Healthcare Mobile App Development: Cost, Features, and Benefits

Quick Overview: Healthcare providers and hospitals are expanding their presence to digital platforms. The increased need for healthcare services should be put at the fingertips of the public. Also, developing a healthcare app reaps various advantages. Be you a doctor, registered pharmacy, or healthcare service provider, having an app will reach the needy swiftly. For a better understanding, get an in-depth outlook on healthcare mobile application development costs, features, etc. 

Since the pandemic, people have realized to prioritize health over any other aspect of life. Accordingly, the healthcare sector has gained much popularity. Simultaneously, the hype to build healthcare apps is surging among professionals and businesses. It might be considered a transforming phase for the healthcare industry. 

Today, healthcare and medical software or applications are basic requirements. About two-thirds of US adults i.e., 63.4% prefer using mobile healthcare (mhealth) apps for any health matters. 

Not only in the USA, but the healthcare apps in Germany and the Netherlands are also popular and commonly used. There is a Service Apotheek app prevalent as the best healthcare app in the Netherlands for pharmacy and medicines services. So, gradually, health and medical app usage is expanding on the global horizon.  

For healthcare institutions, it’s high time to develop a digital entity in the form of a feature-rich app. The article will serve you with ample information on reasons, benefits, features, and steps on how to build healthcare and medical apps. Enjoy reading!

Why should you develop a Healthcare App? 

The digitally lifted era of the current generation searches for any services or products on their mobile phones. It has made businesses list among their search results on small mobile screens. For your healthcare institution or medical service provider, building a healthcare app is mandatory. 

Gone were the days, when patients dialed doctors by phone. Today, they book appointments and connect through video conferencing. So, the times have changed with better approaches for both patients and healthcare organizations. Thus, you need to hire healthcare app developers and create your mobile app. It will allow you to establish a network of vast users who might need health consultation in the future. Now, you might be wondering what mobile healthcare apps mean, so here is a brief answer to that!

What is a Mobile Healthcare App?

Beginning with the basics, healthcare apps are the health and medical facilities used from mobile devices. It is an online way to manage emergency cases and make health services accessible instantly. So, it is also called the mHealth app. When you create a Healthcare app,

Patients and doctors allow for faster and better diagnosis, which improves overall patient care. 

Well, the new technological progression has widely opened opportunities for the medical and health sectors. You can utilize Artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain, IoT, and many more. So, integrating these latest healthcare app development trends is essential. These technologies will make your health or medical application stay ahead of the rivals. 

Having said that, a healthcare app on mobile devices enables users to track and follow their health issues in real time. With just a few taps on their devices, users of healthcare apps can access a wide range of medical facilities and information. Thus, you need to outsource a healthcare app development company. It has lasting advantages to both patients and doctors in a streamlined manner.

Benefits Of Healthcare Application Development

You have considered the idea of healthcare mobile app development, but still don’t have clarity of objective. Well, it happens, to tackle that, you need to learn healthcare app development benefits for doctors and patients. So, here are some of the primary advantages for patients and doctors.

Pros for Doctors 

• Remote Access

Doctors can manage various patients from far-off regions. The need for clinical appointments is eliminated. However, doctors can connect with patients via healthcare apps to provide prescriptions and other consultations. Additionally, it assists in resolving medical conditions more quickly as they have access to patients’ electronic health records (EHR).

• Cost-Saving

The Healthcare apps acquire space in mobile not on the floor. So, you can save on infrastructure costs. Especially newbie doctors who wish to set up their clinic. They can benefit from developing a healthcare mobile app. Additionally, they can serve more patients irrespective of their locality.

• Easy to Share

Medical and health apps use smart wellness diagnostic techniques to reduce mistakes. Doctors and healthcare staff can effectively control clinical screening and easily share reports to check with specialists via the app. As a result, it enhances the delivery of appropriate medication with a defined dosage.

• Increased Productivity

The healthcare mobile application development enhances productivity and doctors’ ability to manage various patients. It prevents fixed visiting hours which allows doctors to handle patients both offline and online. 

Aside from that, the app automates a few repetitive tasks. Consequently, it increases output and frees up time for other essential activities.

• New Business Model Creation

An app can turn out as a new business model. Healthcare application development has eradicated traditional referral procedures. 

Now, it’s a cloud-based referral management through an app that complies with HIPAA. This allows doctors to make innovative recommendations that open up new possibilities.

• Effective communication

By making the chat, voice, and video assistant handy in the mobile app, doctors can establish effective communication networks among patients. It keeps them updated with their health and medication. So, doctors can notify patients when to visit again or for any test required.

• Accurate Diagnosis 

The medical apps are integrated with in-app sensors or software to diagnose patients. These are new-age technology solutions that guide doctors with accurate diagnoses and accordingly deliver prescriptions. Thus, the healthcare application accurately maps and records key health metrics through sensors.

Pros for Patients

• Security of Information

When patients share their personal data and medical history, it is essential to deliver a secure environment that keeps their information protected. So, a healthcare app will gain patients’ trust with the assurance of HIPAA-compliant encryption. 

As a result, they can protect patient data and all communications with their doctors while using mHealth applications as a centralized repository.

• Scheduling An Appointment

A patient not attending the clinic may miss a doctor’s appointment. Having medical care applications makes things advantageous for patients. It permits patients to schedule appointments and also reminds them of them beforehand. So, a health app works as an alarm to be available during the scheduled or specific time. 

