13 Must-Have Features of a Healthcare App

13 Must-Have Features of a Healthcare App

Everyone breathing must have known how vital health is after the 2020 pandemic hit this planet. Be it physical health or mental health, everyone was affected by covid in one way or another. It brought the world to its knees, and it took us two years to finally recover. Also, while keeping our distance, we learned how to take care of ourselves without anyone's help. People who were lucky to have spent the quarantine with family still had each other, but those living away from their family were affected severely – mentally and physically. Hence, everything shifted from offline to online. The Internet came to the rescue, and so did digital marketing companies. Businesses and individuals started receiving all the help online. Local business owners were confused about how to make it online; here is the list of companies that came to their rescue.

However, the most affected area was the health department. But for the mobile app developers came as a blessing in disguise. Everything required by doctors, patients, nutritionists, dieticians, therapists, physiotherapists, etc., was transformed online, and many people's lives were saved by simply communicating with them via apps. Thus, while creating and updating the healthcare apps for patients and professionals, the following are the features that need to be included:

1. Attractive Design

This does not only apply to healthcare apps; it is applied to every app globally. The developer of the mobile app must take into consideration the design and navigation of the app. The app can be used by anyone aged from 15 to 75, and they should be able to figure out the app quickly and easily. The complicated apps might not be helpful for both patients and doctors in their time of need. Thus, the UI/UX designer should work closely with the app developer, and the end product should be user-friendly for healthcare professionals and patients.

2. Data Storage

Data is essential for the apps, especially when dealing with the health department. The doctor should be able to store important data of all their patients and dig it out quickly when required. While having an emergency, if the app is troubling, a patient can lose his life here. When the situation is risky, the app should be accurate and helpful rather than create problems. Thus, data storage should be spacious to store unlimited data and can be dug out without any hassle.

3. Data Security

The security of data matters a lot. Because with healthcare apps, the data could be confidential and needs to be accessed by any medical professional. Hence, the data should be encrypted in a manner such that no hacker can hack it. Having rivals in the field of healthcare could be fatal to patients. Thus, mobile app developers need to take care of data security while creating an app. 

4. Communication Options

Video calling was trending during quarantine because people weren't allowed to meet each other. Hence, many people dealing with depression and anxiety beforehand, and many suffering from it during the quarantine period, reached out to mental health experts. And video calling came in handy, which makes it the most helpful feature of a healthcare app. Every kind of communication – text, audio calling, video calling, emailing, etc. should be incorporated so a person is comfortable reaching their doctor whenever however. This will also make the work of a professional more accessible as they can treat their patients from anywhere. At any cost, communication shouldn't be hampered because it might lead to committing suicide or untimely death because of lack of medical assistance.

5. Health Activity Tracking

The work of a professional is not limited to prescribing medicines. Follow-up is necessary as well, but one expert cannot reach everywhere. Thus, a health activity tracker can be helpful for people whose activities need to be monitored. This way, they can tap into whatever they have done, and health experts can check that from time to time and ask to make the required changes whenever. These days smart watches and other wearable devices which have features of tracking health activities can be linked with the app, and data can be gathered to tap the progress. With wearables, the patient can track his own health activities without any outside help whatsoever. Thus, this is a multi-tasking feature that must be incorporated. 

6. Availability of Doctors Around the Clock

During Covid times, people with co-morbid symptoms died quickly. They required round-the-clock care, but unfortunately, they were unable to get it. Hence, the availability of doctors all the time will prove to be beneficial for patients with complicated symptoms and their relatives. The app can be built so that if one doctor is unavailable, others can take their place, but the patient will be attended to and cured. Health is inconsistent, but doctors can be consistent, and the healthcare app becomes the platform for them to be consistent.

7. Trigger Button

Mental health is a vast area that covers depression, anxiety, panic attacks, clinical depression, low energy, etc. Hence, if an app can be infused with a trigger button, one can know what to do about it immediately before it is too late. In the year 2020, many people have become victims of depression and have committed suicide. If they had been aware of what had been going on, they could have asked for help and been saved. 

Speaking from personal experience, if, as a patient, I would have had a trigger button, being an educated individual, I know how to solve the issues. The experts can take into consideration emotions mapping while creating a health app because it is most helpful in this field. The medical field should not strictly have a robotic mobile app; it should appeal to the emotions of the person as well.

8. Calming Button

Like the trigger button, if a mobile app developer can create a calming button, many lives can be saved. More than 46% of Americans had become anxious and suffered from mental health issues. If they had the option to click the calming button and calm themselves or receive help from a professional, they could have become better. Hence, mobile app developers must create a calming button that can temporarily help people until the therapist can come to their rescue.

9. Calendars and Checklists

The calendars and checklists of the activities help track the progress of the patient's health. They know when to book appointments and which check-up to do next. They can be prepared well in advance. Healthcare professionals can become the medium to track the progress of follow-ups and regular check-ups. The checklist will help accomplish the health goals doctors, and patients have set. Hence, the mobile app developer must create a feature that will help keep doctors and patients the progress they have made.

10. Sleep Tracker

An adequate amount of sleep is needed for a human to function better. Most mental health patients find it harder to sleep. They find it hard to get up from bed and go about the day, and at night, they find it hard to sleep because of overthinking. Also, sleep loss and memory loss have become significant problems amongst netizens because of increased screen timing. Thus, a sleep tracker helps track the amount of sleep and will trigger if it is less or more. Hence, no matter what kind of patient or healthcare professional it is, the app will help track their sleep.

11. Reminders

Just like every patient is different, their prescriptions are different as well. Thus, the app can have a feature that can remind the patient to take his medicines, exercise, drink water, meditate, go for a walk, etc. Some generic reminders can be standard for everyone based on their weight and height, while some can be customized according to the patient's needs. This way, patients do not have to remember which medicine to take when and when to attend the hospital for the follow-up. And this way, doctors have one less thing to worry about.

12. Relaxation Techniques

This feature is a must for a patient with a history of mental health issues. The modern world has damaged mood swings, and everyone needs to be calmed down these days. Due to increased screen time and unhealthy habits, people need relaxation time to unwind and recharge. Hence, relaxation techniques like meditation and light yoga or reading time can help the patient's mental health. Not only that, but it can also help healthcare professionals to take a break from their work and focus on themselves. After all, they are human beings too, and if they take care of themselves, they can focus on their patients.

13. Journals

People have found journaling to be a relaxation technique. However, not everyone finds time to journal. Many wish to journal, but they have a hard time writing. Thus, journaling in the app in written and verbal form can help people become free of depression and anxiety. Also, it comes in handy to track what activity one did last Thursday around 8 in the evening.

Making journaling a habit can impact other practices positively. Pandemics taught people to write everything every day and how to make sure that days do not blur into each other. Writing helps differentiate one day from another; because you can refer to it whenever you need and make changes to the schedule at your discretion. Hence, if a mobile app developer can instill the verbal and written journal feature, it will be beneficial for patients and health care professionals as well.

Takeaway:

It is easy to develop a mobile app, but it is hard to develop an excellent mobile app that will help the healthcare field in every possible way. Thus above – mentioned features are a few features that are a must for a health app. People will download the app more if it is user-friendly and has features that can be useful for doctors and patients. Keep checking Goodtal Blog Page for another article on must–have commercial features of a healthcare app.