Numerous software applications are constantly released in the market to simplify people’s lives, including essential sectors such as healthcare. Since health and well-being have always been a high priority, custom healthcare software development has become an essential industry.

Health-related businesses and institutions swiftly adapted digital and mobile application technologies to improve their services. Crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic further emphasised the need for urgent healthcare attention. As demand rose, so did the value of healthcare software.

According to a global research firm, technology-driven innovations in the healthcare industry could generate an estimated $350 billion to $410 billion in yearly value by 2025. Healthcare businesses still have a lot to learn about embracing technology to improve their operations or how they can better serve end-users.

For example, hospitals and clinics would do better to have dedicated mobile apps to help manage and serve patients. For companies creating healthcare devices, they might want to improve the usability of their products to further lower the chances of misuse or errors.

Here are some useful features you can ask your software developer to have in your custom healthcare app.

 1. Health Tracking  

Keeping track of patient’s medical information is a vital component of healthcare databases. A health tracking feature for apps or interfaces in medical devices will allow users to monitor their vital signs like heart and pulse rates, blood sugar levels, blood pressure levels, and other important details.

This feature is also essential for the digital transformation trend in today’s healthcare scene. With improved online communication, more people are now considering getting virtual consultations instead of going to the doctor’s clinic. Having information from app monitoring will be useful if they need to send these details to their physician during remote consultations.

In addition, it can help healthcare experts to provide accurate diagnoses, and patients needing closer monitoring by their healthcare providers can be better monitored for improvements or worsening of their condition

2. Scheduling and Personnel Management

This feature is beneficial for both healthcare institutions and patients. According to a study that explains why patients do not push through with their medical appointments, it was discovered that “simply forgetting” is the top reason for missing their schedule. This could be addressed with simple but effective measures, such as having an app with a feature that not only reminds them of medical appointments but also allows them to track their physician’s availability for consultation.

Scheduling features for apps may also include reminders for taking medicine, ordering them, and suggesting physicians who might be available. On the other hand, medical institutions can take advantage of having such apps to organise their schedules.

This can improve their daily rotations, letting doctors and other health professionals get their rest, and allowing them to see who among their clients could not attend their appointment. Custom management software like this for institutions can help them save time, increase efficiency, and save resources in the long run.

 3. Built-in Chat Support for Miscellaneous Concerns

The phrase “the doctor is out” is not exclusive to face-to-face consultations. If the physician is not available for teleconsultation, or if the inquiry falls outside of appointment scheduling, such as payment concerns, an in-app chat feature could be helpful to provide immediate assistance to users.

With such a feature or system in place, medical institutions can improve their service efficiency in other aspects, such as record-keeping, payments, room-booking, and emergency services.

Online chat support will also be helpful if users need to share important files or documents to help healthcare practitioners deliver better healthcare solutions.

 4. In-app Communication

The need to address emergencies like the COVID-19 pandemic with innovations such as telemedicine services has sparked many changes in the healthcare industry today.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), this service helps you reduce unnecessary contact with healthcare facilities and exposure to other patients and staff to avoid contracting the COVID-19 virus or other deadly viruses.

As part of their digital transformation services, healthcare institutions must ensure that their apps incorporate high-quality voice and video technologies. If possible, having accessibility features for differently-abled patients can help healthcare experts improve their communication.

5. Virtual Nursing Assistants

To provide the best services to patients, a virtual nursing assistant can be a big help to both healthcare workers and patients. These services can improve the efficiency of nurses in performing their duties, such as administering medicine and monitoring the vitals of patients assigned to them.

To ensure quality, healthcare providers should up their game when it comes to usability. Usability testing services could significantly reduce problems in devices used in hospitals and clinics. This is a daunting task that may require the assistance of a healthcare software development company to create a bespoke solution that works best for the healthcare institute’s current system.

Conclusion

Developing a healthcare app is a complex process. It must be accurate, fool-proof, and efficient to ensure the safety and security of users. The essential features above are only some examples of features that developers can incorporate into healthcare apps that can be used by healthcare providers or their patients.

Finding the right software developer is the key to having a good healthcare app. USER Experience Researchers Pte Ltd., a leading user experience research and design consulting agency in Singapore, works with talented software developers who understand how to make great healthcare apps.

With more than 10 years of experience working with healthcare providers and government agencies, you can be sure of the quality of our work. If you need to know more about our services, please drop us a message at https://www.user.com.sg/contact/ and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.