How to make a medical app
Before you can think about how to create a health app of your own, you have to decide what you want your app to look like and what it should be able to do. There are several apps that could be considered healthcare apps, including:
- Fitness and weight loss apps: These apps are aimed at the consumer market, which means they generally don’t have to adhere to the same regulatory requirements and standards as apps that are used for medical diagnosis or management in hospitals. However, if you want to track medical information, like heart rate or sleep, you may need to integrate with a wearable device like a FitBit or another smart watch. You will also need to sharpen your data privacy capabilities as you’ll track sensitive information between the device and the app.
- Administrative apps: These apps simplify the process of visiting a GP’s office or hospital. It could be a simple appointment booking system, enable telehealth video conferencing, maintain and share patient records confidentiality between departments, or give doctors a platform to access research and improve the diagnostic process.
- Diagnostic and monitoring apps: These apps are usually tailored to individuals with chronic conditions but are monitored and provided by doctors. That way, patients can self-manage conditions like diabetes or heart disease under the supervision of their primary care providers. There are also exciting imaging apps that allow radiographers to share and view X-rays.
Once you’ve decided what type of app you’d like to build, you can start planning the next stage of development.
There are a few considerations you have to consider with healthcare mobile application development, including:
- Will you handle, collect or store sensitive medical or physical information, e.g., diagnosis, movement, and sleep tracking?
- Will you handle, collect or store sensitive payment information, like credit card details or billing information?
- If the answer is yes to both or either question, how will you protect that information?
- Do you need to integrate with an IoT device, like FitBit? If so, what are their integration requirements and cybersecurity capabilities?
- Are there any regulatory approvals required to issue this device, e.g., FDA approval?
You need to ensure that you make every effort to remain compliant, or you may face hefty fines and penalties.
How to find healthcare app developers
Once you know what kind of app you’d like to build, you can look for a custom healthcare software development company to build the app for you. We’d recommend outsourcing a team and not hiring a team of your own, especially if you are new to the healthcare business.
Outsourcing means that you can launch your app more quickly, and you’ll save money on recruitment and vetting costs. This can give you a significant competitive advantage over others in the market that might be slower out of the gate.
They’ll also be able to advise you about any regulatory approvals you may require down the line.
Look for a team that has a lot of experience in the healthcare industry. Speak to previous clients, review their code and gather up testimonials before making a decision. You should also make a point of interrogating their cybersecurity credentials. Will they be able to keep clients’ data safe? Has a client ever experienced a breach? How did they handle it?
Remember, confidentiality is critical when you are working with sensitive medical or financial information. You also want to ensure that they will supply developers to support you with maintenance and security updates over time so that you don’t suddenly become vulnerable to a potential hack.
Conclusion
Now you know how to make a medical app! Make sure that you do your research (and pick your team) carefully, and you’ll do just fine.
For more details on how to accomplish this challenge, please check out this article.