It’s Time to Rethink Healthcare Application – A New Necessity for 2020 & Beyond

We are stuck in a whirlwind of pandemic, and it is now downright impossible to get non-COVID related medical consultation.

Or is it?

Well, we are not able to go to the doctor’s anymore, that much is obvious! But the path to consultations and suggestions is not completely closed. The new models of medical apps like Practo are making it incredibly easy to connect with doctors on the go and access the much-needed consultations.

These applications are gaining popularity fast. So in case you were looking to make an app, why not a look into this market?

As for development, don’t worry! We are going to explain all about how a doctor on-demand apps are developed and designed. Just stick with us during the discussion.

So, are you ready? Let’s go!

1. The Initial Market Diagnosis: A Data Collection Process

What demographic should we concentrate on?

What kind of experience do the users want from a medical appointment app?

Why are the competitors succeeding? Or failing?

Starting the development without knowing these details is like taking medicine without a diagnosis. Both are harmful. And that’s why rather than being blissfully ignorant, we like to start the whole operation with a thorough discovery process. This helps to clarify all the doubts, and questions about the idea and creates a comprehensive picture for us to work with.

Here is a list of things that needs to be done during this first stage-

1. Sit down with the client to talk about the application idea.
2. Administer in-depth market analysis.
3. Do conclusive contender research and create reports on their basic strategies.

With this information, it’s time to move forward with the rest of the process. However, we have already conducted a little bit of market research on the doctor on-demand app. So why not take a look into that?

mHealth Market In Brief: A Market Of Success

Health consultation apps were already on the rise, but now thanks to the pandemic, it is booming. Here are some fresh statistics to show how beneficial the doctor on-demand app is going to be in such a landscape.

The tele-medicine sector is gaining popularity because of the pandemic and the social distancing practice applied to prevent it. In fact, even medical professionals are preferring these apps where patients can talk to a doctor online.

1. According to research, the global healthcare market is expected to reach a CAGR of 26.30% and a valuation of USD 3,28,887.8 million by 2025. And with this, the popularity of medical consultation software is on the rise.

2. Around 80%  of users have admitted that even in the post-pandemic time they would like to keep using the doctor appointment booking app. In fact, more people are now comfortable with virtual and at-home consultation and diagnostics.

The research clearly displays that doctor on-demand apps are not just efficient, but a necessity at this point. And the next step to develop such a necessary web application is the planning bit. So let’s get started on that!

2. A Good Plan Keeps Development Issues Away!

The information gathered in the previous stage is applied here.

This is the stage where we make a step by step plan to turn the online doctor visit idea into a reality. The main aim here is to get all the documentation in order so that the development stage goes smoothly.

The detailed plan serves to streamline the process, mitigating the challenges and issues before it even arises.

The documentations created at this stage helps the developers across the Top New York App Development Agencies by offering them much-needed assistance during the entire online doctor booking app development process.

Not to mention, it is also the step where the application  features are determined. However, let’s save that discussion for a later part of this blog. For now, let’s jump to the design process.

3. Design: A Matter Of Healing Aesthetic

Let’s sit down for a moment first.

In case you approach any of the Top New York Digital Agencies offering app development and designing, they will tell you that the process for doctor appointment app design is crucial. This is because it is the literal visualization process for the application. And when it comes to designing for an app like doctor on demand there are a few things to keep in mind-

A. The Target Demographic

According to sources, the number of senior health app users is increasing. And that’s why when designing and developing a health app that will be widely used among senior and elderly users, there are a few things we like to keep in mind.

i. For elders and users with eye problems, the design elements need to be big, easy to see, and read. A small design only hinders engagement levels and ultimately drives the users away.

ii. Make sure that it is easy to complete actions on the screen. Keep an appropriate distance between diverse design elements such as buttons, images, and texts so that it is easy to consume the content as well as execute any actions on the screen.

iii. For healthcare app development & design, it is important to keep the focus on key functionalities. Sure the web applications may benefit from social media integration, but we believe that it is better to keep the feature list simple and straightforward.

iv. It is essential for the sake of elderly users to keep the navigation on the app simple, straightforward, intuitive, and easy to learn.

vi. Adding tutorials at the beginning will make connecting and chatting with a doctor easier. This way users can learn the basic use of the application and then explore different features.

