Healthcare Mobile App Development: An Ultimate Guide for 2024

Technological advancements are revolutionizing the healthcare industry as we know it. The mHealth app market is currently experiencing a surge, reaching US$36.7 billion in 2021. Experts expect it to grow at an annual compound rate of around 14.5% CAGR from 2022 to 2032. Health app revenue reached $3.43 billion in 2023.

These statistics don't lie, as the industry has become more impressive since the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, companies are rapidly investing in mobile app development for healthcare because users are more health-conscious than ever before. 

Furthermore, the increasing importance of smartphones in people's daily lives forces companies to develop healthcare apps to fill in the growing demand. That's why we see new personalized, efficient, and accessible healthcare apps everywhere. Healthcare providers and mHealth companies deliver solutions to enhance the quality of their services.

That's why telling our readers about healthcare mobile application development specifics is essential. The process is intricate and involves several factors, each of which is highly important.

The guide provides a comprehensive outlook on the current state of healthcare apps. The article covers the development process, regulatory requirements, technological opportunities, and future trends. We will shed light on what you can do to enter the market through mobile app development in healthcare for 2024.

Types of Healthcare Apps

We are experiencing a surge in the number of different healthcare apps. There are over 54,000 apps on Google Play and more than 41,000 apps on the Apple Store! The market distinguishes these apps into several distinct categories.

Telemedicine Apps

These applications are becoming more popular than ever because they allow patients to consult their doctors via video calls, phone calls, and private chats. Telemedicine apps are highly convenient because patients can receive a diagnosis, prescription, and medical device remotely.

Appointment Apps

An appointment app simplifies the process of making appointments with doctors. It often includes various features such as waiting list management and appointment reminders. Due to their convenience, appointment apps are just as popular as telemedicine.

Monitoring Apps

A monitoring app provides its user with exactly what one might expect – symptom checks. These apps' functionality is based around tracking user's parameters and symptoms to provide recommendations regarding treatment and medicine intake. You can learn more about them as the DBB Software team also created a healthcare monitoring app for diabetic retinopathy.

Mental Health Apps

Another popular category, mental health apps, are designed to offer a variety of resources. This includes guided meditations, therapy advice, stress management tools, exersises, and more. A mental health app assists users with fighting depression, anxiety, sleep disorders, etc.

Fitness Apps

This type of apps provides users personalized exersise routines and workout guidance. Fitness apps are especially popular today, as population is more health-aware than ever before. 

Critical Steps in Healthcare App Development

Knowing how to build a healthcare app involves numerous key stages, ensuring the final product is operational and fully compliant with medical permissions. Because health data is sensitive, taking all necessary steps in healthcare app development is important.

Establish Goals and Understand the Audience

The first step is to understand your health app's target audience. Do you want to target patients or healthcare providers, or maybe serve both? Depending on your choice, your strategic approach will change accordingly. After all, the core functionality differs for each of the aforementioned groups of users.

You'll need to employ one or, even better, several methods to gather information. Here are some of the most effective ones that we frequently use at DBB Software:

• User Interviews: Conduct in-depth conversations with a representative sample of your target users and analyze their pains, needs, and expectations. This method allows you to capture the requirements from their user base directly.
• User Personas: Create detailed user personas that represent your key user segments. This approach will help you design the application for specific user types.

With all the crucial information gathered, you can set clear goals. Developers use this data to ensure that the future healthcare application's design and features align with the core user needs it aims to satisfy.

Market Research

Analysis is the key to answering how to develop a healthcare app. It allows the company to identify competitors, grasp current and future market trends, and understand regulatory requirements that inevitably follow healthcare app development. Therefore, this step involves: 

• Examining successful existing applications to outline factors that led to their initial and ongoing success;
• Reviewing direct competitors to understand how they reach your target audience;
• Analyzing indirect competitors to identify any alternative methods of satisfying user demand.

Hire a Skilled Developer Team

Selecting the right team for a job is vital for an app's success. The developers should possess the required expertise in software development and healthcare regulations. For example, healthcare apps should follow HIPAA in the US and GDPR in Europe.

You want a team with previous experience developing healthcare applications. DBB Software professionals have already developed solutions for healthcare, such as a provider review platform and a health state monitoring app. 

The Right Tech Stack

Properly choosing a technology stack matters a lot in mobile app development for healthcare. Before developing, a team should consider the app's objectives, target audience, and other factors.

