Reality Check for Healthcare App Development in 2023

Since the Coronavirus hit Earth, our relationships have changed, as has our way of doing business and planning vacations. But most importantly, our approach to our loved ones, our health, and fitness, has also changed. As we went through these fundamental changes, a solution was infiltrating other businesses, specifically the healthcare industry, to help them grow.

The IT industry has developed a solution for mobile app development. The market for healthcare app development was valued at $17.92B in 2019. It is expected to grow by 45.0% CAGR until 2027. The number of smartphone users continues to grow, and 90% of the mobile internet time is spent on apps.

The development of healthcare apps includes the creation of health-related apps, such as fitness and workout applications or telemedicine. Health apps are used to monitor and track health conditions, as well as help people maintain their fitness. On the other side, companies that create mobile health apps have many opportunities to make a good return on investment.

In the future, healthcare application development will benefit hospitals, fitness studios, and pharmacies as well as doctors, patients, and corporate companies. As an example,

Mobile healthcare apps benefits

• Can help patients better manage their health;
• It is possible to adjust the treatment plan to suit individual fitness needs.
• Track your health with a condition that is unique to you.
• Connect with a doctor virtually in real time;
• Transparency between doctors and their patients is important.
• ePharmacy applications help you manage your medication dosages, order prescriptions online, and deliver services via digital means.

This post could be extended to several pages if we list all the benefits. Who wouldn’t want to access luxurious health services with just a few taps on their smartphone? Health apps and mHealth are growing in popularity.

You are not here by accident. It’s unlikely that you have ever considered developing an app for healthcare. It’s okay if you haven’t. You are here because this post discusses important aspects of medical and healthcare application development.

Business Cases for Healthcare Mobile App Development

Apps for EMR and EHR

Electronic health records or electronic medical records is a system that stores and manages all the health information about a patient. EHR/EMRs help keep patient health information secure, accessible, and safe. It also makes it easier for clinicians to manage and record patient health information on a single platform.

To move towards a more mobile health information system, we are converting electronic health records systems. This transformation has made patient data accessible anywhere and anytime.

Telehealth and Telemedicine applications

Telehealth apps are designed to make doctor consultations more accessible and convenient by using telecommunication technologies. These apps also offer video calls and chats within the app, which allow patients to schedule and attend doctor appointments from their own homes. Patients can virtually visit their doctors, which reduces the number of no-shows.

Healthy Lifestyle Apps

These apps fall under the lifestyle category and include functionalities to help people maintain their health. Healthy lifestyle apps allow users to set goals for their health, like fitness or meditation. They can then get recommendations on how to reach their goals. Users can also monitor their progress.

Apps for mental health and therapy

This app uses AI and the latest technology to connect people, help them find support, and monitor their progress toward their goals. Users can get help with anything, whether it’s achieving a healthier weight or managing stress. They can also quit smoking and improve relationships. This app is also used by thousands of mental health professionals and organizations to provide therapy services.

E-Prescription apps

E-prescription apps are mobile applications that allow patients to electronically request prescriptions. You can also order it online from your nearest pharmacy. It works similarly to traditional in-person requests for prescriptions, but it’s done via a smartphone rather than in person.

Apps like this save patients time, lower doctors’ costs and improve the patient experience. These apps generate revenue through subscription plans, advertising, and transaction fees.

Examples of Successful Healthcare Apps

The mobile app market is a great place to start. This practice will help you to create an app that is unique and stands out from the rest.

Headspace

Headspace is a subscription-based app that connects users to professionals who can guide them in meditative practice. Users of Headspace can track their history and the results of their mindfulness and meditation exercises. They can also add family and friends to the app. Headspace is compatible with both iOS and Android devices.

Teladoc

Teladoc is a one-stop shop for a wide range of health-related issues. It helps users to maintain good health throughout their lives. Teladoc’s services include mental and physical healthcare, support for chronic health conditions and complex illnesses, on-demand emergency care, virtual care, and more. Teladoc offers iOS users a special bonus feature, which is a seamless integration with AppleHealth.

You may also be interested in How to Create a Telehealth Application like Teladoc

MySugr

This app was developed by people who have diabetes for diabetes patients to make managing diabetes easier. The app provides a logbook for diabetes, a dashboard that shows blood sugar levels, backups, and reports to share with doctors. MySugr also works with AppleHealth and various diabetes devices.

