Healthcare Archives - Page 10 of 21

“The good physician treats the disease; the great physician treats the patient who has the disease. – William Osler, a famous Canadian physician” How true these lines are! It is so necessary to think beyond the clinical needs of the patients.

It’s all about how the patients are treated and made to feel. Let’s consider a hypothetical scenario. There are two highly experienced and popular doctors in the city, Mr. David and Mr. Benjamin. Recently, Mr. David has started incorporating some intelligent software systems in healthcare that use digitalization to improve the overall patient experience. To ensure that patients don’t wait in the long queues, Mr. David has started using a patient scheduler mHealth app. For saving their medical records, bills, etc., Mr. David has incorporated a digital system, so that even if patients forget or misplace their documents, all the records will remain intact. However, Mr. Benjamin is still following the same traditional methods to approach and treat the patients.

What do you think? Whom will the patients prefer over time?

Technology is making a massive difference in the healthcare industry. Automation, healthcare IoT and other technological advances are greatly improving the medical practices and ultimately the patient experience.

What Factors Enhance the Patient Experience in Hospitals?

Along with in-hospital experience, patients are also influenced by pre and post-treatment experience. Technology can be used to engage the patients by providing them proactive information and guidance about their health conditions or appointments with doctors through dedicated medical apps. There are mobile apps that make it easier for patients to approach the facilities of the hospital. Likewise, to get feedback about what makes them satisfied, it is necessary to talk to them and also conduct surveys to get better information.

Today, advanced technology is playing a crucial role in enhancing the patient experience. Using digital transformation and IoT in healthcare can help to organize the patients as well as the hospital staff. A mobile app that is designed for scheduling doctor appointments enables the patients to do it sitting at their homes in their available time zones. Digitally managed clinic staff schedule software improves the communication between staff and enables them to handle more tasks without any hassle. Electronic medical records or EMRs are helpful in saving digital versions of different medical papers, charts, etc. related to patients.

When hospitals and clinics incorporate such tools and technologies, it certainly improves the quality and efficiency of care. However, the safety and security of the data is an important factor in healthcare. So, healthcare apps need to be HIPAA compliant. The data like personal information of patients (like their names, contact details, etc.) and other medical information in the hospitals must be protected. This can be assured when the apps are HIPAA compliant.

How Digital Technology Influences Patient Experience?

Digital technology is a key enabler of a successful patient journey. Many hospitals have already started using certain tools, software, apps, etc. for enhancement of overall patient experience; a few of them are specified here.

Electronic Medical Records (EMRs)

EMRs have been playing an important role in improving the healthcare industry. EMR is a tool that digitalizes patient records and keeps track of the vital information related to patients. These files and records can be accessed and used by concerned doctors to provide the care quickly and accurately. EMRs increase efficiency and they reduce documentation errors. The doctors and other staff don’t need to spend time in searching records in files, as the information is available at the click of fingertips through EMRs.

Practice Management System in Healthcare

Practice management system in healthcare (or PMS) is software that deals with several day-to-day tasks of clinics and hospitals. PMS helps to automate some tasks like paying and tracking bills, documenting clinical tasks, maintaining a list of insurance payers, measuring practice performance of doctors, etc. It can also be used in automating the tasks at multiple branches of a hospital. Practice management system in healthcare helps to streamline many time-consuming tasks which ultimately increases productivity and provides better ROI.

A good example of PMS is an emergency physician scheduler mobile app. Such an app connects the patients to doctors within minutes in case of emergency and their lives can be saved. At other times, the doctors can guide the patients to take precautions to avoid any bad health conditions.

Investment in a PMS will always be a cost-effective decision as it helps to manage multiple tasks of the staff members. Wearable technology, monitoring equipment, etc. embedded with IoT in healthcare play a vital role in tracking patient health. The reports of their health are automatically saved and reminders are sent to the concerned departments. When PMS is integrated with EMR, scheduling different tasks, billing, etc. becomes much faster and easier.

Billing to Payers and mHealth

When patients have any insurers or third-party payers involved while paying the hospital bills, billing to payers and mHealth (mobile health) facility automates some tasks. Depending on the insurance policy, that the patient has a tie-up with, a particular billing amount is automatically deducted and the patients can instantly pay the remaining amount. mHealth is also useful in guiding and educating the patients, giving reminders of appointments, taking feedbacks from them, providing remote care to them, etc. It is necessary to develop mHealth apps that are HIPAA compliant for the protection of all the medical data. HIPAA compliant apps build trust in patients.

