In 2003, Professor Robert S. H. Istepanian coined the term mHealth (mobile + health). In 2005, under the supervision of Professor Brian Woodward, an mHealth system debuted. Today, in 2021, 16 years later, 53,054 healthcare apps are available.
So, out of 53,054 healthcare apps what would make your app stand out from the rest? Is it an engaging UI? Auto-form fill-ups? Next medication reminders? Doorstep medicine delivery? Let us help you find out! Here are the 8 must-have features for your healthcare app to ace the competition.
1) High level of customization in a healthcare app
App functionality requirements vary widely depending on the discipline of the medical science considered. For example, the features and functionalities required by orthopedic patients and doctors would be very different from those required by a pediatrician. Thus, healthcare apps need flexibility around the design and structure.
2) Security & Privacy
Patients expect their health data to be highly confidential and secured. The patient’s data should be protected under HIPAA and FDA regulations. You should ensure the following security features in your healthcare mobile application.
- Minimal data collection
- Limited access and permission
- Secure authentication
3) Third-party API / Custom Integration
While APIs enable the patients to control their data, the 3rd party integration enables hospitals to improve the usability of EHR (electronic health record). Here are a few interesting APIs that you can integrate into your healthcare-related mobile app:
- Box API: Box API is used for the storage of critical documents.
- Domixity API: Domixity API is used for virtual connection with the doctor
- Human API: Human API is used for patients’ data management.
4) User-friendly design & accessibility
“Having access to information when it’s needed is critical”
Hal Wolf, President and CEO HIMSS
The patients using healthcare apps are already dealing with ailments and are not left with adequate energy or time to navigate through complex features & functionalities of your healthcare app.
Additionally, the doctors won’t appreciate spending a lot of time struggling through the healthcare app. Thus, it is most recommended to come up with easy and fast design features ensuring ease of access. In a Deloitte survey of physicians, 35% of respondents reported a lack of user-friendliness as their EHR system’s largest problem.
5) A custom search box
About 66% of users search for information about their medical issues on the internet. A medical records app would not be complete without a search function. You can apply filters, and there should also be auto-completion and suggestions, much as you would see with Google or a similar search engine.
A patient may want to explore a variety of related content for reference each day as their symptoms change. They may also want to find other related information like top physicians, appointments, medications, etc.
6) Multilingual and cloud management
Apps should allow users to operate them in their native or desired language. Patients can use this feature to gain a basic understanding of your services. Aside from a multilingual app interface, you can now store all the data with cloud computing.
The cloud integration also enables the patients to access, order invoices, medical reports, tests, previous medical history, appointments, anywhere and anytime.
7) Electronic medical records & analytical reporting
EHR/EMR adoption rates are higher than ever at around 89%. The app must be efficient enough to store and generate the medical history of the patient. This provides an opportunity for the physician and the patient to instantly have a glance at the patient’s ailment history and past medications.
Additionally, the analytics feature will give you valuable insights on your app usage that you can then use to improve its functionality in future versions.
8) AI Integration Feature
Like many other industries, Artificial Intelligence or AI is the future of the healthcare industry as well. AI algorithms can surprise you with their capabilities in the symptoms checker functionality, health monitoring, or tracking functionalities. Your app will perform better with an AI assistant, and it can also suggest more precise diagnoses.
“Physicians who use AI will most likely replace physicians who don’t employ the technology.”
Dr. Keith Horvath, Association of American Medical College.
Conclusion
Healthcare app development requires a higher level of skill than any other app development. You can only develop an effective healthcare app when you combine the skill set of IT app development and precise knowledge of medical science. As a result of the challenging feature requirements of healthcare apps, healthcare firms/experts should contact only an app development expert.
Looking for an expert to build a healthcare app for you? The app-experts are an email away at contact@42works.net.