Virtual doctor software such as the one we are talking about has a large user base that includes individuals from all demographics. And that’s why we like to keep the interface all-inclusive when designing the app.

B. Accessibility Should Be The Main Aim

Speaking of all-inclusive, let’s talk about accessibility!

Considering the fact that smartphones make up half of the internet traffic, web app approachability is not an additional thought anymore, it is an indispensable policy. Nations all across the world are accepting this fact and creating approachability laws that make it important for designs to be useful for all kinds of individuals. And it will be a wise choice to obey these laws during the healthcare application development & design process.

Following the design customs as illustrated is required to make the application all-inclusive and helpful to the users. It is also vital in creating a valuable experience on the app.

C. Design For Simplicity & Sustainability

A medical appointment app that links doctors and patients in times of need has to focus on only one thing- how to make the manner of connecting easier.

And that’s why all the design components need to contribute to this factor. The best apps for doctor appointments make use of simple interface design to help the parties connect and talk easily, without adding complications.

A Bonus Case Study: How We Built Australia’s Largest Doctor-On-Demand App

Since we are speaking about building a doctor on demand app, here is a bonus sneak peek at one of the outsourced software projects we worked on.

Our client was looking for a marketplace platform where a doctor’s conference could be accessed on-demand, at any time.

Conducting all the research, we took notice of the main hurdles as well as the main objective of the project which helped during the later stages of the entire project. 

Main Objectives

1. Create a web facing administrator console for our client.
2. On-demand SaaS mobile and web application for clinics.
3. A doctor on-demand application for doctors and other nurses/users to speak seamlessly.

Challenges & Our Solutions

The project came with unique challenges, and they demanded to be addressed with the integration of equally unique solutions-

Our Final Take On The Project

During the entire process, our focus was mainly on two aspects of the program, efficient interface and security.

With a systematic approach, we first set out to conceive user personas for all the individuals involved and crafted connected wireframes, eventually leading to the making of an interface that caters to individual users.

The system facilitates cloud storage, which means all the patient data is stored in a remote server securely. Added to this the accessibility setting only permits the right parties with the right credentials to access and use these data.

The end result was an efficient application that ensured good experience as well as convenient access to doctor on-demand.

4. The Features In Consideration

The app is just another idea, and the feature list is what makes it a reality. For a functional and robust app, it needs unique features. Based on collected data, we have compiled a short list of features for such an app that enables individuals to connect and talk to a doctor online.

A Personal Profile Creation

Almost every app needs this feature. With this, the users can sign up for the service, create a profile, and personalize the experience on the online doctor booking app. This feature enables users to make the application usage secure and save crucial data from the intruders.

Convenient Search

This feature enables the users to search for physicians on the doctor appointment online app  The search and filter feature helps to find the right doctors based on factors such as experience, location, etc.

In-app messaging and video chat

This is a necessary feature that turns the entire app from a basic healthcare application to a doctor on-demand app. In-app messaging keeps the doctor and the patient connected in real-time scenarios. It is easier, and an efficient manner to reach the doctor for a quick question anytime, anywhere.

The video- call feature takes connectivity to the next level. With this, the patients can talk to a doctor online and get a diagnosis despite having to obey the rigorous rules of social distancing in these awful times.

Medical Notifications

Since it is an app to make doctor appointments, having this feature is necessary. With this, both the users and the doctors can stay informed and notified about the appointments, vaccination dates, and many other crucial information.

Integrated Payments

With an integrated payment option, the users would be able to pay for the online consultation right from the app. This will streamline the experience on the app even more.

SOS For Emergency

The unfortunate thing about medical emergencies is that it can appear at any moment. And that’s why during telehealth application development, developers need to integrate location tracking and SOS features in it.

With location tracking the app can keep a track of the user’s location and share that with designated people in case any emergency occurs and the user happens to be all alone. Add emergency response features to that, and the user would be able to summon medical help with just one tap of the fingers.