Home Healthcare and e-Prescription

Home healthcare includes various services like monitoring health status, assisting in daily activities, medical tests, wound care, etc. which are provided to patients in their homes. An example of a home healthcare app is Phlex65. The senior citizens may find it difficult to get professional caregivers instantly in case of an emergency. Phlex65 connects them with caregivers in real-time whenever necessary. Caregivers can guide them in daily activities like personal care grooming, assisting in the transfer, taking medicines on time, cooking, assistance with bathing, light housekeeping, etc. The caregivers can also take them to doctors in case of emergency.

In case of emergency, when patients cannot visit a hospital, the doctors can instantly send e–Prescription to them for time being a relief. It is directly sent to the pharmacies through dedicated software. Instead of waiting for handwritten prescriptions, the electronic prescriptions also help to avoid the errors which sometimes result in the selection of incorrect medicine or dosage and omission of certain information.

As a preventive measure, people can use wearable devices like heart rate and blood pressure monitoring cuffs, glucometer, etc. to check their fitness levels, track heartbeats, monitor glucose levels, etc. Whenever the levels are below or above the normal limits, these wearable devices send the data to patients and make them aware of it. The patients can immediately take e-Prescription from the doctors and consume preventive medicines. IoT plays a crucial role here as devices are connected to software systems to provide accurate health information.

Are You Interested in Building a Top-Class Website or Mobile App?

Conclusion

Profits of a hospital are directly proportional to the satisfaction of patients. So, it has become crucial for hospitals to be proactive and incorporate advanced technology. To survive in the cut-throat competition, hospitals have to take steps to deliver special care experience to their patients. Digital technologies like EMRs, PMS, patient scheduler apps, e-Prescription, mHealth, etc. are transforming the healthcare industry at a fast pace. They give more power to the patients to choose the best for them in their convenience. These are more efficient and save a lot of time of both- the patients and hospital staff.

Ultimately, the hospitals delivering the best patient experience using digital tools will be the ones who excel and profit.

Healthcare Mobile App Development Company

Innovative digital trends are giving rise to amazing healthcare applications that not only deliver a unique patient experience but also focus on patient satisfaction and meaningful patient engagement. These healthcare apps come with a promise of speedy access, less paperwork, enhanced convenience, secured payments, and improves productivity, healthcare records management, appointment management, etc., Such apps are beneficial to patients as well as service providers.

Let’s explore the offerings of some of the most trending patient-centric healthcare apps that every healthcare app creator must know!

Trending Patient-centric Healthcare Apps

Check out some of the most popular healthcare apps across various niches!

Doctor-on demand Services

Teladoc

This on-demand telehealth app provides instant virtual care in case of injuries and medical conditions that are not life-threatening. Using this app, individuals can avoid a doctor visit for minor ailments that can be easily resolved via video/telephonic communication. Once, users register themselves with the app and then furnish insurance particulars, they are informed about the services available to them as well as the charges involved. A basic charge of 75$ is levied for daily appointments in the case of users without an insurance policy.

Amwell

With Amwell, users get a convenient as well as an affordable option for resolving routine healthcare conditions that do not require an in-person visit. Amwell makes use of advanced technology to arrange for an online doctor visit through their mobile app or website and provides 24X7 services.

Once users log in, the app displays a list containing board-certified practitioners available within Amwell’s network. Then the users can discuss their health problem with the desired doctor using an on-the-spot video chat facility. These physicians answer queries, recommend treatment plans, and prescribe medication if required.

Apart from on-demand medical services users can also avail themselves of other healthcare services like nutrition advice, pediatric care, psychiatry, therapies, and many more. Though this app can be downloaded for free, charges apply for most of the services provided. But, if a patient’s health insurance covers Amwell services, the fees are either reduced or waived off completely.

Treatment /Monitoring

Eye Treatment: EyeCare Live

With this smartphone app, users can connect with eye specialists for consultation and advice; through advanced communication channels. This app is recommended for minor conditions like eye allergies, dryness or redness in eyes, any queries concerning contact lenses, etc. The users are asked to record their eye condition by clicking pictures or recording videos of their affected eye/s. Then, this picture/video is examined by a practitioner. High definition videos are used for this purpose so that the doctor gets a better understanding of the condition and is able to resolve the issue at the earliest.

The app connects users with a virtual eye doctor within an hour and allows users to renew prescriptions that are less than 2 years old. This app can be downloaded free of cost, but charges have to be paid for virtual doctor consultations and eye tests.

Customized Acne Treatment: MDacne

Earlier patients had to undergo long waiting times for obtaining a dermatologist’s appointment. But, with MDacne, users enjoy the facility of immediate access to dermatologists. The app comes with an outstanding UI and is easy to use.

