As technology continues to evolve it is revolutionizing every industry, especially healthcare. Thanks to Telemedicine, patients can now have their doctor appointments from the comfort of their home..or anywhere they choose to, as long as they have a computer or mobile device. Gone are the days of having to call the doctor’s office, be put on hold, and make your appointment. Now, you can make a doctor’s appointment with the touch of a button, all you have to do is create a doctor appointment app.
Research shows the global healthcare IT market is projected to reach $280 billion by the year 2021. So now is the perfect time to get on board and create a doctor appointment app. But, there are some tips and tricks and things to avoid in order to make sure your app runs successfully and has customers coming back time and time again. Here are some things to keep in mind during the development of the app:
- Fine Tune Your Specialty: There are a lot of mobile health apps out there. 259,000 in 2016 to be specific. So, it’s important that your app can set you apart from the others and solve a real problem for users.
- User-Friendly: With so many choices in the mobile health market, it’s important that your app is easy to use so that people will choose to use it and keep coming back.
- Privacy: We know that in a doctor’s physical office, privacy is of the utmost importance. So much so that laws like HIPAA are in place to protect patient information. Keep that in mind when making your app and make sure it meets (and exceeds) all privacy and security expectations and standards.
Key Parts to Include When You Create a Doctor Appointment App:
- User Profile: A user profile with patient information is probably the most important component of the app, aside from security, because the doctor’s office needs to know who is contacting them for the appointment. The following should be included in the user profile: first and last name, address, age, sex, and other information that is necessary for the doctor to treat you properly.
- Scheduling/Calendar Feature: Obviously, for a doctor appointment app, you are going to need a scheduling feature to be able to actually make the appointment. This is most easily done by creating an interactive calendar that the app users can click on the date they wish to schedule their appointment and then choose a time.
- Doctor Profiles: A lot of users will already know which doctor they want to schedule with. But, for those who don’t, a doctor database broken down by location is an invaluable tool that will make your app super useful and help it stand out from others. Here’s what to include:
- Location: Especially important to add a tool that allows users to search by zip code or address
- Qualifications: Here you should include what the doctor specializes in, their background, certifications, and education.
- Patient ratings and reviews
Bonus tip: Add the ability for patients to turn on push notifications for their upcoming appointments. This will ensure they don’t miss their appointments and they will appreciate the reminders from your app.
Telemedicine
As we previously mentioned, Telemedicine is increasing in popularity, especially during the time of the COVID-19 global pandemic. An option within your app to have the doctor appointment virtually is another excellent tool that will set your app apart from the thousands of others on the market. This will save users time and attract more people to your app.
Cost
Now, we’ve covered the basics on how to make your app successful. Cost is another big factor determining how many of these features you will include and how long it will take for you to roll out the app. The exact cost will depend on who you choose to develop the app but the average rate for app development is $40/hour. That brings the average total to create a doctor appointment app to around $27,000.
As medicine and technology evolve, the way people make doctor’s appointments and attend those appointments is also evolving. A doctor appointment app is a great way to get on board with these changes and be part of the changing technology.