Document Scanning And Sharing On The Go

Test reports, prescriptions, and bills are an essential part of the experience. That is why it only makes sense that the app has a feature that assists in managing all these documents. With this feature, it will be easier to manage and share the documents during online doctor visits.

With this, it is even simpler to share documents such as prescription and test reports the users chat with a doctor. It enhances the app, making the stressful process of medical conferences convenient.

5. Developing A Healthy App – The Tech Stack Needed

After design comes healthcare application development. This is the step where the health and strength of the web application are going to be determined. And for that, it needs the perfect technology integration based on various requirements.

The basic tech stack or necessary tech stack is what makes the app. Below we have illustrated the basic tech stack used by the best of all healthcare app development company in the USA.

However, just basic is not our thing. So our in-house experts have some bonus information on specific technological requirements, and we are sharing them right here.

Confidential Expert Opinion: Only For You

Using basic tech stack is alright, but it is also important to know how to make a medical app even better. Here are some bonus points to enhance the app.

i. Chatbots For Better Service

Chatbots are everywhere! So it only makes sense to integrate it within the app. Whether it is for a quick chat with a robot doctor, or for some issue with the app, interactive bots can be really amazing to improve the experience. And the fun part, there’s no need to make a chatbot from scratch! Services like Amazon Lex offer seamless ways to integrate this functions on the web app without any issues.

ii. The All Inclusive Assistive Tech

It is the other side of accessibility. Such technical features are created and implemented to build easy to use apps for users with accessibility issues. In fact, there are two different types of handy features that can make the app even more accessible.

iii. Screen Reader Feature

Screen reader feature is necessary for those who have low vision. For those, healthcare app developers can utilize TTS services that apply deep learning methods to turn the content on the screen into voice over. This way users with visibility issues can enjoy the web application without any problems.

iv. Voice Navigation

Voice navigation is a popular feature these days. With this feature, users with mobility/motor issues can navigate and utilize the app. Amazon skills kit makes it super easy to integrate voice processes on the medical consultation software and increase the accessibility of the app.

6. Bonus Technologies For Healthcare Application Development To Pay Attention To

There are some bonus technologies that the medical appointment app needs to enhance the app experience and stand out as a unique entity in the market. And our in-house expert highlights some important ones among them-

i. Taking Consultation One Step Further With AR/VR

Augmented and virtual reality in the telehealth sector has created quite a stir, and it is not a surprise that these are the top bonus techs to be considered for your app. This combination will streamline the entire virtual consultation as well as make the app stand out in a saturated market. By projecting digital information on the real-world layout, this will improve the quality of medical consultation on the app.

ii. Decentralized Healthcare With Blockchain

Blockchain can be a major solution for data policy problems for healthcare app development. This will bring security, scalability, and speed to the entire data processing and sharing operation. So during development make sure to pay close attention to any blockchain opening on the application.

iii. Personalized Consultation With AI/ML

AI/ML can create a personalized experience on the virtual doctor software. It introduces an environment of predictive consultation, where the users don’t even have to talk to a doctor. Users can simply get suggestions from AI-based consultation features on the app that analyzes the symptoms and dispenses a number of diagnoses.

6. Test & Maintenance: Two Extra Steps Towards A Perfect App

Healthcare application development is not the last stop on this journey.  We always go two extra steps with you to really make the app absolutely perfect. What are those two extra steps? Well, they are testing and maintenance.

Here’s how we implement it within the operation-

Testing For Quality Check

Evaluating the doctor appointment app prior to launch is a crucial step in determining the quality and strength. Skipping this will cause numerous problems in the future, for both the users and the app owners.

Keeping all these aspects in mind, an online doctor booking app needs to be put through rigorous tests to see if it can stand up to the market standards. Here are some examples of tests that the app needs to go through prior to entering the market-

Regression Testing

The first iteration of the app is rarely the final iteration. There will be lots of changes before the doctor on-demand app reaches that final release stage. And to ensure that regardless of the new changes the app runs smoothly, we conduct retrogression tests. This makes sure that after every update, the previous code runs smoothly without any failures.

