Agile Software Engineering in Medical Environments: Challenges and Opportunities

Agile software engineering is an iterative and incremental development methodology that fosters collaboration and adaptability. Its application in healthcare has been successful in creating software applications that cater to providers and patients. Despite the complex nature of healthcare systems and regulatory compliance, researchers have explored Agile's potential benefits and proposed Agile-based methodologies to overcome challenges. In this study, we analyze recent and relevant papers to understand the state of Agile in medical environments. Using a comparative approach, we focus on development methodologies, encountered challenges, and project outcomes. Our comprehensive study identifies relevant papers based on predefined criteria. Extracted data is categorized according to research questions. We examine each paper's Agile approach, implementation tools, and techniques. Furthermore, we analyze specific challenges faced by projects and strategies employed to address them. Evaluating project outcomes includes software quality, project success, and stakeholder impact. The results will offer a holistic view of Agile software engineering in medical environments. We will highlight effective Agile-based methodologies, encountered challenges, and the strategies employed to overcome them. Additionally, the study provides insights into Agile's potential benefits in the medical domain, along with areas requiring further research.