A lot has changed since the COVID-19 pandemic, including the significant rise of healthcare app development. Additionally, the rise in internet and smartphone usage, coupled with increased awareness of physical health and well-being, is driving further adoption of these apps.
According to Grand View Research, the global market size for health apps was $43.5 billion in 2022 and is projected to grow at a rate of 11.6% annually from 2023 to 2030.
Despite the proven benefits of healthcare mobile app development in enhancing patient care and satisfaction, many companies, including large ones, have struggled to meet user expectations due to factors like lack of strategy, technical guidance, and meaningful impact on addressing medical challenges.
So, if you’re looking for a comprehensive guide to developing successful healthcare apps, this article is for you! Here we cover all the basics you need to know from the benefits and step-by-step process of custom healthcare app development to best practices, trends, and more.
Let’s dive right in!
What Is Healthcare App Development?
Healthcare app development is the process of building apps for mobile devices that help users manage their health in real time. These apps, also known as mHealth apps, make it easy for people to find medical information and health services whenever they want with just a few taps.
According to Statista, in the third quarter of 2022, there were over 95,000 mHealth apps out there, with around 54,546 healthcare and medical apps on Google Play Store and 41,517 on Apple App Store.
While both healthcare and medical app development focus on improving well-being, they have some key differences regarding goals, regulatory requirements, target users, and the type of data they handle. Thus, it’s important to understand these differences before you start making your own mHealth app.
Healthcare app development aims to offer health solutions for all kinds of smartphones and communication devices, including apps for
tracking physical activity,
practicing yoga and meditation,
managing nutrition.
On the other hand, medical app development refers to creating software for doctors to use in their work. These apps can help with
telemedicine,
monitoring patients from afar,
collecting and handling patient data, managing chronic diseases,
and tasks alike.
For more information, please take a look at the table below.
Aspect | Healthcare App Development | Medical App Development |
Focus | Improving healthcare systems and services in general. Effectively handling medical information. | Diagnosing and treating medical conditions based on data analysis. |
Target Audience | Catering to the general public, including patients, healthcare providers, administrators, and insurance companies. | Designed specifically for medical professionals, researchers, and patients. |
Features | Offering features like appointment scheduling, EHR, health tracking, and insurance claim processing. | Providing tools such as medical reference libraries, drug interaction checkers, and remote monitoring. |
Compliance | Obliged to follow regulations like HIPAA and FDA guidelines. | Required to adhere to strict healthcare and medical device regulations, along with clinical standards. |
Data Sensitivity | Not needing as much security as medical apps. | Dealing with highly sensitive medical records, which requires robust security and data protection measures. |
Development Cost and Time | Typically costing less and takes less time compared to medical app development. | More expensive and time-consuming due to the complexity of the features and regulations involved. |
8 Essential Features In A Healthcare And Medical Application
To craft health apps that people find useful, you need to offer features that truly benefit users. Undoubtedly, the features you choose will depend on whether you’re creating a mobile solution for tracking daily habits or promoting fitness.
Nevertheless, there are several key features that every health app should have in its basic version, known as the minimum viable product (MVP) or at least in its proof of concept (PoC). Check them out below!
User dashboard
First and foremost, a visually appealing and user-friendly dashboard is crucial for delivering an excellent user experience. Therefore, you should make sure to build an attractive dashboard that presents all the essential information for both patients and doctors in a clean and straightforward manner.
Patient and doctor profiles
All app data should be organized into user profiles that patients and doctors can edit when needed. As for doctor profiles, they should contain enough information about the specialist to help patients make well-informed decisions.
Search bar and filter options
No healthcare app is complete without a search feature. A search bar allows users to navigate the app quickly to find the information they need. Besides, it’s highly recommended to incorporate filters so that users can search for doctors based on specific criteria such as specialization, experience, or appointment cost.
Reminders and notifications
Reminders and notifications are vital features that keep users on track with timely alerts. These notifications can also incorporate the user’s location, thereby enhancing the medication management experience.
Appointment scheduling
This feature benefits both patients and physicians. Doctors can manage their appointment calendars efficiently, controlling the number of appointments per week. Meanwhile, patients can easily view the doctor’s schedule and book appointments quickly, making the process convenient for everyone involved.
