Technology has blended into all aspects of our lives. Nowadays, you can find an app for everything: banking, shopping, messaging. Certainly, healthcare apps are not left aside either. Lots of industries suffered because of the pandemic, but this does not apply to the healthcare sector. Healthcare has become one of the top-priority industries that will continue growing in the future. Forbes often mentions it as a promising investment opportunity since the state of other industries remains unpredictable.
Success always starts with an idea. Yet, developing a healthcare app is a very responsible task, so you need to blend your ideas with some expertise. First of all, it is essential to care about the legal aspect and develop a HIPAA compliant app. To ensure that this condition is met, it’s best to consult with specialists who have experience in creating healthcare apps. Diversido team is an old hand at creating functional solutions in this niche. Also, these guys will catch you up on which functions are necessary to implement and which are nearly decorative.
What to consider before creating a healthcare app
Healthcare apps can be helpful in various ways. One of their main advantages is personalization. Some apps allow users to track their diet, nutrition, and calories. Others are able to make a diagnosis based on the user’s responses to certain questions. So, there are plenty of opportunities in the field. Let’s consider the main steps that you should take before creating a healthcare app.
Specify your audience
Obviously, if a person wants to start a business or create an app, they should understand what exactly their product is going to offer. Along with that, they have to determine who will be interested in using it.
Healthcare apps can serve different purposes. For instance, an app may assist doctors in making a diagnosis, maintaining medical records, and contacting patients online. Or, you may want to create an app for potential clients. It may contain the list of countries/cities and the contact details of doctors of certain specialties.
Once you specify your audience, it will be easier to decide on UX design and specific features it may need.
Make a simple and convenient UX/UI
Every business owner has to pay a lot of attention to their web resource’s design and user-friendliness. However, healthcare apps may require extra effort in this regard because of data input frequency, as well as the amount of data.
If your app is going to serve patients, keep in mind that users may feel insecure as they are looking for medical advice. So, it’s better to create a light-colored design and preferably, use green, white, or blue. The fonts should be easy to read, and functional elements should be understandable. This will allow users to stay calm and focused.
For instance, creating a guide for users may be a helpful additional function. Still, consider adding features that bring value, such as an opportunity to make a video call, write a text message, or find a local doctor of a certain specialty. To determine whether a specific feature is helpful, think about the user first.
Ensure privacy and security
Privacy and security are always of prime importance, especially in the healthcare industry. The data gathered by healthcare apps is too sensitive and personal. For sure, its leak can affect the patient’s safety.
Different countries have their own regulations, so you definitely need to get familiar with them before developing an app. It’s highly recommended not to neglect these issues. Otherwise, it will cause significant difficulties for your business. App stores also pay much attention to privacy assurance. They reject apps that do not comply with the related policies.
For instance, if your target audience is located in the USA, you have to follow the HIPAA act. The regulations on the site are divided into two main categories: HIPAA for individuals and HIPAA for professionals. The section for individuals is meant to explain the basics of data security and rights protection ensured by HIPAA. The category for professionals includes a set of rules for electronic healthcare transactions, code sets, security, and health identifiers. The information on the official website covers all issues related to healthcare information privacy in the US.
There are dedicated regulations for Europe as well. They are known as GDPR. The protection of personal data focuses on setting balanced regulations that cover both high levels of individuals’ privacy protection and the ability of medical data movement within the EU.
If your target audience is EU-based, find the necessary information on data protection by following the link.
Canada also has custom regulations that must be taken into account if you want to start a business that collects a lot of personal data. This means that some provinces of Canada have their local regulations. Still, the local legal rules are considered similar to those of Canada as a whole. The regulations cover all the issues related to the collection, use, and disclosure of personal medical data.
Besides, if your application gathers any personal information about its users, you have to include a privacy policy. It should explain which data will be stored, how it will be processed and used.
Conclusion
To sum it up, creating an app in any industry requires a comprehensive understanding of an area, its trends, target audience’s specific needs, and regulations within the location you cover.
Healthcare is a very sensitive industry. Everyone cares about being safe and having accurate medical advice when it’s needed. Since this fact is unlikely to change anytime soon, creating a healthcare app that meets people’s needs is of top priority.