Medisafe

It is one of the best cloud-synchronized medication reminders and management apps. Users can keep track of their medication schedules. This app is easy to use and allows users to customize daily reminders for taking their medications.

Apps ensure users do not forget to take their medication at the right time or double-dose. Users can also keep track and manage medications for loved ones, and alert them if someone doesn’t take their medication.

HealthTap

HealthTap, a virtual medical and health app, provides 24/7 high-quality physician care at affordable prices. Patients can also schedule recurring doctor appointments through the app. HealthTap offers a variety of subscription plans that allow users to search for doctors, find symptoms, or access online therapy according to their preferences.

Healthcare Mobile App Development Process

You should know the basics of app development before you hire a healthcare app company.

Real health problems are addressed

Healthcare app development is a niche that has many business opportunities. You need to determine what kind of medical or healthcare problems you are trying to solve.

You can create a mental-health app that reduces stress or a medicine delivery app, which allows patients to get medical help without having to leave their homes. You may be interested in a fitness or yoga app.

Know your audience

You want your audience to use your app. Only by putting yourself in their shoes can you understand and create a business plan that will attract them and increase revenue. When defining the persona of the user, you should consider factors such as gender, age, and income. You must also take into account their lifestyle, location, and any difficulties they may face.

You can map out user journeys more efficiently if you know your audience’s demographics and what they do with existing solutions. The discovery will also help you create an app that is appealing to your audience.

Create an MVP

After you have completed all your research and studies, you will need to start working with your team on a minimum-viable product. If you do not have a mobile app development team, it is best to hire a professional. Launching the MVP version before launching your final product has many advantages, including:

• MVP is a great way to speed up the time to market, as it only contains the functionality required to run the app.
• Validate and test your app idea.
• You can check if the product or service you’re investing in is in demand;
• This is an effective way to plan your final product;
• Investors can be attracted to your app by showing it to them.

Iterate and receive feedback

It is now time to launch your MVP and let your audience use and evaluate your healthcare app. Use social media marketing to let people know about the solution you provide and its benefits.

Never forget to ask them for feedback and experience as you begin to attract users. These reviews can be very helpful in the final development of your product. You can determine what features users may want, whether the design should be altered, and whether the user journey has been well-mapped. You can then iterate your app based on your analysis to make it more user-friendly.

After each build, you can test, launch, and iterate. We say that the app development cycle never ends.

What to consider before the development of a healthcare mobile application?

Regulations

Regulators are one of the main concerns with healthcare apps. The government may have a variety of rules. You must therefore research the codes of conduct and guidelines of the location where your healthcare app is targeted and follow them.

Data Security

In the digital world and specifically the healthcare apps industry, data security is non-negotiable. Your app will be storing and processing sensitive data from users. You need to use appropriate technology that will encrypt and keep the data separate to prevent hackers from accessing it.

Features that are nice to have

Your app will not function unless you have some advanced features. These features will add value to your app and encourage users to return. Advanced features are what make a healthcare app stand out from the crowd and more user-friendly. You can create advanced features based on your app’s nature or requirements.

• Multi-factor authentication
• Personalized healthcare services
• Wearable support for heart rate monitoring, etc.
• Virtual Reality to enhance doctor-patient interaction
• AI chatbots for 24/7 Customer Support

How much does it cost to develop a healthcare app?

The cost to develop a healthcare app depends on several factors and can vary from one project to another. It costs more to create a mobile application than it does a website. The average cost of developing a mediocre health app ranges from $40,000 up to $600,000. The cost depends solely on the complexity and size of the project.

There are also different types of apps for healthcare, such as the pharmacy, lab, specialist, patient, and doctor. Different apps also require different features and integrations, which can affect the budget.

Other factors can affect the cost of developing a healthcare app, such as:

• What type of app is it?
• App features: the number and complexity;
• Integrations with third parties and their fees;
• Research and UI/UX design
• Backend development;
• Testing and analysis of quality;
• Technology, tools, and plugins
• The salary of a developer or the rate at which they develop;
• Maintenance and marketing

Conclusion

Applications are changing the way patients and healthcare providers interact. They can provide patients with access to their medical information, increase efficiency, or reduce waste in the healthcare system.

Apps for healthcare are a new and exciting way to improve the quality of life and human health. You can empower people to make better choices by creating an app. You can create an app to help hospitals manage appointments and provide virtual visits.

You need to solve real problems using the right technology, no matter what your idea for a healthcare app is. Your success is guaranteed if you choose a technology partner who can adapt quickly.