Telemedicine
Telemedicine is a crucial feature that enables patients to connect with their doctors from the comfort of their homes via video, voice calls, or messaging. This feature has become essential for developing medical apps that cater to remote healthcare needs.
Payment integration
With this feature, users can seamlessly pay for medical services, doctors can receive payment for their work, and so can platform owners. Typically, integrating online payments is done through payment gateways like PayPal, Stripe, or Braintree; however, it’s also common to support direct payment from a user’s credit card.
Wearable devices connection
The advancement of technology has led to the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT), where medical devices, apps, and wearables are interconnected. Wearable devices such as fitness trackers and smartwatches have gained enormous popularity in recent years, opening up opportunities for companies to develop apps that smoothly integrate with these devices.
How To Develop A Healthcare App Step-By-Step?
Whether it’s Android or iOS healthcare app development, the process requires many different steps and best practices to ensure a successful and user-friendly application.
Essentially, you’ll need to follow 07 key steps as outlined below:
Step 1: Define your healthcare app’s concept
This first step is of great importance, where you need to consider numerous factors to finalize your app’s concept.
You might start by researching your target users to understand their challenges and how your app can address them. Conducting market research is also necessary here to identify competitors and find gaps in the market that your app can fill.
For example, if you want to create a fitness app, then you’ll have to carefully analyze existing competitors like Fitness Buddy, Map My Run, and JEFIT Workout Planner to understand their strengths and weaknesses and determine how your app can stand out.
At this stage, it’s important to determine the type of app you want to develop, as it will impact several factors, including the app’s goals and features. Plus, you should decide which platforms your app will be available on – Android, iOS, or the web.
Choosing the location for your app’s launch is crucial too. While many entrepreneurs and tech leaders initially launch their apps in their own country, you may also consider launching internationally. If so, be sure to take into account nation-specific guidelines and user preferences, especially within the healthcare industry.
Step 2: Hire a healthcare app development partner
Now, it’s time to seek out your technical partner who provides specialized healthcare app development solutions to make your app a reality.
A reputable healthcare app development company usually employs a skilled team consisting of
UI/UX designers,
developers,
testers,
project managers,
market specialists.
They should be proficient in incorporating the latest technology trends and features to ensure your app’s success in the competitive market.
When choosing a partner for mobile app development outsourcing, bear in mind these factors:
Experience in the medical industry and healthcare software development: Look for a vendor with a track record in developing applications similar to yours and expertise in the medical field. Pro Tip: Check if the vendor has a portfolio showcasing their previous work and demonstrating their capabilities in developing successful healthcare apps.
Development process: Inquire about the vendor’s healthcare mobile app development process, including testing and debugging
Cost and timeline: Discuss the estimated cost and timeframe for developing the app.
Regulatory knowledge: Ensure that the vendor has specialists familiar with the requirements and regulations in the healthcare industry.
Support and maintenance: Ask about the level of support and mobile app maintenance offered, including troubleshooting, updates, and security enhancements, as healthcare software requires ongoing support to adapt to changing needs and remain secure.
Once you’ve identified potential vendors, consider creating a request for proposal (RFP) or project specification for software development. An RFP is where you outline the project scope, objectives, requirements, and evaluation criteria, allowing vendors to submit proposals tailored to your needs. With this document, vendors can have a good understanding of your project requirements and offer tailored solutions that align with your goals.
Step 3: Make initial contact with your partner
Once you’ve submitted your RFP, it typically goes to the Business Development Department of the healthcare app development company. They will review the request and assign a personal manager with expertise in your specific business area. Upon request, the IT vendor can also sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) to ensure confidentiality.
Step 4: Craft a clear plan
After confirming the partnership, your chosen partner will reach out to you to discuss queries and clarify the primary objectives and business context.
Here, the healthcare app development team will also gather necessary project details, including platforms, features, and third-party services to integrate. This information forms the basis of a detailed plan outlining the project’s scope, objectives, timelines, and milestones.
With a clear plan from the start, both parties will be able to identify potential challenges and adjust as needed to ensure the project stays on track, meeting deadlines and budget requirements.
