn't trust auto-matched results. Maybe they suggest a dropdown that completely changes how they filter orders.
Take those insights and make small, rapid updates. Not full-blown features—just tweaks to improve the experience enough to validate the concept.
What Makes Healthtech MVPs Different?
Unlike other industries, healthtech MVPs operate in a regulated, high-stakes environment. That means your MVP still needs to respect HIPAA, even if it’s a prototype. And even though you’re moving fast, your data handling must be intentional.
Here are a few factors that make healthtech MVPs unique:
- Interoperability: It’s not enough to create a tool that works. It must integrate with EHRs, billing systems, and other clinical platforms.
- Workflow Alignment: Clinicians and billing staff won’t adopt tools that feel like extra work. Your MVP must fit into existing routines.
- Clinical Relevance: The solution must map to real healthcare needs—accuracy and clinical context matter more than sleek UI.
Let’s consider an example involving oncologyEHR systems. Imagine you’re building a3-day MVP that helps oncology providers track patient consent forms for genomic testing. On Day 1, you define the problem: missing consent documentation is delaying treatment and creating billing issues. On Day 2, you build a simple module that flags missing consents and sends reminders. On Day 3, you test with oncologists, and they suggest integrating the consent tool directly into theirEHR workflow. That’s a validated insight worth pursuing—and you discovered it in 72 hours.
WhatHappens After 3 Days?
After testing, your MVP will fall into one of three categories:
- Validated: The idea works, and users are excited. Time to move toward a production build.
- Needs Iteration: The core concept is right, but users need different features or a refined workflow.
- Invalidated: Users don’t find it useful or it doesn’t solve the real problem. No harm done—you saved months of work.
The key isn’t to build perfectly.It’s to learn quickly. That’s why the 3-day MVP model is so powerful.
MVPs and Practice Management Software
Many healthtech MVPs aim to improve or extend the capabilities of medical practice management software. From scheduling to billing to patient communication, there's a wide range of high-impact workflows that can be validated fast.
Let’s say your idea is to help front desk staff check insurance eligibility in fewer steps. Your MVP could include a quick verification widget integrated into the existing scheduler. If staff sayit cuts call time in half, that’s a win.
Rapid MVPs like this are often the starting point for full-scale features or standalone tools that plug into existing PM systems.
FinalThoughts
A 3-day MVP in healthtech isn’t about cutting corners—it’s about removing waste. By zeroing in on the most important user problem, building a lightweight but functional solution, and testing it immediately, teams can innovate without spinning wheels or burning out.
Whether you're solving problems around laboratory billing services, building niche solutions like an oncologyEHR add-on, or improving core workflows in medical practice management software, a 3-day MVP can help you prove value—fast.
In healthcare, where every improvement counts, speed and precision aren’t opposites—they’re partners.
