2020 has made history for how we work and the healthcare app development and market. This ecosystem accelerates digital transformation in the healthcare industry and replaces conventional care practices. Thanks to the storm of perfect power, Statista predict that the global digital health market will reach 11% with a volume of US$256 billion in 2027.
Healthcare providers worldwide are moving towards modern infrastructure, integrating all service data to reduce gaps and improve care outcomes.
According to CB Insight, every aspect of telemedicine, health education services, remote patient monitoring, and consulting has seen nearly a 300% increase in investment. These figures are evidence that health is a top priority for everyone.
The trend of the health application market will continue to grow. Research by McKinsey & Company shows about 40% of consumers will continue to use telehealth in the foreseeable future.
Additionally, the demand for drug delivery and health tracking is also continuing to grow. It presents an opportunity that you can take advantage of. However, before starting to build health applications, you must understand the main points in this industry.
Healthcare Apps Overview
The pandemic has made people more mindful of their health, including tracking medical records. Every healthcare provider expects aligned data practices, logistics, and a quick and easy integration process. It makes the need for healthcare coupled with technology in every aspect of care.
Healthcare App Development
Healthcare apps answer a need - smartphone applications specially designed for healthcare. These apps can help people manage their illnesses better and benefit healthcare professionals. With healthcare apps, administrative services and doctors can manage data and drugs more efficiently and in a more organised way.
Characteristics of Healthcare App
In 2022, Statista noted over 54,000 healthcare applications in the Google Play Store, making it a highly competitive market. However, not all of these apps have the critical characteristics of healthcare applications. Here are the key features and characteristics:
- Organised profiles with doctors, administration and patients.
- There are options for remote treatment
- There is an option to enable notifications or reminders
- Integrated with health, doctor and medicine databases.
These features are necessary for an app to compete in the market. Additionally, while these are basic requirements, developers must create healthcare applications catering to society's needs. It's important to note that while telemedicine solutions are helpful, they cannot replace real doctors.
Benefits of Healthcare App for Professionals and Patients
Healthcare apps are popular due to their benefits. They help meet the health needs of patients and doctors more easily.
For Professionals Medis
Healthcare apps offer the benefit of allowing doctors to assist patients despite physical distance barriers. Here are four additional benefits that healthcare apps provide to medical professionals:
- Accelerating decision-making: Doctors can make prescriptions and decisions more quickly with easy access to medical records.
- Enhancing the precision of diagnosis: healthcare apps can complement the diagnostic process, leading to more effective treatment.
- Improving communication: apps can facilitate communication between doctors and patients and allow doctors to connect remotely.
- Reducing healthcare costs: more precise diagnoses and faster decision-making can lower healthcare costs.
For General Users
Here are three other benefits of healthcare apps for users:
- Automation: users can receive healthcare solutions by integrating data into one application. Plus, it simplifies by delivering their medication through a single platform.
- Healthcare data at hand: some healthcare apps have user medical reports. It allows them to monitor their health status.
- Secure payment process: credit card integration makes payment easy and safe. That is one use of blockchain in the health sector.
7 Steps to Build a Healthcare App
Developing healthcare application software can be a complex process. It requires attention to details ranging from market research to feature development. To simplify this process, here are the seven main steps for developing a healthcare app:
1. Identify the problem and the type of health service
The first step to building a healthcare app is to identify the gaps in health services. Try to identify the problems people are having with existing systems and find the right solutions.
After identifying the problem, deciding what kind of healthcare app you want to develop depends on the business perspective and how the app will generate revenue. Researching the most promising health areas can help make an informed decision.
2. Conduct Market research
After choosing the type of application, the next step is market research. In this stage, you will discover the most formidable competitors. You can divide market research steps into several sub-tasks, for example, identifying competitors, analysing applications and finding their strengths and weaknesses.
Additionally, it's crucial to understand your competitors' target audience and determine if your target market overlaps theirs. To gain an overview of competing applications, list their basic features.
3. Design a simple UI and UX design
Design is one of the most critical components. It happens because the user doesn't always understand how the application runs. Some even argue that it only takes three seconds to tell whether a user likes the app.
Therefore, it's crucial to ensure that healthcare apps are simple, practical, and visually appealing. A simple design can give the impression that the app is user-friendly.
4. Determine the application monetisation strategy
If you want to attract investors, you have to determine the monetisation strategy. Building an application is thinking about how the application runs, also how the application makes money. You can use several techniques to generate income, such as subscriptions or pay-to-download apps.
5. Regulatory, compliance and data privacy
As specialised healthcare applications continue to develop rapidly, the demand for data privacy is also increasing. As a developer, it is crucial to have a thorough understanding of compliance and data privacy regulations.
It's essential to develop your app according to health standards and regulations, such as FHIR and HIPAA, which prioritise data security.
6. Create MVP and get validation
An MVP (minimum viable product) is crucial in developing an application. Identifying the necessary MVP helps determine the requirements before launching the application. The MVP serves as a beta version of the application and highlights areas that require improvement. It should have a minimum of features necessary to test its functionality.
7. Launch the app and get feedback
The final step in healthcare application development is launching. Remember to provide user feedback so you can check areas for improvement. Track application performance on time and improve according to scalability.
Bottom Line
Developing healthcare apps is a critical process that requires patience and accuracy. While there may be challenges, the seven steps outlined above can serve as a simple guide for building better healthcare apps.
Are you looking to develop a healthcare app that can improve the lives of patients and healthcare providers? VirtualSpirit can help you turn your vision into reality. Contact us today to discuss your project for free.