For example, consider whether your app should be native (iOS, Android) or cross-platform. This and other decisions directly affect the app's performance, security, coverage, scalability, and functionality. 

UI & UX Design

UI/UX design in healthcare is unique. To create a truly convenient user experience, your team must deeply understand the target audience, their behavior, and their needs. 

The important elements of any healthcare app UI include:

• Easy navigation to provide a convenient experience and simplify the app's flow.
• Access to different services, including emergencies, depending on the app's intent.
• Accessibility features for elderly users or people with disabilities. 

Regulatory Compliance

If it's mobile app development in healthcare, it likely falls under numerous regulations. The most common and obligatory requirement is protecting the user's personal health information. In the US, a health app should adhere to HIPAA rules, which directly dictate the security and privacy of health data.

Compliance plays an imperative role in an app's success. You must follow the rules to ensure your solution features strong security measures such as encryption, data storage, and security audits. 

Attention to the Development Process

Development includes coding, integrating services, setting up databases, and more. Things may change depending on the solution, but the essence of the development process stays the same. You want to consistently test the app to identify and solve potential bugs or problems during each step.

UI & UX Considerations for Diverse User Base

Healthcare apps are unique because they require a different UI/UX design approach. Such a solution should be easily approachable and accessible to meet the requirements of various user groups. That is why you need to consider the following factors for your UI/UX:

Simplicity and Intuitiveness

Navigation for a healthcare solution has to be straightforward. The reason is simple – the user base often includes older adults who aren't too proficient with modern technologies. 

That is why an app should have clear menus with easy access to frequently used features. Furthermore, consistent layouts and icons for the interface are advisable to assist with navigation and make it more intuitive. Such an approach benefits specific user groups as it reduces cognitive load. 

Accessibility

Accessibility is among the most critical UI aspects of any well-designed digital health solution. You want to ensure your application is accessible to people with disabilities or impairments.

Some of the more popular accessibility features include:

• Contrast mode for easy readability;
• Text-to-speech functionality for audial accessibility;
• Voice commands and single-touch gestures.

Personalization

Providing your users the ability to customize their experiences with an app is one of the most user-centric features a healthcare app can offer. Such an option provides the most flexibility and control over the app's UI, resulting in higher user engagement and accessibility.

Here are some of the most popular personalization options you can include in your app:

• Adjusting text size and changing fonts;
• Changing color schemes for better visibility;
• Customizing notifications according to their preferences.

Real-Life Tests

To create a great UI/UX, you must first establish a feedback loop and test it with real users. User testing is crucial for assessing whether the features you include in your app's interface work. That is why we highly recommend conducting usability tests involving people of different ages and backgrounds.

This way, you will incorporate real-life feedback into your development process. The information will assist you with identifying the user's pain points early and addressing them accordingly. 

Choosing the Right Tech Stack for Healthcare App Development

The technical framework and tools play a crucial role in healthcare mobile app development. A company aiming to create high-quality digital health solutions should consider the tech stack with factors like functionality, security, and interoperability in mind. 

The Platform

When considering iOS, Android, or web platforms, everything depends on your target audience and reach. For example, iOS applications are more popular in the US, while Android is more prevalent globally. Web-based apps are independent from any platform and accessible from any browser, offering the broadest reach.

You should also consider the pros and cons of each platform. Here is a brief list of things to keep in mind before picking one or another:

Healthcare apps can benefit from a cross-platform approach. This includes frameworks such as React Native and Flutter. These allow developers to write code once and deploy an app on both iOS and Android platforms. A cross-platform approach is highly beneficial in this regard, as it saves development time and costs while ensuring a consistent user experience.

The Backend Systems

The backend part of a healthcare solution is critical for many reasons. It's where most data processing occurs, meaning it handles sensitive health data. Furthermore, a backend system should be reliable and flexible to ensure the scalability and security of a healthcare app.

Some of the best solutions are SQL databases such as PostgreSQL and MySQL and NoSQL databases such as MongoDB. However, more and more companies are using cloud computing services such as AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud.

Cloud-based managed systems offer several benefits: 

• Flexibility: companies receive virtual environments for software and services an application requires.
• Simplicity in use: cloud computing services are designed for easy app deployment.
• Cost efficiency: a company must only pay for computing power, storage, and additional services.
• Reliability: cloud services are designed to be readily available 24/7.
• Scalability: a company gains access to unprecedented scalability and can adjust it according to the demand.
• Security: all the major cloud services use an end-to-end approach to data safety and ensure their infrastructure security using the latest technologies.

