September 18, 2023

Healthcare Mobile App Development: Types, Trends, and Cost

In the present day, a multitude of healthcare services have been made readily available through mobile apps.These solutions enhance our daily lives by facilitating swift appointment scheduling ,instant retrieval of medical records, and hassle-free billing choices. Additionally, healthcare mobile apps play a pivotal role in educating both patients and medical professionals.

Given these factors, mobile app development for healthcare emerges as a promising venture. However, there are crucial considerations that must be taken into account to ensure the creation of a functional solution.

This blog post provides the motivations behind the creation of such applications and explores a comprehensive checklist for selecting a software provider to handle all technical aspects of product delivery. Additionally, we will provide insights into the typical costs associated with healthcare mobile app development.

Exploring the Landscape of Mobile Healthcare App Development

The realm of health applications has seamlessly woven itself into the fabric of consumer health informatics. These apps act as tools embracing a patient-centric healthcare paradigm, empowering users to oversee their health concerns, comprehend intricate medical conditions, and achieve personalized fitness milestones. Through the avenue of mobile app development for healthcare, medical professionals like doctors and pharmacists extend safer and more efficient care, while patients partake in self-monitoring of treatments and enhance adherence to prescribed therapies.

Industry insiders predict that within half a decade, approximately 80% of clinics and medical establishments will employ chatbots to enhance their services. While individuals continue to seek the myriad advantages of tailor-made experiences, they harbor reservations about the often non-transparent techniques adopted by organizations for delivery. A desire for greater data control and a more immersive encounter drives this sentiment. The advent of 5G connectivity and augmented reality (AR) technology further intensifies the push for making this desire a reality. Simultaneously, emerging technologies hold the potential to make personalized experiences an integral part of daily life. However, achieving this future vision hinges on bridging the gap between technological progress and people's need for involvement.

In the landscape of healthcare mobile apps, we find an assortment of offerings:

• Apps that track biorhythms, monitor sleep patterns, caloric intake, diet, and overall well-being.
• Apps that connect patients with trainers, doctors, dietitians, or therapists through online chats, circumvent the need for time-consuming hospital visits.
• Medication reminders that bolster treatment adherence.
• Apps that disseminate informative healthcare articles, fostering awareness.
• Apps that facilitate medication orders and subsequent home delivery, optimizing convenience.

Healthcare mobile apps have firmly embedded themselves in our daily routines, enriching our lives through innovative solutions that cater to our well-being.

Types of Mobile Healthcare Apps and Their Functions

Navigating the realm of healthcare mobile app development is influenced by the type of application being created. The chosen type shapes the app's features, integrations, and data security requirements. Healthcare mobile apps can be broadly categorized into those serving consumers (the general public) and those designed for health professionals and medical institutions. Let's delve into the details of several prominent categories of mHealth apps.

Type #1: Fitness Apps

These types of mobile healthcare apps offer diverse training programs, enabling users to track health and fitness goals without extensive investments. Features include tailored workouts by celebrity trainers, goal setting, and workout customization, fostering a trend towards staying healthy at home.

Type #2: Telepharmacy or Drug Dispensing Apps

These applications ensure timely medication management. By integrating with electronic health records (EHRs), doctors can calculate precise drug doses based on a patient's condition, streamlining treatment while avoiding manual calculations. Medication tracking, disease monitoring, and data sharing with healthcare providers are standard functionalities.

Type #3: Risk Assessment Apps

Real-time monitoring of patient health is facilitated through EHR integration and wearable devices. For instance, obstetricians use apps like the FHR 5-Tier for Electronic Fetal Monitoring during labor. Such apps notify doctors of health threats and enable informed patient care decisions.

Type #4: Patient-Doctor Communication Apps

These types of mobile healthcare apps foster patient-doctor interaction by assisting users in finding medical specialists, scheduling appointments, arranging video consultations, and managing payments. Enhancing transparency and communication between patients and clinicians is a key focus, leading to improved patient involvement and loyalty.

Type #5: Diet and Nutrition Apps

Addressing the global concern of obesity-related diseases, these apps provide nutritional recommendations, recipes, calorie counting, and progress tracking. The apps contribute to healthy lifestyles, offering features like rapid food logging, extensive databases, and even augmented reality tools for smarter grocery shopping.

Type #6: Disease Control and Monitoring Apps

In high demand, these apps track and manage diseases, such as epilepsy, diabetes, cardiovascular conditions, and more. They enable users to monitor their health, predict episodes, and receive timely alerts, improving self-management and reducing hospital visits.

Type #7: Lifestyle Apps

Promoting holistic well-being, lifestyle apps offer exercises, training, and courses to enhance mental and physical health. These apps aim to reduce stress and improve users' quality of life, offering features like meditation sessions, goal tracking, and personalized advice.

Type #8: Social Networking and Health Forums

Fostering community among medical professionals, these platforms allow interaction, knowledge sharing, and learning. Video and voice calls, secure communication, and HIPAA compliance characterize these apps.

Type #9: Pregnancy Assistants

Tailored for expectant mothers, these types of mobile healthcare apps offer comprehensive tools for pregnancy tracking, exercise advice, nutrition tips, and parenting guidance. From ovulation calculation to baby name finders, these apps guide women through their pregnancy journey.

Diverse in nature and purpose, these healthcare mobile apps cater to a wide range of needs, enriching lives through improved health management, informed decisions, and enhanced well-being.

