Nowadays, go-ahead innovations and devices pop up almost every day, improving the world around us. Technology development has also affected the healthcare industry, which has left behind the idea of waiting in the hallway. We all witness the brisk growth of innovations. In today’s healthcare industry consumers desire more than just standard terms. This is the exact case when software development services for healthcare lead to transforming the traditional approach to the relationship between doctor and patient. Let’s have a closer look here at how to develop a healthcare app.
How Has Pandemic Situation Influenced the Healthcare Field?
Lately, the world lives in some kind of a new reality with COVID-19. If we look back, we can see that we have already experienced a global lockdown and closed borders. Now it seems that the pandemic circumstances and the consequences of COVID-19 are gradually becoming the usual way of life. Needless to say that the pandemic has affected all areas of life, markets and, of course, online marketing, including mobile apps.
Going to see a specialist is quite time-consuming and sometimes rather expensive. That is exactly why lots of us pick a healthcare app to watch over their health. To be honest, the point is not even about saving time or money, it is about choosing healthcare apps instead of going to face-to-face visits.
It goes without saying that because of the pandemic situation, the way of life for thousands of companies worldwide has shifted completely. And if some of the global changes led to collapse, then for other organizations the covid appeared to be on hand and served as a springboard for rapid growth. Take into consideration the second category if you want to develop a healthcare app. Considering all the above-mentioned facts, it is obvious that the request for the healthcare app is going to get higher every day. There is an obvious reason for that, think about it. Thanks to these apps you will get a great chance to look for your health at home during the pandemic.
So, if you are at the crossroads of whether to develop a healthcare app or not, the answer is quite positive. The pandemic situation is not going anywhere, it may decrease, of course, however, there is no guarantee that it will vanish soon enough. Considering this fact, healthcare apps will be in high demand.
Good And Bad Of Healthcare App
The most essential benefit to develop a healthcare app is customer’s dedication. Patients pick those clinics that provide them with simple access to all the essential data about health offline and online. Besides, arranging an appointment and checking laboratory results is important as well.
Among other merits of building an application are:
- Optimizing all the date about health;
- Providing immediate help, no matter where the patient is ;
- Eliminating of medical mistakes;
- Diminishing the financial expenses for the patient;
- Rising the customer’s loyalty;
However, try to remember that even if there are lots of good sides, there will definitely be some drawbacks. When you develop a healthcare app, you may face some obstacles. If we look at statistics, about 90% of startup companies lose out. The reasons for that can be a noncompetitive offer of trade, too long time of development, some issues while using the app, developers who are not skilled enough, etc.
The legal system can cause some obstacles while making and applying a medical app. Although telehealth is rising up globally, not all countries have an opportunity to follow up on all the innovations. In lots of them, eHealth services are not controlled by law, which can result in upcoming troubles for suppliers and patients.
What Makes A Good Healthcare App?
Now, when we have talked about the inevitable pandemic influence on the healthcare industry, it is time to go straight to the healthcare apps discussion.
Below you can find some hints on how to make a helpful healthcare app, what exact services and functions users would like to see in it.
First, as the app holds the personal information of the user, it should ensure total security. However, beside this particular feature, there are others not least important aspects for the app to contain. Let’s look through some of them.
Personal Area. Fill out a profile, upload a photo, a medical card and analyze the results.
Family account. Add profiles of the child and close relatives.
Registration for admission. Choose a doctor, and branch, rely or cancel the consultation.
Calling a doctor at home. Assign and address, describe the symptoms of the disease.
Payment for services. Top up your account, arrange installments, pay with a bank card.
Ratings and reviews. Leave a comment after visiting the hospital.
Beside the main features that we have listed above, there are some additional functions worth mentioning:
Chatbot. Sending appointment reminders, answers to typical questions, technical support.
Maintaining a healthy lifestyle. A nutrition journal and individual self-sensitivity, a list of prescribed medications and tips for the prevention and treatment of diseases.
