How to Create Healthcare Apps for Patients 

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How to Create Healthcare Apps for Patients 

How to Create Healthcare Apps for Patients 

October 12, 2022 0 Comments

Medical apps for patients are one of the most popular segments in mHealth apps.1 This is because they enable patients to have control over health-related data, and they make it easy to access information and communication with medical professionals directly from their devices.   

Medical health apps for patients are expected to grow at a CAGR of 44.7%, with the global mHealth apps market valued at $100.2 billion in 2023.  

The most common types of healthcare apps include:  

  • PATIENT ENGAGEMENT APPS: These allow doctors and patients to control appointments and fees through booking and payment functions.  They also allow patient reports and chats, with the option of keeping medical records and chat information in one portal space. In practice, instead of manually managing medical services, patient engagement apps allow you to automate most medical service processes, create a meaningful online presence, and engage patients more deeply through chats, polls, and events.  
  • TELEMEDICINE APPS: These have literally revolutionized healthcare in terms of providing instant consultation with a medical practitioner from any location. A doctor can remotely track patient symptoms by a video channel and prescribe medicines, if required.  
  • MEDICATION APPS:  These serve as reminders for patients to take medications at the appropriate time set by the practitioner.  They also allow for verification that patients have, indeed, taken their medicines!  
  • HEALTHY LIVING APPS:  These assist patients in tracking health metrics to maintain both positive mental and physical health. They include information on healthy diet, exercise, heart rate, mindfulness, and sleep habits and hygiene. Patients with diabetes or heart disease frequently use healthy living apps to get a diet plan tailored to their medical conditions’ requirements.  
  • EMERGENCY APPS: These apps have specific options to ensure immediate assistance in the event of an emergency. They can direct you to the nearest emergency room (ER) or connect you with medical centers, using the most comprehensive databases.  
  • PERSONAL HEALTH RECORD APPS: These help patients track and manage their personal health data records. This type of application keeps track of all visits and provides access to lab reports, X-rays, medical reports, blood tests, and information about medical conditions.  

Key Features of Healthcare Apps 

The list of features varies, depending on application and purpose. However, the basic set remains the same and includes:  

  • Sign in/Sign up function to enable access to the service and create a user’s profile  
  • Geolocation   
  • Scheduling/reminders   
  • Real-time chat to ensure an easy access to the channels of communication with healthcare providers  
  • Payment gateway integration   
  • Push notifications to deliver important info immediately  
  • Chatbots   
  • Reviews and ratings.  

Important Factors to Consider When Developing a Healthcare App

Consider the following factors when developing a strategy for the successful creation of patient apps:  

Security and compliance  

Patients’ healthcare apps must comply with strict data protection regulations (in particular, HIPAA and FDA policies).  

PCI-DSS is another set of security standards related to payment checkpoints. To ensure that your healthcare app complies with all these standards, you should work with a team of experts who can provide professional assistance in obtaining licenses and official compliance permissions.  

Integration  

To gain a competitive advantage in the market for patient apps, you will need a variety of integrations with other software that patients and medical practitioners can use.  

Enabling this type of integration options leads to increased capability in terms of communication with EHR and medical service facilitation.  

UI/UX Design  

A medical app’s user experience serves as a barometer for future usage. Modern consumers prefer apps that provide a fast, reliable customer experience. Thus, in most cases, the well-thought-out work of UI/UX designers and healthcare developers contributes the lion’s share to the app’s success.  

Choosing a Trustworthy Software Development Partner  

Consider a good portfolio of similar projects, relevant industry experience, and a team with expertise when selecting a software development company to partner with in the creation of your healthcare app. Check out independent reviews prior to making your decision.  

  

1How to create a medical app for patients – CodeIT, https://codeit.us/blog/how-to-create-a-medical-app-for-patients. 

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