Things to Keep in Mind When Creating a Health Mobile App

Technology does not stand still and is constantly developing, helping people in all areas of life. Health has always been the primary concern of humanity; therefore, the medical industry is trying to find new ways of keeping the human body in good condition. It interacts seriously with IT technologies, and thanks to this, valuable and diverse health applications are born. This article will tell you how to create a mobile health app and make it available to everyone.

Why a Health Mobile App is Popular

Most men and women on the planet have started spending a lot of their free time on mobile apps. Some people barely let go of their phones during the day. According to Statista,  in February 2021, nearly half of the respondents stated that, on average, they spent on their phones daily, not including work-related smartphone use. They download practical applications: meditation, spiritual development, and training apps to keep themselves occupied with something. Many people want to take care of their bodies, so they track their daily nutrition, fluid levels, body measurements, heartbeat, and even sugar in the body on their smartphones.

Such applications can save lives for those who cannot leave the house due to problems with the musculoskeletal system or issues with the speech apparatus, etc. If a developer adds an emergency button to a specific health tracking app, medical workers may respond to the call in a timely manner and rescue the patient. The target audience of your startup and the reasons for their interest in your app can be different. Here are the main reasons for the popularity of such apps:

• lack of time;
• lack of money;
• trust issues;
• fear of publicity;
• unwillingness to talk about the problem;
• inability to leave the house.

The IQVIA Institute for Human Data Science has published a trends report for 2021. The source indicates that digital health apps were released last year; thus, about 250 applications per day. Despite such popularity, a new platform from professionals will gain a loyal audience quickly. Follow current trends and build on the request of a potential audience to create a quality app to help people.

Steps to Creating a Health Mobile App

A person who has an ingenious idea to create a health-focused application can heed the following steps for developing a quality app. Please read the recommendations and try to use them to get the best results for your startup.

Step 1: Make a strategy out of an idea

Decide what your app will focus on: physical health, mental health, or both. For which category of users will it be helpful, and why should they choose it? Draw detailed portraits of your target audience and mark every detail (gender, age, activity, health condition, predisposition, etc.). This will help you understand what features can be implemented and which ones to omit. Be sure to include certified medical specialists in your development team. This will eliminate the risk of harming the user's well-being. In addition to safety, you will receive loyalty from an audience that is confident in your competence.

Step 2: Market and Competitor Analysis

The number of mobile health apps on Google Play and App Store will surprise you at first (according to Statista, from 2015 to 2021, medical applications were available on Google Play), but this doesn't mean that people don't want to test new apps with unique and valuable features.

Take the TOP-10 apps and analyze their strengths and weaknesses. Think about what popular options you can implement and improve in your startup and what elements will not be helpful. Analyze these details and integrate them into your app development.Market research will also guide your unique value proposition, help you choose an efficient monetization model (freemium, subscription, fee), and prioritize feature development.

Step 3: Search for Developers

A person who will create an application from scratch should understand the importance of teamwork. Specialists who will make your app should have experience and skills in your industry and niche. Here are those who should be involved in the process:

• at least one mobile developer;
• back-end developer;
• quality assurance specialist;
• UI/UX designer;
• medical consultant;
• project manager.

Hire at least one consulting specialist with a medical background who will help you avoid severe mistakes in the critical functionality of the application and will tell you what additional features it is better to add.

Step 4: UX/UI

To develop an app focused on health, it is necessary to invite a UX/UI designer who will create a functional interface and adapt the product to the user's specific preferences. This specialist will do a pleasant-looking and user-friendly interface. If the customer has a brand book, the designer will use its colors, fronts, and other essential elements in the app. Together with the UX/UI designer, you will achieve a consistent application style and logic for the interaction of all elements.

Step 5: MVP is the Key to Success

MVP stands for a minimum viable product. It will help launch the platform faster and without significant investments. At the same time, MVP can increase your brand awareness and test audiences. When your MVP brings the first money and first regular customers, you can upgrade it with new functionality and features. This method will be valuable for people who don’t have big experience in business. Startup owners with a limited budget and those trying to find solid investments will benefit from an MVP.

Step 6: Testing

One of the essential steps in building a profitable application is testing. Especially if your product is about health. Before launching, you need to do complete testing of the application. When testing, special attention should be paid to functionality that directly interacts with health:

• calculators;
• planners;
• calendars;
• generators of individual exercise and nutrition programs.

This way, you can spot errors as soon as they occur and fix them quickly. Remember that testing will eliminate the risk of harming the app's users. This will preserve the owner's reputation and make the application flawless.

It's Easy to Create a Simple Health Mobile App

If you have chosen such a complex area as health for your application, you should be ready for some challenges. However, the most challenging task for you may be gathering or choosing an experienced and reliable team for creating your app. But as soon as you find the right specialists, very likely, everything will go smoothly. Don't be afraid to take action and develop useful apps for people. You will succeed, especially when professionals help you!