Step 5: Develop a healthcare app MVP
An MVP is an app with only essential features that allow your users to solve their problems. It’s a great choice when:
You need to validate ideas
Resources are limited
There’s a need for a quick time to market
To ensure a successful MVP creation, make sure to ask your partner to analyze the core features of your solution and plan the application development accordingly.
Step 6: Test your app
Next up is testing, which involves checking everything from functionalities, user experience and interface to content. Proper testing here will help reduce costs and development time, and enhance your reputation as a service provider.
During the comprehensive testing of your health app, you should focus on:
Ensuring security for sensitive information like personal health information (PHI) and Personally Identifiable Information (PII).
Checking if the app’s healthcare workflows function correctly.
Ensuring the safety of the Application Program Interface (API) used for geolocation features.
Verifying that the app properly interprets data from various sources, networks, devices, and locations.
Testing the app’s performance in poor network conditions.
Conducting thorough usability testing to ensure user-friendliness.
Step 7: Launch, collect feedback, update, and repeat
Once testing is complete, it’s time to launch the app for your users and gather their feedback.
Stakeholders or project owners should start by analyzing their reviews and then sort out priorities for new feature updates based on their impact and feasibility. This process may lead to some modifications to the app’s architecture, further testing, and quality assurance.
Please note that app development for healthcare is an ongoing process. Thus, to stay competitive in this industry, it’s advisable to continuously monitor your app’s performance and make timely updates as needed.
6 Best Practices For Successful Healthcare App Development
To ensure a smooth healthcare app development journey, there are numerous best practices you should follow.
Here are the 6 most significant ones:
1. Solid data security
Data protection should be your top priority. This is because your app will handle users’ medical information during consultations and also manage online payments. Neglecting security measures can lead to serious financial losses and legal issues. Thus, to keep all this sensitive data safe, it’s crucial to have a robust security system in place.
Typically, the app’s architecture employs various methods to prevent data leaks. Some widely used methods include:
Data encryption (end-to-end encryption)
Multi-factor authentication (MFA) to access private user details
Expiration policy (requiring re-login after a certain period)
2. Compliance with all required regulations
The healthcare field has strict rules for security and legal compliance. So, when creating a healthcare app, both stakeholders and healthcare app development agencies must follow certain regulations. Below are 6 common ones:
HIPAA: Ensures the security and privacy of protected health information in the US.
CCPA: Requires transparency about data collection and managing client data reports.
GDPR: Protects personal data in the European Union.
NIST: Prescribes protocols to safeguard user data in US medical apps.
HiTech: Focuses on securing EHR systems data.
PIPEDA: Applies to mHealth apps in the Canadian market.
3. Single-focused purpose
While healthcare apps can be geared towards various areas like fitness tracking and appointment booking, it’d be better for businesses to concentrate on a specific category.
By focusing on a single area of expertise rather than offering multiple services, your business or healthcare institution can deliver significant value to users, addressing their specific needs with precision. This approach also improves user experience and ensures a more targeted and effective solution.
4. Interoperability
Interoperability plays an instrumental role in granting your business access to information from many different health data frameworks and transmitting this useful data to healthcare establishments, laboratories, and medical institutions.
Therefore, make sure your healthcare apps have a clear line of interoperability that is real-time and 100% secure.
5. Choose a monetization model
Most digital products aim to generate revenue, and healthcare apps are no exception. You and your tech partners will thus need to select a monetization model.
Here come 6 popular monetization models for mHealth solutions:
In-app ads: The app is free but displays ads to users.
Freemium: The app is free with limited functionalities, users can unlock additional features through in-app purchases.
Subscription: Users pay for access to the app or certain features on a recurring basis (weekly, monthly, yearly).
Pay-per-download: Users make a one-time payment to download the app.
Service sales: Users make one-time purchases of services offered by your company.
Sponsorship: Brands sponsor your app, especially if it involves specific medical equipment or products.
6. Integration with third-party applications
It’s important for healthcare apps to work well with other applications since this helps ensure the seamless exchange of user data between different platforms, providing a comprehensive view of their health. Without integration, the scope and usefulness of your healthcare solutions might be very limited, hindering the ability to provide enhanced care and experience to users.