Data Security

When it comes to healthcare, security is easily the most important factor for the development process. Sensitive health information requires advanced data measures that include encryption, protocols such as TLS/SSL, and more.

A development team should approach healthcare mobile app development with regulatory compliance in mind. Regulations such as HIPAA and GDPR leave no room for slacking, so regular updates and security audits should be standard practices for developers who work on healthcare apps. 

Regulations & Compliance in Healthcare Apps

This article mentioned the importance of regulatory compliance, including HIPAA and GDPR, several times. There's a reason behind such an emphasis. Now, let us draw attention to a few of the key regulations—especially HIPAA—and their impact on the healthcare mobile application development.

HIPAA 

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act sets some requirements for protecting sensitive patient information in the USA. It is considered a key to any healthcare application handling patient information and states that protected health information should guarantee confidentiality, integrity, and availability.

GDPR

GDPR is enforced in Europe, and this regulation is even more strict than HIPAA. It requires applications to ensure data privacy while giving users rights and means to control their sensitive information. This includes the ability to access, correct, and delete rights. Consent plays a key role, and applications must ask for permission from users before processing data.

The Impact of Regulations

With a better understanding of the key regulations, it is possible to outline how they impact healthcare app functionality. The DBB Software team has direct experience creating HIPAA and GDPR-compliant apps, and developers must integrate mandatory robust security features such as data encryption and secure data transmission into a solution. 

The requirement directly affects the app's architecture, as it should be able to support features that allow users to access, modify, and delete their personal information. Developers must allocate resources to consistently update and maintain healthcare applications to keep up with regulatory requirements and potential threats.

Regulations impact the app's functionality and performance, but failing to adhere to them can lead to serious legal consequences. That is why companies have to follow requirements set by HIPAA, GDPR, and other regulations if they want to provide their services.

Healthcare App Development Process

A team must proceed through several stages in healthcare mobile app development to create a working solution. Each step ensures the final result is user-friendly and corresponds to all the necessary regulations and requirements.

MVP Development

The development starts with Minimum Viable Product (MVP). This is a dedicated version of the product that only has core functionality in the solution to satisfy the customer's primary needs. An MVP is a crucial part of the healthcare mobile app development process as it allows one to validate their ideas and mitigate the potential risks of launching an unfinished product. 

Our team utilizes the DBBS pre-built solutions to effectively speed up the MVP development process by up to 50%. We achieve this through ready-to-use modules that allow us to quickly add features to the MVP, such as UI/UX elements, payment and authorization services, and more.

Overall, an MVP is an excellent way to identify a solution's core components, test them, and develop a complete strategy for the final product. It is hard to underestimate the importance of successfully creating an MVP. 

Iterative Development Approach

After launching the MVP, you should start iteratively developing the solution. DBB Software specialists usually follow this methodology and refine the product after receiving feedback from different stakeholders. 

This phase adds features to the app, establishes a core approach to user interaction with the solution, enhances UX/UI, and affects other quality-of-life changes. Iterative development stands out as one of the most critical development approaches because it allows the developer much-needed flexibility while adapting the solution to real-world usage.

Testing

Testing is just as necessary as any other healthcare mobile app development part. It allows developers to gather the required information to improve the product. Testing provides several benefits, such as:

• Development cost reduction.
• Risk mitigation.
• Facilitation of agile development.
• Promotion of continuous improvement.

Healthcare applications require rigorous testing approaches. Developers should combine low—and high-fidelity testing methods to achieve the best results. Our team's pre-built solutions also feature configured environments for A/B testing to effectively speed up the whole process.

Feedback and Updates

Healthcare applications require continuous updates, even on a regulatory level. That's why iterative feedback and regular updates are vital for mobile healthcare app development for ensuring the quality and security of a digital health solution. 

The continuous improvement cycle assists companies with retaining users and improving their user experience. This way, an app maintains its usefulness, functionality, security, and general relevance to users.DBB Software specialists regularly update pre-built solutions to ensure that any apps created using them are also automatically updated.

Case Study: How DBBS Developed A Healthcare Provider Review Platform

A client approached DBB Software to assist them with developing a healthcare review platform that would allow patients to rate and find reliable providers. Some of the main things we took care in this case include:

• Renovation of the platform to fully adhere to GDPR and HIPAA standards;
• Two-step verification for added security and reliability of reviews;
• Development of a mobile app for added convenience.

