March 03, 2023
By: John Tomblin, Senior Solutions Architect
TempeBizz, a division of Sofvue, LLC and Data Titan
Printed with permission of Data Titan, Sofvue LLC, and the author
As a healthcare provider, one of your key responsibilities is to facilitate convenient and effective care for your patients. This may involve meeting with them in person for appointments or addressing their inquiries over the phone. However, it's impossible to ignore the benefits that technology can offer in streamlining these tasks.
By utilizing mobile apps, for example, you can connect with patients through various means such as chat, audio, or video calls, and address their concerns more efficiently. According to Grand View Research, the global market for mHealth apps was valued at $38.2 billion in 2021 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 11.8% from 2022 to 2030, reaching $105.9 billion by the end of that period.
To take advantage of the rapidly growing mHealth apps market, creating a mobile app is a wise choice for your medical practice(s). Here are the steps.
Steps to Build your Mobile Health Application
✅ Define Your Requirements
The initial step in creating a mobile health application is to clearly identify the problem that you aim to solve. Consider whether your objective is to:
• Connect patients with doctors.
• Assist patients in tracking their medications.
• Enable patients to store and access their medical records.
Once you have established these requirements for yourself without worrying about external preferences, proceed to develop specific features that you deem necessary. These features should be both tangible and measurable, with the intention of creating a functional product that can be tested and refined over time.
✅ Understand Your Users
To design an effective product, you must understand your target audience and their specific needs. This knowledge allows you to create a user-friendly experience and reduce customer turnover. For example, if your healthcare application is located in Scottsdale, customizing your mobile health application for this location is more appropriate.
Conducting market research and competitive analysis is necessary to gain insight into the preferences and needs of your target audience. This involves engaging with actual users or stakeholders such as doctors and nurses. Ask questions like:
• What are your biggest challenges and frustrations?
• What do you and your staff value most about using mobile health apps?
• How do you and your customers currently utilize healthcare apps on their phones?
• What goals do you hope to achieve by using healthcare apps on your phone?
Various research methods can be employed, such as focus groups, surveys, interviews, field studies, ethnographic research (in-depth observation), usability testing (testing prototypes with real users), or card sorting exercises (organizing content into meaningful groups).
✅ Choose a Platform
The choice of platform for your app will significantly influence its appearance and usability. You must decide whether to create a native app (specifically designed for one platform) or a cross-platform app (compatible with multiple platforms).
Developing a native app ensures a consistent user experience and functionality across different devices and operating systems. However, this may require more development time and result in higher costs.
On the other hand, hybrid apps can be created using tools such as React Native or Xamarin, making them compatible with Android and iOS platforms. This option may be more cost-effective, but performance and design capabilities WILL BE compromised. Hybrid apps may also lack the "native" feel of fully-native apps.
Also read: How to Apply Small Business Intelligence to Mobile App Development
✅ Create Your Design
After conducting audience research and selecting a platform, the next step is to develop the UX for your app. Here are some best practices to follow:
• Keep the design clear and simple. A healthcare app should be easy to use, intuitive, and consistent with your brand. The design should also have a clean and straightforward layout that is easy to navigate.
• The design should be easy to understand, avoiding unnecessary complications or options that may confuse users. The 80/20 rule is an effective approach, where you prioritize the 20% of features used by 80% of your users while saving the rest for future updates or discarding entirely.
• Consistency is crucial in every aspect of your app, from the menu structure to the inclusion or exclusion of certain elements. This consistency creates a predictable experience for users, making it easier for them to learn how to use your app and navigate it.
✅ Implement the Right Features
The features of a mobile health application may vary depending on the business objectives and target audience. However, a good developer would consider including the following features:
• User profiles: Allow users to create and manage their profiles with personal and medical information, including their medical history, allergies, medications, and insurance information.
• Appointment scheduling: Allows users to schedule appointments with healthcare providers and receive reminders and notifications about upcoming appointments.
• Telemedicine capabilities: Allow users to consult with healthcare professionals via video or audio calls, messaging, or email, enabling remote consultations and care.
• Medication management: Provide users with tools to manage and track their medications, including dosage, frequency, and reminders to take their medication on time.
• Health tracker: Enable users to track and monitor their health metrics, including blood pressure, weight, and blood sugar levels.
• Secure messaging: Allow users to communicate with healthcare providers securely and privately, sharing information and receiving advice and support.
• Electronic health records: Enable users to store and access their health records and medical history electronically, giving them control over their health information.
• Health education resources: Provide users with access to educational resources and materials related to their health conditions and wellness.
• Real-time communications: A mobile health application enables patients to connect with their healthcare providers seamlessly and conveniently, regardless of their location. Patients can use the app to communicate through various means such as chat, video calls, and audio calls, as well as texts. This feature ensures that patients can access medical advice and support at any time, eliminating the need for physical visits to healthcare facilities. With the app, patients can also receive medical updates, test results, and prescription refills, all from the comfort of their homes. Overall, the app's ability to facilitate remote communication between patients and healthcare providers improves patient satisfaction, enhances accessibility to healthcare services, and increases efficiency in the delivery of care.
By incorporating these features, a mobile health application can provide a comprehensive and user-friendly experience for patients and healthcare providers.
Healthcare app development in Tempe
TempeBizz, a division of Data Titan and Sofvue, LL, is a multiple-state award-winning company serving Tempe, Phoenix, and the entire state of Arizona. We help healthcare companies leverage technology to stay competitive in the very competitive medical technology marketplace.
Our company has been designing and developing mobile and web-based application systems since 2004. To date, we have designed and developed over $22MM in solutions for companies coast-to-coast, and across numerous business segments, and we have 80,000+ wireframes to back it up. Give us a call to learn more about our recently completed projects, read recent letters of recommendation, and discuss how we can serve both your project and your company goals.
Additionally, we work with our clients in providing HIPAA compliance to ensure patient privacy and confidentiality when storing patient health information.
For more information, or to schedule a meeting over a cup of coffee, give us a call at 623-845-2747.
Citations:
Source: Grand View Resource; citation date: 03-012-23-2023
https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/mhealth-app-market
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