Emerging Trends in Healthcare Mobile App Development

Looking ahead, the global healthcare mobile app development IT market is projected to reach $390.7 billion by 2024. The growing emphasis on health and the convenience of self-medication is fueling this surge. Brands that leverage this trend can integrate with digital therapy tools (DTx). Technological trends like artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), virtual reality, big data, and pharmaceutical chatbots have already moved from the realm of futuristic to present-day trends. AI, in particular, offers a wealth of opportunities for the healthcare sector, augmenting clinical decisions and analytics with unprecedented precision and insights.

Trend #1: Consumer-Centric Healthcare

The shift from doctor-driven to patient-centered care tech development is evident. Focusing on patient experiences and delivering enhanced value is a priority. Improving patients' lives and delivering additional value will be pivotal in 2021, driving a consumer-oriented approach. Healthcare mobile app developers will aim to provide value-added services that attract and benefit patients.

Trend #2: Interoperability

Interoperability, the seamless sharing of health data across networks, is a cornerstone of adequate healthcare. Enabling data exchange among various health systems ensures optimal care. Interoperability operates on functional, structural, and semantic levels, improving the quality of care delivered.

Trend #3: Telemedicine

Telemedicine has transcended reluctance, especially with the pandemic's influence. It has emerged as a fast, convenient, high-quality alternative for both patients and healthcare professionals. The technology's full potential was realized during the pandemic, as medical conferences and consultations transitioned online.

Trend #4: Integration with Medical Equipment

The integration of telemedicine platforms with medical devices enhances patient care. Connecting various medical devices for real-time data collection and interpretation provides accurate insights and remote monitoring, facilitating better treatment decisions.

Trend #5: Virtual Waiting Room

The pandemic has accelerated the adoption of virtual waiting rooms, minimizing the risk of infections. Patients can wait remotely, reducing exposure and improving overall safety. This approach can persist beyond the pandemic, optimizing workflows and minimizing contact.

Trend #6: Remote Monitoring of Elderly Patients

With a rapidly aging population, efficient elderly care is paramount. Digital health technology tools offer monitoring solutions for elderly or chronically ill patients, enabling timely intervention and reducing hospital visits. This trend is set to expand in 2021.

Trend #7: AI-Supported Clinical Decision Making

Artificial intelligence's impact on healthcare will expand, especially in diagnostic processes. AI will calculate disease likelihoods, aiding doctors in diagnosis and decision-making. ML-based diagnostic systems are gaining acceptance, and supporting patient care.

As the healthcare sector evolves, mobile app development is at the forefront of these transformative trends. These trends enhance patient experiences and pave the way for a more efficient, personalized, and technologically advanced healthcare landscape.

Determining the Cost of Developing a Healthcare Mobile App

The total expenses of crafting a wellness and health mobile app are contingent on the range of features and functionalities it aims to encompass.

Before delving into costs, it's essential to consider the required team composition for healthcare mobile app development. The following experts are typically needed:

• Front-End Developer
• Back-End Developer
• DevOps Specialist
• Business Analyst
• Compliance Expert
• UI/UX Specialist
• Project Manager
• Quality Assurance Engineer

Our patient-oriented healthcare mobile applications are thoughtfully designed to optimize the user experience and achieve optimal outcomes.

In essence, the cost estimation hinges on the seamless integration of a range of features within the same comprehensive product.

The cost of mHealth app development is often gauged by the number of hours dedicated to its creation.

When it comes to developing a mobile healthcare app, there are three primary options for securing development services:

• Employ an In-House Team
• Engage Freelancers
• Opt for Outsourcing

While an in-house team can deliver a high-quality product, it might come with a substantial price tag. Consequently, for startups, maintaining an in-house team from the outset may not be cost-effective, with hourly charges ranging from $100 to $200.

The alternative of hiring freelancers worldwide presents a budget-friendly approach. However, quality assurance is not always guaranteed with this option.

So, what's the optimal path for developing a medical application?

The answer lies in outsourcing, particularly from countries like Ukraine, known for competitive rates. A comparison of service costs reveals that Ukraine boasts the most competitive hourly rates for healthcare app development.

Our Experience

HospApp

We have developed a preliminary Android application showcasing essential functionalities tailored for hospital staff. The Stfalcon team has contributed by offering services including user interface design, Android app development, manual testing, quality assurance, and successful implementation. It's important to note that our collaboration focused on specific screens:

• Messages
• Chat rooms/groups
• Task Management

IsDocIn

The objective of the project was to develop a mobile application for a service facilitating appointment scheduling with doctors. The app enables doctors to establish profiles and receive notifications upon appointment bookings.

Bottom Line

The landscape of healthcare mobile app development presents substantial business opportunities, motivating healthcare providers and organizations to invest in this sector to elevate service quality, and operational efficiency, and empower patients' self-management initiatives.

When contemplating potential technical collaborators, it is imperative to evaluate their industry-specific competence. Request access to their portfolio and seek insights into their methodologies. Analyze facets like pricing, knowledge repository, privacy protocols, and data security measures. Engage with the dedicated project team to gauge their skill set, experience, and professionalism.

Embarking on the launch of medical mobile applications involves intricate considerations. This blog post serves as an invaluable guide to inform your decision-making journey in choosing a healthcare mobile app development company. If you have any questions, just contact us, free consultation is available.