Healthcare apps need to be top quality or they will have a difficult time finding an audience and achieving success. Discover how to get started with your own healthcare application and what to consider when building it.
It doesn’t matter if you’re a healthcare provider, enterprising start-up, or a soloprenuer looking to bring your idea to life – developing a top-notch healthcare app brings with it a set of unique opportunities and challenges, as well as a few mistakes you want to avoid.
The best apps share a few key similarities:
- They are easy and intuitive to use, with a great user interface
- They provide value by doing something that the user is looking for,
- And they’re supported by a team of professionals that will continue to improve the app over time.
You’ll find that the list is true for all successful apps irrespective of industry.
And since you’ll be investing a lot of time and money in your app, you’ll want to make sure that it’s as successful as possible.
Here is how:
4 Phases of Healthcare app Development
When it comes to developing a healthcare app, there are four key phases of the process that should be considered:
- App Idea and Planning Phase
- Design Phase
- Development Phase
- Launch and Maintenance phase.
App Idea and Planning Phase
The first step in developing a healthcare app is to come up with an idea. If you’re not sure where to start, think about your own experiences with healthcare and see if there are any problems you’ve encountered.
You could also do some research by talking to your friends and family, reading reviews of healthcare providers in particular fields that you’re interested in.
Key Activities in this phase:
- Brainstorming
- Research (Audience and Market)
- Narrowing down your idea into a specific project.
Key Tools:
SurveyMonkey: SurveyMonkey is a great way to conduct research on your idea. You can design surveys for any demographic and get valuable feedback from real people.
Brainstorming tools: like IdeaBoardz, WiseMapping, MindMup etc. that can help you visualize your idea and plan out different features.
Sticky notes and whiteboard: These are great for getting your ideas out of your head and onto paper.
Tips to help you ace your idea and planning phase
- If you’re not sure what to think about, start with a survey. You can use the information you get from respondents to help narrow down your idea into something specific.
- One way to come up with new ideas is by looking at what your competitors are doing. Try out their app, see if there’s a feature you can improve on or a new idea that hasn’t been considered yet.
Design Phase
The design phase is where the functions and features of your healthcare app come to life.
A great way to get started is by mapping out what you want the top level menu to look like.
It’s also a good idea to make sure that you have all of the information that your app needs before proceeding with this phase.
The design phase could take anywhere from a few days to weeks, depending on the complexity of your app’s features and functionality.
Key Activities in this phase:
- Wireframing
- Prototyping
- Design of the User Interface
Deliverables from this phase:
- Wireframed Pages
- Flowchart of the User Experience
- Design of the User Interface
- Design of the App Icon
- User Experience (UX) Map
Think about how you want your healthcare app to be structured. Should it be a one page app that contains all the content? Or do you want to break your information down into different pages, like in a scrolling format?
Designing it to be a one page app is easier for the user in that they don’t have to navigate through different pages to find what they need. But if your app is more complex, you may want to break the information down into different pages for easier navigation and an easier user experience.
Tools and resources for the design phase:
- Sketching: Paper and pen or equivalent; software such as Sketch or Photoshop
- Wireframing tools such as Balsamiq or Mockflow
- Prototyping tools such as InVisionApp
- Design of the User Interface and App Icon Design Tools like Photoshop
Tips for successfully designing your healthcare app:
- Take into account the device and various screen sizes on which their app will be used.
- Keep an eye on the user interface design and make sure that it is simple, easy to use, and responsive.
- App design is incredibly important – users will abandon your app if it is awkward and difficult to use. So, work with an app designer and always hire Best app developers to build a Top-Notch app that delivers results
App Development Phase
The development phase is where your healthcare app goes from a few sketches on paper to fully functional software. This is the time-consuming and expensive part of the process, so you’ll want to make sure that it’s worth your while.
Key Activities in Healthcare app development
- Choose a platform: Based on your needs and goals develop your mobile healthcare app for iOS or Android for mobile devices. You also have the options of building web apps or cross-platform apps.
- Choose a team: You’ll need at least one developer, but you might want to hire someone else for marketing or design needs. Due to the enormous demands of app development and the high barrier of entry especially for medical related apps, you’ll want to hire an app developer who has experience developing healthcare apps. DIY is not always recommended.
- Selection of appropriate technologies: Appropriate programming language and software development kit (SDK) will depend on the type of app. For example, Android apps typically require Java and C++ programming languages, while iOS apps use Swift or Objective-C.
- Create an MVP: Create a minimally viable product that you can test with a small group of people before launching the app to your entire user base.
- Test, Test and then some: Create as many rounds of testing as possible before you launch the app. You’ll want to have a couple testers on-board, and then also incorporate beta testing.
Launch and Maintenance Phase
Launching your healthcare app is the exciting part, but it’s also a time for you to be careful.
The various app stores will scrutinize your app before it can be allowed to enter the marketplace.
Reviewers will look at aspects such as its design, content, and functionality.
The two reviews you’ll want to pay the most attention to are the technical review and the content review. In other words, you’ll want to make sure your app has no bugs and that it provides the information users need.
You’ll need to provide the following information:
- The app’s name, description, and keywords for Apple.
- The app screenshots for Apple and Google Play, as well as the feature images for both stores.
- A list of any third party libraries or modules that developers are using.
- A list of the app’s capabilities and permissions it needs to function properly.
- The price point for all in-app purchases.
- The app’s warranty and refund policy.
Key Activities in this phase:
- Submit your app to the app stores for review
- Create a marketing campaign and find ways to get your message out about your app
- Keep an eye on reviews in the app store
- Keep an eye on customer-support requests and answer them as quickly as possible
- You should make sure that your app is constantly updated and improved to stay relevant, both for yourself and the people who use it.
Conclusion:
Now that you have an idea of what it would take to develop a healthcare app, go ahead and start looking for the right person or team who can do it. Keep in mind that the launch process and maintenance of your app are just as important as its development, so continue to plan for these before you can start working on the app.
Read more: How to Give Patients the Best Possible Healthcare?
