Today, it is imperative for hospitals and clinics to not merely consider application development as a supplementary tool, but rather as an indispensable investment. In fact, it is essential to take this approach to thrive in the current market.
The emergence of telemedicine, facilitating medical treatment through mobile applications, is having a revolutionary impact on the healthcare sector. Its implications, such as mitigating the risk of severe medical events, providing routine patient care, go a long way in the industry. Considering the dwindling number of doctors and increasing demand for medical assistance amongst the elderly, healthcare apps have emerged as a saviour for many. Now a necessity, instead of a luxury, medical professionals regard telemedicine as indispensable.
Custom needs of medical practices and their patients may not be catered to by pre-existing applications. Therefore, while choosing an application, it is essential to ascertain whether it fulfils a basic set of requirements and that these are checked for compliance. Accurately assessing healthcare apps can guarantee the patients’ welfare through their use of technology.
Apps Can Enhance Doctor’s Care for Their Patients
Medical professionals have an extensive variety of application options at their disposal. These technology-driven medical tools are multifaceted, benefiting different recipients. To showcase the profound impact of these innovations, here are a handful of examples, highlighting how they improve patient outcomes and save lives:
Continuous treatment and comforting care:
A dearth of funds creates a significant bottleneck in accessing regular healthcare services. It becomes challenging for individuals living in remote areas or cities with busy schedules to visit a medical facility, experience long wait times, and then consult with a medical practitioner. Videoconferencing technology eases medical appointments. As per a study of 1,200 individuals, 89% of scheduled video consultations were carried out effectively, and 90% of patients reported being content with the level of care they received.Managing emergencies:
Following Hurricane Michael, a Category 5 hurricane, the Florida Panhandle suffered a mental health crisis that affected the region’s youth population in 2023. Children were left traumatised and unable to obtain necessary help due to the devastating consequences of the hurricane. In response, the Florida Division of Emergency Management initiated a network of telehealth portals across six counties providing the children with access to competent medical care and advice.Triage and emergency care:
Visionable, a UK-based enterprise, identified the life-saving potential of real-time video streaming to assist ambulance personnel in linking up with specialists, thereby obtaining guidance on appropriate triage and diagnosis for patients. This airtight commitment towards offering the best possible care to those in need has resulted in saving an estimated 3,200 lives through the availability of this service.
Healthcare practitioner-specific applications are transforming medical care delivery and having a positive impact on the lives of patients nationwide. Yet, for this technology to be efficacious, establishing and observing the relevant standards is paramount.
Standardization and Validation Techniques for Health-Related Apps
The rapidly increasing number of emerging healthcare apps lacks a standardized method for evaluating their effectiveness. This individuality makes it challenging for medical practitioners to make well-informed decisions. To mitigate this challenge, we have compiled a chart of standardized benchmarks and validation techniques to facilitate the decision-making process.
| Standards | Validation |
| Value: The value of a healthcare app lies in the improvements it can bring to a patient’s life. This could be in the form of an overall improvement in care, or more targeted treatments for specific conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, depression, and other medical conditions. By providing such services, healthcare apps can help to improve the wellbeing of individuals and promote better health outcomes. | Indications of clinical significance: It is sufficient to show that the application provides value to users in a healthcare setting by demonstrating measurable, clinically relevant improvements. For example, if a user regularly inputs blood sugar levels that are within a healthy range, this would prove the usefulness of the app as a diabetes monitor. |
| A straightforward interface: It is likely that the majority of people who use applications are of a senior age and lack the technical knowledge to operate them efficiently. If the user does not understand how to make use of the app, the quality of the product is rendered irrelevant. | Tests in the Early stages: Experts may be unable to provide an opinion on the app’s usability because of their knowledge of the features of the app, whereas beta users may be able to provide a more impartial assessment of the app’s user-friendliness and performance. |
| Function: It is essential that neither the application nor the consultations should experience any downtime, particularly for healthcare provider applications, which often make use of resource-intensive technologies such as live video streaming and augmented reality. To ensure a reliable and uninterrupted service, extra measures should be taken to ensure that the system remains stable and secure. | Tracing latencies: During and after development, beta testers provide latency statistics from a variety of settings and connection speeds. |
| Security: Organizations in the United States that process protected health information (PHI) must adhere to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) guidelines and ensure that access to the data is restricted to authorized personnel only. It is advisable for all entities to implement similar standards in order to ensure the highest levels of privacy and security for their customers. | Organizational framework for conducting application security tests (ASTO): This statement speaks to the need for an Application Security Testing as a Service (ASTaaS) approach in order to ensure the security of an application throughout the development process. ASTaaS involves both internal testing conducted by white-hat professionals and external penetration testing, both of which are essential in order to ensure the security of an application. |
An extensive range of healthcare apps is at your disposal, including straightforward appointment reminders to more intricate applications employing augmented reality to simulate an in-person office visit. Your practice’s specific requirements determine the best option for you. Nevertheless, bear in mind that your patients have faith in your judgement and the applications you endorse. To uphold this trust, it’s crucial to ensure that all applications comply with industry standards and regulations.
At Works, our recruitment process is stringent, selecting only the top 1% of IT professionals from Latin America. We pride ourselves in providing you with a secure and gratifying experience for your patients. Feel free to contact us to explore how our services can elevate your ability to provide healthcare in any setting.
