Electronic Health Reporter

The internet, online websites, and mobile applications have simplified our lives. It is no longer an option but has become a basic necessity for leading a comfortable life. Therefore, as the world is advancing, more and more sectors are entering the digital market. The medical industry is not an exception.

Today, medical applications have enabled users to access medical facilities from their homes. Thanks to medical apps, people can now keep tabs on their health-related data and take necessary actions to fight diseases even before their first symptoms start showing themselves. It has proved to be beneficial for serving the people living in inaccessible areas.

Now, the clinics’ administrative duties are easy to complete, and it also takes less time. It is easier to maintain and organize files, search for old records with doctors, share the documents with other clinics, and make/cancel appointments. 

For people wondering about the steps of how to make a medical app we can recommend the article on the link. Well, it isn’t exactly difficult to make a good one. The trick is to use the appropriate instructions like linked above.

How can one develop a medical app? 

Creating any website or application needs careful analysis and detailed planning. The rule also applies to medical apps. The developer must be prepared for the “what-if” scenarios and handling the risk-factors. He must also be patient as the marketing may take more than a year. 

The steps to build an excellent medical app for your clinic are given below:

Determining problems, the app must address

Before you think about making a medical app, you should remember that you shouldn’t create an app just because others do the same. Develop a perfect app that solves the problems of the patients and reduces the workload on the staff. Determine the issues that most apps do not tackle and devise a mechanism to solve them.

If you fail to create an app that people need, the application will not benefit you. Some of the common reasons behind the failure of a few medical apps are given below. Make sure you avoid them while creating the app. 

• The user interface and user experience of the app are poor.
• The app has an unclear structure; therefore, it does not solve any particular issues. 
• The app does not comply with HIPAA regulations.
• The app may include good suggestions and guidelines but does not have any expert advice from the doctor. 

Listing out the essential features of the app

Every medical app has some basic features, without which the app seems useless. Currently, only 11% of the total applications available in the market provide desirable features. Following are some of the crucial elements that must be included in the app.  

• The application must provide the facility to book, change, or cancel appointments.
• The clinics providing lab testing facilities must also allow patients to download and upload the test reports.  
• Integrating the mobile app with Google, Microsoft, and Apple Calendar APIs enable the users to get appointment reminders. 
• The application must also provide complete information about the doctor to contact him during emergencies.

Other facilities include providing prescription reminders, allowing the people to make prescription refill requests, and mapping out the hospital’s entire area. 

Handing out the responsibility

Most hospitals or clinics have an in-house team for handling data-related matters. Allowing the in-house teams to handle the issues would be a great choice, but it also has disadvantages. 

While it is easy to communicate with them, they may not be experienced in the field. In such cases, the clinic can hire a reliable and outsourced healthcare app development company to create a good website at an affordable price. 

Verifying the privacy and security standard of the application

Any app uses wireless networks to exchange and share information—the medical app stores sensitive and valuable data. Breaching data can bring chaos into any individual’s life. Countries worldwide have created a specific set of rules to prevent this information leakage by cyber attackers. 

These regulations ensure that the application owners and users do not fall into the extortionists’ trap and face financial liabilities. Before gaining knowledge about making a medical app, the developer must be aware of their requirements and abide by their rules. You must appropriately encrypt the application to secure digital data effectively. 

Test the application

The application must be tested and appropriately verified before launching. Testing allows the developers to confirm if the app is optimized for all mobile phones, find hidden bugs, and ensure that the app functions well under all conditions. If the launching is done without testing, and the app shows problems, the app loses its credibility.