Do you still postpone the development of a mobile platform for your business in the sphere of healthcare? Perhaps, the benefits mentioned in this article will change your mind
The enormous mobile technology development that we can observe today has drastically changed many industries. Mobile apps are everywhere: starting with the sphere of entertainment and ending up with the way of how banking institutions establish interaction with their clients.
In such a situation, it could be not very sensible to suppose that all these changes haven’t influenced the healthcare segment. But can we consider the increase in the mobile health apps number to be just a modern trend? Definitely not. The main factor that can boost healthcare application development (and it actually does that) is the complex of new opportunities that this type of software offers for the industry.
In this article, we will reveal the benefits of using mobile apps for healthcare industry and explain how the healthcare system has transformed thanks to the introduction of apps. And we strongly believe that these benefits will inspire you to create a couple of cool healthcare app ideas.
But to start with, let’s find out whether the market of mobile apps in this industry is really so well-developed as it may seem.
The market of mobile apps in healthcare
According to the results of various studies, it is obvious that the number of apps created for the health industry is growing these days. But what is more important: it will continue to grow. Based on this knowledge we can make a conclusion that the demand for healthcare development will be growing as well. And the reasons for it are very simple to explain.
The directions of the market development are shaped under the influence of customers’ needs. In the epoch of total digitalization, it will be strange to believe that one day customers will say “no” to mobile apps. Vice versa, now customers become more and more demanding and sellers (as well as services providers) have nothing to do but to offer products and services that meet higher and higher standards
The situation with healthcare apps is just the same. In this very case, not only one group of market players, but both healthcare providers and the patients, have the power to influence the app market development.
It is expected that by 2020 the market will reach $49.12 billion. Just compare, in 2012 the market size was around $1.95 billion. As for the further forecasts, there are no precise figures. However, we can suppose that the development of such technologies as 4G and 5G as well as the expansion of mobile devices market will definitely have their impact on the future of healthcare.
But why healthcare app development is gaining momentum? The answer is hidden in the advantages of these mobile applications.
Why is it beneficial to use healthcare apps?
The first thing that is important to mention before we proceed to the list of the pros of mobile health technology, is the fact that these benefits are applicable in both directions: for healthcare establishments and patients. This characteristic makes them especially valuable.
Nevertheless, let’s not focus our attention on one peculiarity only. Let’s dive deeper into this issue.
Benefit 1. Distance doesn’t matter
Yes, mobile apps today are still not able to teleport patients to doctors. But at least they can help people living in rural and remote areas get access to high-quality services, receive professional recommendations and make appointments to the doctors without a necessity to go to a hospital just to ask a receptionist to add their name to the list of patients.
Moreover, via such apps people can even buy medicines not leaving their homes.
Benefit 2. Reduced costs
The launch of a mobile app in the healthcare industry is a good solution for reducing fees for patients as many of the tasks can be performed via the app itself.
Moreover, interacting with the hospital via an app, patients can see the costs in real-time. So, when they will get a final bill, it won’t be an unpleasant surprise for them and their families as they have an opportunity to plan their budget in advance.
Benefit 3. Facilitated and secured payment processes
How does a traditional payment process look like (or used to look like) when you need to pay your medical expenses? Yes, today you have an option: you can pay in cash or by card. But you need to spend your time standing in a queue to do it.
With an app, you can do it within a few seconds making a couple of taps. Moreover, with secured payment gateways that are typically integrated into apps today, you can be absolutely sure about the safety of your money.
And there are a couple of other payment-related advantages. First of all, in case you forget to conduct a payment, your app will send you a notification. And secondly, via an app, you usually can choose the most appropriate payment plan for you.
Benefit 4. Enhanced workflow for healthcare professionals
Do you happen to know how medical staff used to work with all their documentation in the “pre-IT” epoch? They had to deal with thousands and thousands of papers. It’s clear that such a way of working was absolutely inconvenient and time-consuming.
Now various types of software help doctors and nurses to store patient records. And mobile apps are of great use there. Moreover, via an app, doctors may provide recommendations for urgent cases practically immediately which may save someone’s life.
Benefit 5. Development of the IoT healthcare market
IoT (or Internet of Things) is actively conquering more and more market segments. The medical segment is definitely not an exception. The IoT healthcare market is growing extremely fast and according to some estimates, the market will achieve the level of $136.8 billion already in 2021.
Such an advanced technology as IoT is able to facilitate a wide range of tasks for healthcare staff, simplifying access to huge volumes of data via smart devices and equipment that, for example, can help to track patient’s vital parameters in real-time.
As health wearables and fitness trackers are gaining popularity, we can suppose that more serious professional devices will soon be actively gaining popularity among a wide audience as well.
Benefit 6. Increased accuracy of diagnosis
Better workflow – higher accuracy. Thanks to the fact that doctors have access to a healthcare data network via an app, the risk of a mistake in diagnostics is minimized. As doctors can view an entire patient’s history, they can offer the most efficient treatment.
Moreover, such technology as machine learning can bring significant benefits to the sphere. Machine learning for medical diagnosis can work as additional support of the point of view that is expressed by the doctor in order to avoid mistakes.
Benefit 7. Possibility for patients to track their health state
With a good app, their health state is not a secret for patients anymore. They do not need to go to a doctor to track the results of their analysis. All health parameters can be easily viewed via an app.
Benefit 8. Appearance of a new business model
Healthcare mobile apps trends have greatly changed the industry. Already now many patients know that going to a hospital is not the only solution if they need to get a recommendation from a doctor.
Moreover, apps allow providing special offers for patients: referral programs, discounts, rating systems. All these features and many more can be available today thanks to healthcare mobile app development companies.
Benefit 9. Convenience for patients
Let’s admit that any company or organization, that makes a decision to launch a mobile application for the healthcare industry, puts patients in the first place. It is really so. The main task of any healthcare institution that wants to offer an app is to provide new benefits for its customers.
With a mobile app, it is much easier to find a necessary specialist, to schedule an appointment, to view reports, to find information about any diagnosis, to compare prices for medicines and services (and it is still not the full list of all the opportunities that are offered today).
Moreover, with mobile apps, there are more possibilities to use such features as video and online chats which definitely may offer a lot of new opportunities for both parties.
Benefit 10. Strong brand for healthcare institutions
This benefit represents special importance for healthcare institutions. Though the popularity of mobile apps is very high these days, in the healthcare segment there are still not so many organizations that have already launched their apps. It means that offering a useful mobile app, a healthcare establishment has all the chances to enhance its positions among the target audience and win the hearts of its patients.
Conclusion
As you see, healthcare mobile apps are really beneficial for both sides of the market. But what is more, they can bring a lot of advantages for the third party as well – for regulators. This fact is an additional argument which can be used to support the necessity to promote mobile apps within this industry.
However, if you consider launching an app for this sphere, please, take into account that the first thing that you should think about while elaborating an idea is the list of benefits that this solution can offer to patients and doctors. Though a technical part is important, the value of your app is the main key to success.
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