Automation Testing

To create a quality app, the testing stage needs to be as detailed as possible. And that’s why to make the online doctor visit app useful, this test becomes a natural part of the process. Automated evaluation is a time and money-saving test process removing human error in the development and testing.

Load & Stress Testing

Every app has a breaking point, and it is better to find out about it beforehand. And this is where the importance of these tests increases. In brief, these tests examine the behavior and strength of the application under real-life pressure.

With these tests, the online doctor booking application is put under the kind of real-life stress it is supposed to bear, and then some more. This determines how strong the application is and how much it needs to improve. Conducting these tests will ensure that the mobile and web app can run in any condition.

Going One Step Further With Maintenance

Development is not the end of the road.

The perfect performance of the app is ensured with proper maintenance. With this process we keep up with the various app demands, editing and updating it, and ensuring the absolute security of the database no matter what.

The maintenance process is not just about keeping the doctor appointment app running smoothly. Throughout the process, it is our aim to scale and improve upon the basic app. It is also essential to keep the various licenses in check and renew them once terminated. If development is important to turn an app into a reality, then maintenance is important to keep the app standing and improve on it.

7. Before We Move To Healthcare Application Development: A Serious Consideration!

Let’s address the matter of security before moving to doctor on-demand app development.

The matter of security on a doctor on-demand app is unavoidable. An app that streamlines contact between patient and physician is bound to contain some protected health information (PHI), and to ensure the security of all that data, there are a few security guidelines one needs to follow. These security guidelines go something like this-

A. Legal Compliance

Separate countries have diverse legal demands that need to be fulfilled for healthcare data protection. So depending on the target country and market, the healthcare app development process needs to comply with the data preservation laws and conditions. Here is a list of the three most familiar healthcare data protection regulations around the globe.

1. HIPPA compliance (USA)
2. Personal information protection and documents act (Canada)
3. General data protection regulation (Europe)

Since we are talking about apps like ZocDoc here, it is crucial that the app follows the legal guidelines of the market it is going to deal with.

B. Knowing The Attack Types

Next comes comprehending the cybersecurity menaces. There are plenty of ways that the integrity of doctor appointment app security can be compromised. That’s why it is crucial to understand the various threats that can plague the application

Here is a basic list of safety threats on a doctor on-demand application-

i. Malware And Phishing Attacks

This is the most popular kind of security issue that plagues different kinds of software, especially healthcare. Hackers inject malicious scripts into the code and seek to steal the high-value patient data through hijacked login credentials. That is why it is crucial to integrate proper security strategies within the doctor appointment app development process to prevent such issues.

ii. The Use Of Unprotected Mobile Devices On The Client End

Users are going to access the app from various personal devices to chat with a doctor. Some will be protected, while some will be unprotected. In this case, it is going to be difficult to provide 360-degree security without failing.

One of the solutions that can be considered is creating a zero-footprint app. In such apps to book doctors appointments, no data is stored on the patient device. Rather every instance the users access the data, it is connected to a secure server. This way the threat of unguarded devices can be alleviated without any issues.

iii. The Use Of Connected IoMT With The App

The use of IoMT is increasing. Patients, physicians, hospitals, and clinics, all parties are using healthcare apps with related machinery. This does raise the efficacy of providing quick and easy treatment, but at the same time presents certain risk factors.

IoT devices do not have integrated protection measures. The cloud-connected tools are vulnerable to diverse threats. And that’s why it is a safe bet to set up a contextual defense layer during hospital app development. This will isolate the IoMT devices on its own network and can be monitored closely to protect the app and data from any breaches.

C. Paying Attention To Industry Best Practices for Healthcare Application Development

Several entities in the trade offer defense guidelines for the medical appointment app. WEDI is one of those establishments that contribute broad knowledge on various security and user protection subjects that can be integrated during development.

Following these data preservation best methods is paramount for the success of the app. So prior to development, talk to a doctor on-demand app development partner and integrate the best security practices.

And That’s The Way We Do It!

As we said, the process is not easy. But with our in-house design and tech experts, we can streamline this process without any issues. The development of a doctor on demand app is not new, but considering the recent scenario, it is going to become even more popular. So before the market becomes too crowded, contact us, and get started on your dream doctor’s consultation application.