Electronic medical records embedding The specialist can permanently sign up for the protocol online.
Video calls and texting with the specialist. Remotely excited about observation and perception.
Scanning drug barcodes. Tracking the process of treatment and dose adjustment.
Bonus system. Accumulate bonuses and receive discounts for regular customers.
Healthcare apps are developing constantly, so the list of needed features can become bigger every day.
Moreover, data storage and processing in the healthcare sector is accomplished considering strict rules and regulations. This is especially true for documents from the category of medical secrets. Your forthcoming app should abide by global and local privacy demands that define the regulations for operating with HIPAA, ISO / TS, GDPR and others.
For example, HIPAA is a guideline for applying the requirements of the Health Insurance Information Protection and Liability Act. These rules protect the interests of non-public health information, especially data held or shared by companies in any form.
Stages To Develop A Healthcare App
After looking at the main essential features of the app, it is important to observe the steps which need to be taken in order to develop a healthcare app.
Analytics
Pick up as much information about the organization, competitors and market as possible before creating the interface. Specify business goals, create a profile of a potential user, determine an approximate user path and a list of available services.
Technical task
Define the composition of the team and requirements for developers, set goals, deadlines and budget. The more detailed the plan is, the faster it will be possible to start work and bring the first version (MVP) to the market.
The description of the terms of reference helps to understand what exactly the other party wants and how to implement it. The more detailed the technical specification, the higher the chance to get what you really need and avoid long improvements.
Marketing plan and strategy
Think of a promotion plan at the beginning to organically build in elements of monetization. You can talk about the project using targeted advertising, native materials in the media and blogs, affiliate programs and viral techniques. Determine your audience, learn how to promote competitors, design your own plan and change it depending on the circumstances.
Team organization
It includes a product manager, analysts, marketers, UX\UI designers, developers and testers. The scale, complexity of implementation, timing and budget determine the number of people.
Design and prototype
The UX/UI designer works out the appearance: selects corporate colors, fonts, draws push notifications, buttons and pages. After that, he builds the logic of interaction between the pages of registration and authorization screens, filling in information, profile, basket, schedule of records and payment.
When the design is agreed, a prototype is created – a layout in the form of homepage screens. It’s not a finished product yet, but it allows you to see features in action, evaluate and fix bugs before launch.
Improvement
This is writing code, working out the architecture and logic, and customer service. Mobile developers need to know the concept, the target audience and be included in each stage in order to assess the viability of ideas and implement all the functionality.
Frontend programmers develop the client interface and platform logic.
There are two methods:
Native. A separate app is developed for each platform. This is the most pricey, but reliable way: you will receive full support from marketplaces, and the service will work quickly and seamlessly on every iOS and Android device.
Cross-platform. A universal code is used for all platforms, but the system will run it as native. The best option in terms of “price-quality”.
Backend developers create a server for storing and exchanging data, choose a programming language, server hosting and API, and build a management system.
Testing
After you develop a healthcare app, the prototype is handed over to testers – they check every button, push, page and form, and find bugs and shortcomings. Testing is required at every stage.
Testing can take a lot of time, but it’s better to check each page once again and fix the errors found than to get a wave of negativity after the release.
Launching
Prepare screenshots of the service pages, promotion plan and description. If you comply with all Google Play Store and Apple App Store policies, the service will be available on marketplaces in a few days.
Improvement and technical support
In the first days of launch, keep your finger on the pulse: follow reviews, study the number of visits and targeted actions, the most well-known functions. At this time, technical support must quickly respond to feedback and fix problems, remove unnecessary features, optimize and refine.
Wrapping Up
To cut the long story short, it takes time and attempt to develop a healthcare app as in every other business you have made a solution to launch. Be prepared that it demands lots of skilled people who know what they are dealing with. The most essential task is to decide for yourself why you are dealing with it and what the result you are expecting to reach, all the other stuff will come gradually. As always, take your time, do not rush with your decisions and do not be afraid to be riddled with problems.