One of the best doctor’s appointment booking apps is Zocdoc. It has captured a vast number of users to attain doctors’ facilities available on their phones. You can also develop a doctor’s booking app like Zocdoc for your institution. 

Check latest design: Medixtration – Healthcare & Appointment Booking App

• Quick Availability Of Test Results

The app streamlines the process and delivers fast results. It enables patients and healthcare professionals to easily share test results kudos to remote physician equipment. So, patients can securely share test results by uploading simple images with doctors for further treatment.

• Error-free services

A medical app allows patients to save their personal health information in a single location and collect (doctor’s prescriptions) using the app. It enables patients to verify and apply for their identification. They can simply use their insurance cards in a single location and avoid errors.

• Record Consultations

Patients can record consultations with doctors, especially if they are disabled or have trouble remembering. So, the use of healthcare applications allows patients to record and store audio messages with their doctors. It is beneficial to refer for future reference.

• Safe Payment Methods 

In-app payment channels are end-to-end encrypted and secure. It makes you choose your payment method and proceed to pay the bill accordingly. Also, the app generates bills on a real-time basis with every detail.

Having an overview of the benefits shows that health application development is a win-win for both parties. However, the chance of failure rises only if you don’t add the major features.  

What are the Essential Features for Healthcare App Development?

Now, let’s look at the mandatory features to include in your healthcare mobile application. Your healthcare app’s success majorly depends on integrating the right features.

• User Profile

Firstly, the user profiles feature is essentially critical and works to welcome users. Patients can upload important information to their user profiles to give their doctors an accurate picture of who they are. 

Doctors can also use the profile to find out who they are dealing with, where they are, and more. Similarly, doctor profiles enable users to assess and provide feedback on a doctor’s expertise, experience, and specialties.

• Appointment Scheduling

Any patient-focused app that aims to improve healthcare must offer appointment scheduling. Patients can book appointments online with it. They can make an appointment by looking at the doctor’s calendar to see the available dates. An appointment can also be rescheduled or canceled by patients. It eases the burden on the hospital staff, who no longer have to call to schedule appointments.

• Messaging & Chatting

Whether a healthcare app is focused on patients or clinicians, it must have messaging capabilities. It allows users to communicate with one another and share crucial information. Patients can connect with doctors through messaging if they want to talk to them and get important information about their health.

• Video Conferencing

Video conferencing is essential to telemedicine and is one of the most prominent features of healthcare mobile app development services. Patients can connect with their doctors and get checked out through video conferencing. People with disabilities, older people who cannot frequently leave their homes, and people living in remote areas who cannot access healthcare can all benefit greatly.

• Real-time Data Access

Uploading health data is an essential feature of any healthcare application. You can integrate EHR to store, monitor, and record patients’ data. It is secure and stored in the application for future requirements. 

However, it will allow medical professionals to access the patient’s medical records and history at any time remotely. By providing a comprehensive view of a patient’s health, health data upload enables doctors to make informed decisions.

• E-prescription

The trend of e-prescription has been brought into the spotlight during the pandemic. It is among the major features of keeping records of prescriptions to assist pharmacies, doctors, and patients. So, it enhances the accuracy and prevents mistakes in the prescription.

Related: Build A Discount Prescription Medicine App Like GoodRx

• Telemedicine feature

The app can connect with pharmacies to streamline the medication delivery process. As soon as the patient gets their prescription, they will get the option to forward it to the telemedicine app’s option. So, the medicine will be provided to patients as per their selected mode. 

The features of healthcare apps are necessary elements for the success of healthcare applications. Now, you should understand the process to follow to build healthcare and medical apps. 

Read More: The Ultimate Guide on Telemedicine App Development

How to Build a Healthcare Mobile App?  [8 Steps Guide]

• Determine your healthcare app type
• Plan your target audience & Goal
• Wireframe your app layout
• Develop an MVP app
• Outsource App developers’ team
• Perform development process
• Test & Deployment
• App Maintenance 

Moreover, this is the list of steps to follow to build a user-friendly healthcare app. Several renowned health and medical apps followed the process strategically. Let’s have a glimpse of some of them right away!

Top Health & Medical App Examples to Consider

How Much Does it Cost to Build a Healthcare App?

The app’s features, the company’s experience, the location, and other factors influence the cost to build a healthcare app. For instance, if you are a healthcare provider in the Netherlands and want to make an application. Hiring developers from other countries or in-house will cost more than expected. 

However, you should target countries like India with lower app development costs. Thus, before evaluating the exact cost estimate for the healthcare app, it is essential to examine all of these factors.

Moreover, the healthcare app development cost with advanced features and functionality. Accordingly, the cost to develop a healthcare app will be determined by your technology stack. You can choose native app development i.e., iOS or Android. It can range anywhere from $40,000-$150,000, depending on the project’s complexity.

You can also make cross-platform technology such as using Flutter for healthcare apps. It will make your app accessible from various operating systems. So, such entry-level healthcare mobile app development costs between $15,000 -$40,000. 

Thus, the article has unleashed each and everything you need. The health app has the potential to deliver 3x revenue along with satisfying patients. So, you can plan for healthcare application development and get started. 

It’s time to create your Healthcare Application

The healthcare and medical industry and the need for healthcare application development is booming. It is a remarkable advancement in the digital direction just like every other industry utilizes. However, it can be accomplished with efficient app development services. You need to hire healthcare mobile app developers who have prior experience in the domain. 

To make the cost to build a healthcare app that fits your budget with the desired functionality, you need experts. Our professionals can guide you in making the best healthcare application. You can also get the indulgence of modern solutions to gain a competitive edge.