Our solution included healthcare-specific features such as voice navigation and multi-language support to cater to a diverse user base. We also added several integrations with third-party services to ensure the platform's compatibility with healthcare providers' software.

DBB Software team followed a standard development process that included the following:

• Research and analysis to study the client's existing solution and develop an idea of where to focus and prepare a tech stack;
• Iterative development is based on an agile methodology that addresses each requirement. We also used our pre-built components to speed up the development process;
• Code review and extensive testing to ensure that everything works as required by the customer;
• Collection of feedback and continuous iterations to improve the platform further.

As a result, the client received a secure and regulation-compliant platform with a convenient mobile app to engage with their target audience. 

The DBB Software team followed a standard development process practice while focusing on healthcare-specific aspects of the solution. The lesson here is to focus on user experience while maintaining top security standards and adherence to regulations.

How Much Does It Cost to Develop a Healthcare App?

The cost of developing a healthcare app varies. Generally speaking, it is around $40,000- $100,000+. Everything depends on the features you want to include and the scale of your future solution.

Some of the factors that influence the cost of a healthcare app are:

• Resources: how many hours it will take to develop a solution.
• Hourly rate: what is the price of man-hour provided by the software company.
• Timeline: how much time does the team have to complete the project.

Think about the Resources (Hours) x Hourly Rate = Development Cost formula. For example, the DBB Software team member's hourly rate is $35-40 with 20-40 hours per week available for a project.  

However, each project is unique, and factors such as deadlines also affect the resources required. The situation becomes even more complex as healthcare apps require strict adherence to various regulations.

Launch Strategy Considerations for Healthcare Apps

Companies wanting to launch their healthcare applications should focus on careful planning and execution. The goal is to effectively reach the target audience and achieve the initial and long-term objectives. Let's look at helpful tips on launching a healthcare app and maintaining it even after the launch.

Pre-Launch Marketing

Before the launch, the best practice is to follow an established practice of creating some buzz around the app. There are numerous types of marketing campaigns to accomplish this task:

• Teaser campaign.
• Press release.
• Influencer outreach.
• Blogger services.

However, remember that healthcare is a particular direction, meaning that you should carefully consider the choice of channels for marketing buzz. It's way better to hire a blogger who specializes in the healthcare field rather than a lifestyle influencer.

Beta Testing

As you develop your application, conducting beta test research with a group of end-users can provide invaluable insights into polishing the solution. Well-performed beta testing allows companies to gather information and feedback about how users react to the app's functionality, usability, and overall experience.

Beta testers are also great for spotting and resolving critical or minor issues. Their input ensures that your app is ready for an official release. Moreover, feedback from beta testing is a great way to adjust the marketing strategy and change its direction if needed.

The Launch

The official launch is a huge event. It can be physical or virtual. Either way, it's an effective way to draw attention to the solution and excite users. The event should highlight the application's features and benefits, allowing a company to distinguish its product from the competition. 

Some proven strategies for an official launch include involving industry experts and influencers. We advise demonstrating the capabilities of a healthcare application via live demonstrations or testimonials provided by beta testers. This way, you will receive authentic content to work with during the launch.

Post-Launch

Continuous engagement with your target audience is the key to keeping them interested in using a solution. This statement applies to healthcare applications as well. You want to get the most out of your app through regular updates, the addition of new features, and customer support.

An active content strategy is an excellent way to keep the audience engaged. Consider rolling out blog posts, news pieces, and social media posts. Finally, a proven way to retain users is through gamification features such as daily visit rewards. This could be an excellent way for a healthcare app to remind people about its purpose and features.

Analytics Analysis

We highly recommend employing some analytics tools to track the performance of a healthcare app. Some of the key metrics include:

• Daily active users.
• Session length.
• Retention rate.

These numbers will guide the continuous development and improvement of features. Proper analysis lets your development team see which features perform better and which areas require more attention. Such a data-driven approach is a necessity in the healthcare sector.

Future Trends in Healthcare Mobile App Development

The future of healthcare mobile application development is set for considerable advancements shortly. We're already observing significant breakthroughs in different fields, such as artificial intelligence and wearable technology.

