App Development and The Healthcare Industry: The Eight Important Factors The mobile app revolution has found particular importance in the medical and healthcare industry, making it efficient in every sense

There was a time, not too long ago, when websites were the biggest thing in the digital movement. No forward-thinking and highly competitive company could exist without it. Although websites are still highly important in this present era, their position as the biggest thing in the digital sphere has been usurped by a more interactive, flexible, customer friendly platform; the mobile app.

With more than 60per cent of the world's population having access to smartphone and internet, mobile apps have become more popular than ever. There is virtually an app for anything you can think about and they have found relevance in virtually every walk of life, from business to travel, from healthcare to lifestyle.

The mobile app revolution has found particular importance in the medical and healthcare industry. Healthcare professionals are enthusiastic about developing mobile applications or the prospect of its introduction to a specific sector of the industry. These applications are helping to improve the healthcare industry, bridging the ever-widening gap between patients and healthcare providers. It allows for prompt addressing of medical emergency while facilitating the free flow of updates to patient's families in an anytime, anywhere basis.

In an industry as sensitive as the healthcare sector where errors can be fatal, these applications can help test and improve the medical processes delivering quality healthcare services. Overall, these mobile apps can help improve healthcare service, making service delivery faster, cheaper and more comprehensive. Below are eight (8) importance of app development to the healthcare industry:

1. They Bring Healthcare to Remote Areas:

One of the biggest challenges to medicine and humanitarian agencies around the world is their inability to reach remote parts of the planet where medical attention is needed with urgency. Organizations such as Doctors Without Borders are doing their best to reach the most remote regions to offer their quality healthcare but there is a limit to what they can do as they are sometimes limited by funds, hostile terrain, and regional conflict.

The internet, on the other hand, is not bounded by such restrictions and it carries with it the benefits of easily accessible healthcare. With these apps, patients can book an appointment with their doctors, buy medicine online, and even carry out a basic diagnosis for common symptoms. With the use of push notifications, patients can also get important health tips. Basically, these apps bring the hospital closer home.

2. They are Supportive of Doctors and Medical Staff:

These healthcare apps have proven to be quite supportive and helpful to doctors and other medical practitioners. They can assist the doctors to get updated with the current status of their patients wherever they may be, at work or at home. They can also suggest medicines in the event of an emergency. They are also equally helpful to the patients, who can access their prescription at any time due to the digitalization of prescription making it available on the patient's mobile.

These apps help doctors to be in constant touch with their patients. This is very important particularly in the case of elderly patients who may not be shifted very quickly in the event of an emergency.

3. Immediate Access to Healthcare:

Gone are the days when doctors had to make in-house visits in order to diagnose and treat patients. Healthcare app development has replaced in-house visits with digital visits. With mobile apps, patients can easily find doctors within their vicinity and book an appointment. They can also video/audio chat with doctors who can offer immediate medical assistance. This helps to eliminate the need to make potentially dangerous visits to the hospital in the event of an emergency.

There are also interactive mobile apps that allow patients to ask general health questions from doctors who are available 24/7 without the need of booking appointment.

4. New Business Models and Opportunities Emerge:

There was a time when doctors had to make use of referral pads and make frequent door-to-door visits to facilitate a cordial doctor-patient relationship. This practice has not become outdated, replaced by a more modern and efficient business model. With a referral management system, doctors can easily write resourceful referrals.

5. Accurate Report and Reduction in the Wrong Diagnosis:

It is not uncommon, particularly in earlier times, for doctors to make the wrong diagnosis. Such diagnosis often has far-reaching consequences, in some cases, the patient may even lose their lives. The introduction of mobile apps has helped to reduce the incidence of the wrong diagnosis. With machine accuracy and efficiency, accurate and correct report and diagnosis can be provided to the patient. These apps are completely invaluable to doctors as they help them to perform best at their job.

6. Reduction in Medical Expenses and Bills:

The cost of healthcare has always been one of the major talking points in medical conferences and seminar, and it is a major contributory factor to mortality particularly in third world countries. One of the reasons behind the high medical expense is the brick and mortar structure of medical facilities. These apps help to replace the physical structures associated with healthcare. The implication of this is the reduction in medical bills and expenses. These apps are soft on the patient pocket, hence not only are they easily accessible regardless of where the patient may be located, but they are also affordable.

7. Easy Payment of Bills:

Another key benefit of mobile apps in healthcare is that it facilitates easy payment of bills. Before the advent of these apps, many people would have to endure queuing for hours to make payment. These apps come with highly secured payment processors that allow patients or their loved ones to make instant and easy payment. Not only can you make payment, but it also allows you to choose a repayment plan. And in the event you forget to make a payment, you will receive a gentle notification as a reminder to do the necessary.

8. Personal Monitoring of Health:

Healthcare apps typically come with rich features which allow patients to monitor their own health for themselves. These apps allow them to check important health initials such as blood pressure level, blood sugar level, heartbeat, cholesterol level etc.