Healthcare is the most essential aspect of everyday life. However, it’s usually neglected by individuals because of their fast pace of life and busy calendars. Today, it is difficult to find time to come to the hospital, book an appointment, and then see a specialist. Before this happens, one often has to stand in long lines.
The reality is that many people don’t have enough time and this makes entrepreneurs find new ways of providing their services fast and without compromising the quality. This is why mobile app development can be extremely useful. Technologies are flourishing and any industry can benefit from having a custom app. It can level up any business sphere including healthcare.
Pioneering hospitals and clinics are engaging patients with custom mobile applications that are built to enhance the cooperation as well as communication between doctors and patients.
Nowadays, the healthcare app market has already reached $20 billion and it’s gaining momentum.The global mobile health (mHealth) market will reach $60 billion by 2020, but still, it’s only a prediction. It may become even bigger taking into account the pace it’s expanding.
Getting back to healthcare apps, they are built to increase patient engagement or to help them keep a healthy lifestyle. That will help people to stay focused on their health and improve their quality of life. Actually, there are mHealth apps for many health issues. They can track movements, help stick to a diet, calculate calories, schedule an appointment with a doctor, etc.
Types of Custom Mobile Apps for Healthcare
Applications for hospitals or assistance in diagnosis
Symptom checkers
• PHR access
• Digital imaging (MRI/X-Raying viewing abilities
• Electronic chart review
• Lab results review
Applications for remote monitoring
• LifeScan for patients with diabetes
• Remote heart monitoring
• ECG viewer
• Oxygen level remote check
• Telehealth services
Applications for reminders and alters
• Prescription management
• Appointment reminders
Applications for references
• ICD-9/10 reference guide
• E&M coding
• Specialized medical reference material
Applications for a healthy living
• Pregnancy and baby development
• Diet assistance
• Exercise and fitness
• Healthy eating
Applications for productivity
• Remote dictation
• Surgery Scheduling
• Interoffice communication
Number Can’t Lie
There are no doubts that the healthcare sector is one of the most profitable business sectors. And it’s expected to triple in the upcoming years. But let’s not get fooled and look at some actual stats.
• It’s predicted that the healthcare industry is predicted to increase to $60k in the near future.
• Many patients and doctors prefer utilizing custom healthcare apps and the healthcare app industry has already reached $20K.
• Nowadays around half of the mobile users accumulate health-related information through their handheld devices.
No wonder that mHealth apps are in high demand not only among patients but also among doctors. A mobile app is indeed the best technology-oriented solution for hospitals and clinics. This is the main driver for healthcare managers to invest in software development and get fully-functioning mobile apps for both doctors and patients.
For patients
• reminder of upcoming doctor’s appointments.
• track vital medication records and save health data
• facilitate and ease the communication between a patient and a doctor
• control drug treatment
For doctors
• get the latest reports on patient’s health
• easy integration with CRM (custom relationship management) as well as ERP (enterprise resource planning) systems
• keep all the information about patients
• schedule
• ease communication with colleagues
Generally, mHealth apps are categorized into two categories - for doctors and for patients. In case, you have any special requirements, you can build a custom solution for your healthcare business. Have a glance at the features and facilities you can load your healthcare app with.
Key Features and Facilities of mHeath Apps
• Push notifications to get reminders
• Access to medical data to collect vital information
• View profiles of doctors/ hospitals/ etc.
• Book, change and cancel appointments
• On-time reminders to visit a doctor or take a pill
• Access to lab reports
• Get prescriptions
• Latest news and information
• Access to online reports
• Get emergency aid
• Get free medical advice
• SOS call
These are only basic features for a healthcare app. They can make a core of a medical application.
However, it’d be great if you load your app with a tracking feature. With its help, patients will be able to monitor heart rate, pulse, blood pressure, glucose levels, calories, etc. And doctors will be able to track the health of their patients remotely.
A lot of healthcare apps are related to appointments, so scheduling is another important feature to add to your healthcare app. App for doctors will help doctors work with calendars, manage appointments, and schedule drug intake. Moreover, scheduling will come in handy when developing apps for sleeping or fitness.
Summing Up
Medical app development has become one of the most lucrative industries in today’s world. With its advanced features and functionalities, it has leveled up the experience of both patients and doctors. Mobile apps are transforming the industry and making it more convenient for any side, be it a doctor or a patient.
This is a guest blog entry.