AI & ML

AI and ML are slowly but surely becoming integral in healthcare applications. These tools directly drive improvements in diagnostic analysis and personalized treatment plans. The reason is simple: AI algorithms are perfect for analyzing and interpreting large amounts of data, making them ideal for identifying patterns a human eye might miss.

AI's capabilities are perfect for enhancing patient monitoring through continuous data analysis acquired by wearable devices. Machine learning algorithms can detect deviations in data patterns, allowing doctors to intervene early.

Advanced Data Analytics

Data analytics is becoming more advanced every year. Its importance is especially evident in the healthcare sector, where predictive analytics is becoming increasingly important. Predictive analysis models analyze historical data and current information from healthcare apps to optimize resource usage and anticipate future events.

Telehealth

This trend is one of the most prominent. Telehealth is experiencing exponential growth, and the main focus is the development of telehealth apps that integrate diagnostic tools into their functionality. Therefore, we can adequately suggest that the importance of app-instrument connectivity and integration will only increase.

Closing Thoughts

The healthcare industry is evolving along with technological advancements. Specialized health apps are becoming essential for improving patient care. It is important to know the specifics of developing a healthcare application to create a fully operational solution.

This article is a comprehensive guide for companies wanting to learn more about the specifics of healthcare mobile application development. It covers key steps to understanding the audience, making informed decisions regarding UI and development, considering legislation, and launching and maintaining the application.

With the rapid development of technologies such as AI, a new generation of health applications will appear. The industry is moving towards responsive and proactive solutions that track real-time patient status. This trend is highly beneficial for end users, who will receive a more personalized experience with apps.

Creating a successful healthcare app takes work, but the right combination of approaches, technologies, and regulatory compliance can do the job. Contact us at DBB Software to receive a consultation and start building your digital healthcare solution with industry experts. 

FAQ

How to build a healthcare mobile app?

To create a high-quality healthcare mobile application, you need to:

• Establish goals: Determine what your application is for;
• Understand the audience: What core needs it will address;
• Conduct market research: Analyze your direct competitors and market trends to identify potential opportunities and niches;
• Gather an expert team: Pick a development team with expertise in software development. They need to know about healthcare regulations influencing the process;
• Select a tech stack: Consider if you want your application to be native or cross-platform, as well as what technologies suit your needs and goals;
• Adhere to regulations: Healthcare applications require strict adherence to regulatory policies such as HIPAA and GDPR;
• Focus on UI/UX: Design your app to be intuitive and as accessible as possible;
• Develop and iterate: Focus on creating a high-quality MVP, test the solution extensively, and update it based on user feedback.

How do you design and develop a mobile health application?

The process of designing and developing a healthcare solution involves:

• Creation of user personas and scenarios to understand the user base and how they interact with the app;
• Prioritization of convenience and accessibility to ensure it is easy to use for everyone, especially individuals with disabilities;
• Focusing on interoperability to potentially integrate the app with healthcare systems;
• Developing the app in stages to ensure the coverage of every feature and address every problem. Remember testing.

What are the critical requirements for a healthcare app?

You want to ensure that the following components are present in your app:

• Security Measures and Privacy Compliance: an app has to adhere to laws such as HIPAA and GDPR to ensure complete sensitive data protection;
• Functional requirements: an app must meet your target audience's needs. This can include features such as booking an appointment or viewing medical records;
• Technical requirements: set up appropriate infrastructure for an app to ensure its performance, security, and scalability;
• User-centric UI: accessibility and usability are top priorities for a healthcare app UI.

How to launch a healthcare app?

There are proven methods of launching applications. Start with a pre-launch marketing campaign to warm up the audience through digital marketing, social media, and target outreach. Beta testing is another way to reach direct end-users, promote the product, and eliminate potential issues.

The launch event should focus on demonstrating your app's features and benefits to users. Niche and specialized Influencers are effective in promoting an app. Finally, maintain post-launch engagement through updates and analyze user feedback to gather relevant information for your app.

Are there disadvantages to mobile apps in healthcare?

There are several disadvantages of mobile solutions in healthcare:

• Security risks: healthcare apps need to handle sensitive health information, which requires strict measures effectively, and breaches can lead to negative consequences;
• Regulatory environment: the list of potential healthcare regulations to adhere to can be overwhelming for inexperienced teams;
• Development intensity: the development of a high-quality healthcare app can be resource-intensive, and it requires constant maintenance and updates to stay up to regulations;
• Potential technological barriers: some users may require specific functionality that an inexperienced developer team may be unable to cover.