4 Ways Healthcare Apps Can Improve The Lives of Patients

 

 

Receiving healthcare can often feel like a confusing and frustrating experience for patients. Healthcare facilities are busy places and they can feel intimidating when dealing with health issues. Along with that, patients have to rely on doctors to explain conditions and treatment options that may be difficult to understand.

 

When you look at the broader picture, it is understandable if some patients feel like healthcare is a hassle or that they lack control over their health. This has been a problem in healthcare for some time, and it can lead to bad outcomes for patients. 

 

Healthcare tech holds significant promise for solving some of these patient issues. From healthcare software development to personal health devices, modern healthcare tech not only has the potential to improve the experience for patients, it could also promote better outcomes. 

 

With a smartphone being in the pocket of almost every patient, mobile apps will play a key role in healthcare tech. The following are some of the ways healthcare apps can improve the lives of patients.

 

Patients want to understand their health issues and the treatment options that are available. For many of them, this means going online and searching for information independently. While there is valuable information to be found online, it is not always accurate. This is one way an app from a healthcare provider could come in handy. Instead of having patients look up information independently, the approved app could provide better information. In some cases, a doctor could even refer patients to different resources in the app to help the patient learn about their condition or treatment.

 

One hurdle for many patients is the perceived lack of convenience with which they receive care. It is well-known that wait times have an impact on patient satisfaction. If patients experience long wait times, they will be more likely to be unsatisfied and it can lead to some patients being reluctant to seek care. One way an app could address this is to improve transparency as it concerns the wait times at healthcare facilities. The patient could open the app, select the type of care they need and then see the wait times at different facilities in their area. 

 

Femtech refers to technology that is focused on making the lives of women better. This could include general wellness, but it also covers a range of women’s health issues. A good example of this is the Femtech company Clue. The Clue app focuses on women’s reproductive health and it helps women take more control by helping them track things like their period and ovulation. In addition to women’s health technology, similar models could be used to focus on different populations that may have specific health concerns. 

 

Two out of three patients say they want appointment reminders. You also have about 79% of patients saying they want texts from healthcare providers. Mobile apps offer an obvious solution to make the healthcare experience better for communication. Beyond sending appointment reminders, the app could remind the patient to take medication or it could offer an easy portal for the patient to reach out to healthcare professionals. It could also offer a feature for video chats to allow for a simple check-in when an in-person appointment is not needed. 

 

We should expect to see apps improving healthcare in more ways in the future. With that said, there is more to it than just building an app. You need to make sure it is easy for patients to use and that it has the features they need. Along with that, you need the support services to back it up and healthcare providers will need to make an effort to encourage adoption.