Gone are the days when the only way to avail healthcare services was by visiting hospitals and clinics. The advent of healthcare applications has now made it easier to book appointments with doctors and provide timely care to patients even in remote areas. According to a report by Grand View Research, the global mHealth apps market size was valued at USD 40.05 billion in 2020 and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 17.7% from 2021 to 2028.
While both Android and iOS are the most preferred platforms for healthcare application development company, the latter has gained more popularity in recent years due to several benefits such as high revenue, enhanced security and less development time. If we talk about the latest stats, there were 53,979 iOS healthcare apps in the Apple App Store globally in the first quarter of 2021. Talking about Android apps, there were 53,054 healthcare apps available in the first quarter of 2021. These stats prove that iOS apps are more in demand and a preferred choice for healthcare professionals.
Now moving further, let’s take a look at a few healthcare startups that have impressed users with their innovative app ideas.
- Healthe People: Using this healthcare app, users can store and monitor all their healthcare apps and devices’ data. Healthe People also allows users to find medical caregivers for their friends.
- Soniphi: Soniphi uses vocal information to provide you with a complete well-being analysis report on your personal health.
- Teladoc: This healthcare app allows users to connect with doctors or surgeons at their convenience. Users can book appointments and even update their medical history.
- K Health: It’s an AI-powered healthcare app for iOS that helps to chat with a doctor. The app also offers a symptom checker for free.
These were a few healthcare app use cases that are making big in the healthcare sector with their user-friendly and innovative features. These apps are helping to connect patients with doctors and speed up treatment procedures.
Now let’s move on to the next part of this article where we will discuss the different types of healthcare apps.
Types of healthcare apps
Healthcare apps are generally categorized on the basis of patients and healthcare institutions. Let’s take a quick look at the most common types of mobile healthcare applications that fall under both the categories.
Apps for Healthcare Providers
- Patient monitoring apps
- Reference and database apps
- Appointment and clinical assistance apps
- EHR solutions
Apps for Patients
- Education and self-diagnosis apps
- Health monitoring apps
- Mental wellness apps
- Nutrition apps
- Women health apps
- Reminder apps
Must-Have Features in iOS App for Healthcare
When developing an app for healthcare, it’s important to decide which features to include in your app. You must make sure to include such features that make the whole experience immersive and user-friendly for the users. Below are a few common features that you must include in your healthcare mobile app.
- Sign up/log in: This feature allows users to sign up or log in easily via email, phone number, or social media accounts like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. The sign-up process should not be too complicated as it will frustrate your users, and they might end up leaving your app. So think carefully about what information you need from them and don’t add unnecessary fields.
- Health tracking: It is one of the most crucial features to include in a healthcare app for iOS. This functionality enables the monitoring of a patient’s health conditions such as blood pressure, sugar levels, heart rate, calories intake, etc.
- Appointment Booking: It is one of the most basic iOS healthcare app features to find and book appointments with doctors. This functionality will help patients to easily check the doctor’s visit timing, book an appointment, and even set a reminder. It will make the booking procedure stress-free for patients. For doctors, this feature will help them to quickly see their upcoming appointments and change their availability as necessary.
For instance, Zocdoc is a popular mobile app for iOS that allows patients to find a doctor in urgency and book appointments at their convenience.
- Doctor and patient profiles: Healthcare apps must include Doctor and user profiles. The doctor’s profile can have details like their area of specialization, location of the clinic, visitation charges, etc. This will allow patients to find appropriate doctors in their area.
The user profile, on the other hand, can include the user’s name, age, gender, and basic health data like weight, height, blood group, etc. This will help doctors to get a quick overview of patients, their conditions, or medications.
- Siri integration: If you’ve never integrated Siri into the application, now is the time to evaluate it. Siri’s functionality now offers a better voice experience, additional customization, and more. For example, your healthcare app can allow people to search for hospitals using voice or ask Siri to remind them to take medicines on time. Integrating Siri can add significant value to your user experience.
- Video calls: Integration of video calls allows real-time communication between patients and doctors. With this feature, people living in suburbs or far-flung areas can get timely care without having to travel to a hospital.
For instance, Doctor On Demand allows you to video call a doctor or therapist at your convenience. After the consultation, your prescription will be uploaded to the app itself.
In case you want to build an app like Doctor On Demand, read more about iphone app development
