simple communication devices to highly advanced smartphones with intelligent features like instant messaging, GPS navigation and mobile payments. Mobile technologists have leveraged these sophisticated features to develop apps that impact information consumption and service deliveries. The impact is being seen across domains with the recent significant one being Healthcare.
Role of Mobile apps in Healthcare
In the Healthcare domain, mobile apps can range from reference charts and clinical tools to medical calculators and guides for students. Apart from apps that help people in the domain (surgeons, physicians and students), there are many that are targeted towards patients and consumers to improve their overall healthcare experience. Some of them include:
- Apps for monitoring vital parameters such as sugar levels, cholesterol levels, heart beat rate and calorie levels.
- Appointment schedulers.
- Reminders for periodic health checkups.
- Apps to locate ambulance services, hospitals, Blood banks and pharmacies.
Here’s a quick peek at some of the popular use cases of mobile apps in today’s Healthcare industry.
Medical history management
Medical professionals can take advantage of mobile apps by receiving accurate information about a patient’s case history and related information directly onto their mobile devices. This increases the overall efficiency of the consultation process. Some of these mobile apps have inbuilt database systems that can record each individual’s case history and this intern can be easily accessed by medical professionals for further diagnosis and consultation.
Appointment Management
Hospitals are constantly under tremendous pressure to provide optimal healthcare facilities with limited human resources. Mobile apps that help in appointment scheduling and management will go a long way in dealing with large patient numbers with limited number of medical professionals.
Disease Management
In most chronic medical conditions, there is a need to constantly monitor vital health parameters in patients. Many of the mobile apps make it very easy for patients to monitor, measure and record information. This measuring leads to better health management for patients and efficient treatment delivery for Doctors.
Mobile Apps in Fitness
The fitness industry has reached a whole new level after the introduction of mobile technology. There are a number of popular apps in this vertical that help users monitor weight, calorie intake, distance run, calories burnt and many such factors that contribute to a person’s fitness.
Healthcare Apps for the Elderly
Mobile apps can be very useful for elderly and disabled people who cannot travel long distances to visit a doctor. Apps can be used to interact with the consulting physician, who can carry out diagnosis of the patient with the recorded information in the user’s app. Also, the physician and the patient can mutually decide on a visit for future consultations and appointments.
Mobile Technology for Affordable Healthcare
The impact of mobile apps in healthcare systems is enormous. Rising health costs and difficulty in offering quality services has led to a greater interest in developing apps that bridge these gaps. Apps are fast replacing human intervention that is required for medical assistance. This shift brings down the overall cost by automating processes and it thus holds the promise of affordable and efficient healthcare for everybody.
Innopplinc has been working on developing mobile and web applications in healthcare industry for providers across the country. A small sample of our work in the healthcare industry:
- Pulse-Ox Tool – Pulse oximetry screening was recommended to improve the detection of critical congenital heart defects in newborns. We developed the app for Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.
- Great Back Great Body – This is an app for instruction on how to properly exercise and help with strength and stability of the back and core of the body. We developed this app for a well know orthopedic surgeon.
- Electronic Health Records (EHR) – We developed a comprehensive electronic health records iPad app for a paid management practice based out of Jacksonville, Florida.
- iLE – iLE is the first in a series of apps from iLESoft that focuses on predicting life expectancies. This app leverages acturially analyzed and confirmed data that shows the number of years a person may live based on some basic lifestyle information. We developed this app for a underwriting agency for healthcare insurance companies.