Benefits Of Healthcare Apps
Healthcare apps have revolutionized the way medical services are delivered, providing numerous benefits for both doctors and patients alike.
Benefits for healthcare providers
Better hospital and equipment management: Technologies like IoT enable health organizations to track the hospital and its equipment in real time and optimize its usage effectively.
Reduced stress and burnout: Advanced software automates mundane tasks, increasing efficiency and boosting morale among medical professionals.
More accurate diagnoses: Emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) enable doctors to devise more precise, personalized, and quicker treatment plans.
Enhanced communication: Telemedicine platforms aid doctors in consulting with each other and with users regardless of location.
Reduced cost of healthcare provision: All the benefits above collectively lower the overall cost of healthcare services.
Benefits for patients and general users
Enhanced quality care: Automation allows providers to offer personalized health plans tailored to each patient’s unique needs.
On-demand accessible care: Healthcare mobile apps provide users with personalized services quickly in just a few taps, resulting in faster access to medications and remote consultations.
Better control over health data: Patients can easily access and share their medical records with other institutions, promoting transparency and collaboration.
7 Trends In Healthcare Mobile App Development
To stay ahead in the fast-changing market and meet evolving user needs, you should be able to apply new solutions and technologies to your product.
Here are 7 key trends in healthcare app development that you should consider adopting:
Telemedicine
With the major shift to online platforms, especially during the global pandemic, health apps have become increasingly popular and profitable, offering remote health tracking, data access, medical consultations, and more – anytime, anywhere.
Gamification
Turning the treatment process into a game can make it more engaging, especially for young patients. For example, by offering rewards and incentives for medication adherence and regular appointments, digital health apps can motivate users to follow their treatment plans more consistently.
Integration of wearable medical devices
Integrating medical devices with healthcare apps allows physicians to access real-time health data of their patients. Wearable devices like blood sugar meters and heart rate monitors can transmit vital information to doctors, enabling proactive healthcare management.
AI and ML
AI and ML technologies equip healthcare apps with powerful functionalities like predictive analytics and image recognition. To be specific, for example, while ML aids in diagnosis and treatment recommendations, AI can be used in drug development and decision-making processes.
In-app waiting rooms
By allowing patients to wait for appointments remotely, virtual waiting rooms within healthcare apps help minimize the spread of infections effectively.
Blockchain
Blockchain technology ensures secure storage and transmission of medical data, protecting it from unauthorized access. It also enables the creation of smart contracts, automating agreements, and guaranteeing transparency in data processing, thus enhancing security and efficiency in healthcare processes.
AR and VR
Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) have practical applications in medicine beyond gaming. They can be used for therapy sessions, surgical training, skill teaching, and indoor navigation in clinics, offering innovative solutions for both healthcare professionals and general users.
FAQs About Healthcare App Development
What is the average healthcare app development cost?
The cost of developing a healthcare app usually ranges from $50,000 to $300,000 or more. However, the exact healthcare app development cost can vary greatly based on factors such as platforms, technologies used, and features required.
How long does it take to develop a healthcare app?
On average, building a healthcare app can take anywhere from 3 to 18 months. Nonetheless, this timeline can vary significantly depending on the app’s complexity.
What are the main types of healthcare apps?
Healthcare apps for professionals:
Billing app
Telehealth
Medical networking
Healthcare apps for patients:
Health monitoring
Medicine delivery
Medication tracker
Healthy lifestyle
Final Thoughts On Healthcare Application Development
As we move further into the digital age, the healthcare field is trying to catch up and started to embrace different emerging technologies to provide better and more affordable medical care. Healthcare app development takes center stage in this transformation, offering patients much easier and quicker access to medical services, creative tools to monitor their health, and effective ways to organize their medical information. Building these apps requires thorough planning, a solid grasp of the healthcare industry, and specialized skills in healthcare software development.
If you’re seeking a partner providing custom healthcare app development services, we’re here to help. At LTS Group, we go beyond the lines of code to grasp your user’s needs be it doctors or patients to deliver solutions that truly add value.
Website: https://ltsgroup.tech/
Tel: (+84) 24-6660-7474
Fanpage: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lts-group-vietnam/
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