The app provides a treatment plan as per the users’ skin type within five minutes of inquiry and works wonders in the realm of acne treatment. MDacne monitors skin conditions employing cutting-edge technologies provide productive recommendations, initiates a chat with dermatologists, and sends treatment reminders to patients. Besides, the app provides natural remedies for acne issues like skin redness or scarring, to patients who do not prefer chemical treatments.

The patients need to upload pictures of their affected area and answer certain questions regarding their skin. The app examines the skin within a few minutes and suggests treatment plans that can be tailored as per the patients’ specific needs and delivered to their doorstep.

Dermatology: First Derm

First Derm is a dermatology app designed to address external skin conditions. Users need to click two pictures of the affected area – one close view and another taken from a distance. These photos, along with a description of the issue provided by the users are sent to a licensed dermatologist who responds within twenty-four hours of receiving the snapshots and provides users a solution for their problem. The consultation charges for each case registered for doctor examination are 40$.

First Derm also offers an AI-powered service that helps users to identify a skin problem without consulting a dermatologist. The users need to upload a picture of their skin problem and then AI technology matches the image to all possible skin conditions

DNA/Nutrition

Generis

This is an avant-garde healthcare app that provides DNA-based advice, and recommendations concerning food, supplements, nutrition, fitness, etc. The app is capable of retrieving DNA-based data from 23 and ME and Ancestry.com. Its interface is pleasing as well as user-friendly. With this app, individuals are able to understand their genes and obtain actionable steps to follow that are secure and accurate as well. This way, users are educated to become the best version of themselves.

As the efficiency of burning energy differs from one individual to another, Generis employs a formula for rolling out the best-suited personalized suggestions for its users. This formula is prepared by genetics experts after considering over fifty markers that have positively impacted wellness. Furthermore, each claim made by Generis is backed by scientific evidence contained in peer-reviewed journals.

Medication/Prescriptions

Medication Reminder: Medisafe

With this app, users receive notifications on their smartphones regarding the intake of medicines. Medication reminders are so accurate that they notify patients of the exact time at which a particular medicine needs to be taken. Patients can manually add prescriptions and non-prescribed supplements like vitamins, or import prescriptions from renowned pharmacy chains like Rite Aid, CVS, Walgreens, etc.

Medisafe can also be utilized for tracking medication refills/measurements, receiving coupons on future prescriptions, and accessing resources as per their health condition.

Lowest Medication Prices: GoodRx

This app helps individuals to save expenses incurred on prescriptions. The GoodRx allows users to find the pharmacy that offers the lowest price for a particular medicine. The users need to search on the GoodRx app or website and are provided the option to select from over 75,000 pharmacies located in their area of residence. The price-tracker functionality allows consumers to observe prescription prices within their area and compare them with other pharmacies. The “coupon finder” feature automatically searches if there are any free coupons available for a specific prescription. Once, identified, users can activate the coupon using a button called “Get Coupon” and then avail of the benefits while collecting their prescription.

Therapy

Talkspace

This app offers to counsel regarding mental health problems such as depression, anxiety, addiction, eating disorders, LGBTQ, PTSD, etc. to individuals who do not have the resources or time to access in-person counseling. This digital therapy platform has roped on 2,000+ licensed psychiatrists and therapists offering private therapy services. The app matches and then connects users with their desired therapist via communication services like video/audio, unlimited text messaging, etc. Premium users can avail themselves of live online sessions as well. Users are recommended medication or treatment plans if needed.

Patient Portal App

MyChart

This patient portal app, allows individuals to avail of doctor communications, online appointment scheduling, and access their electronic health records. With this app, patients can have a look at their diagnostic test results, immunization history, prescribed medicines, and other healthcare records. These records are displayed on the screens of their computer/tablet/smartphone.

Patients can effortlessly schedule appointments as well as make payments for services using its features concerning bill payment and appointment scheduling. Moreover, users can utilize this app for connecting to their practitioners and sharing healthcare records from other doctors. Furthermore, with the usage of an activity tracking app, one can transfer their fitness/health data into his/her MyChart profile.

Diabetes Tracking and Management

Diabetes:M

This app assists diabetic patients in tracking/monitoring food intake and managing their glucose levels, insulin levels, injection sites, etc. Users can store their health data and receive detailed reports that can be then shared with doctors. The pro version allows users to create an additional profile and also connects users to their Bluetooth-empowered monitoring device.

MySugr

This app enables users to instantly track their blood glucose levels, bolus, carbs as well as estimated HbA1. Individuals need to log their healthcare data on a regular basis and this practice has helped them to manage diabetes in a better way. Moreover, physicians can review this data for treating their patients more effectively. Besides, MySugr provides motivating challenges to users coupled up with feedback on how to manage Type1/Type2 diabetes.