Medical Field Mobile Apps

Medical reform is not the only place the medical field has been making headlines. They have also made a splash in the mobile apps industry. Most commonly known as “mHealth” apps, the industry is expected to nearly double in revenue in 2012 to $1.3 billion (research2guidance). Medical apps are no longer limited to just dieting and fitness; they are expanding into diagnostics, customer service, and education.

Customer Service:

There are several aspects of hospital visits that are very stressful to visitors: waiting room times, simply being sick, uncertainty in the situation, cost, etc. Through mobile apps health care facilities are working to ease these frustrations. An app we built for MedWaitTime reduces the frustrations caused by waiting room times by providing real-time updates on wait times at doctors’ offices, hospitals, clinics, and other health care facilities. The app also highlights at what clinics and with what doctors are accepting walk-in appointments and the services each facility offers.

Diagnostics

In 2010 more than 50% of physicians used a smart phone or a PDA device on a regular basis for everyday treatment activity according to a recent research study by Kalorama. Whether it is drug research, updating health records, or even monitoring vitals, doctors are turning to their mobile phones more than ever before.

Education

Mobile apps are also making their way into medical training at medical schools across the country. Harvard Medical University openly encourages students to utilize the increasing selection of mobile apps to assist them in their education. They even maintain licenses for the most popular apps for students to download and use. Apps like VisualDX Mobile (a catalog of images and information displaying disease progression in a variety of cases), iRadiology (a resource full of radiology cases and images), and Epocrates Essentials (an all-in-one drug and disease guide) are among the top apps used by medical students.

As the mobile app industry continues to grow, expect to see an increase in the number of health care related apps. Remember it is the combination of unique, problem solving ideas and solid development that will bring the most traction in the market. Bring your idea to life by teaming up with our development team!