The Unprecedented Rise of Healthcare Apps Post Covid-19

Healthcare Apps Use increase by 37% during a pandemic:

• According to a digital health start-up Quin, 26% of the UK public would instead use healthcare apps than visiting a GP or hospital; hence the usage of healthcare apps has increased by 37% since the COVID-19 pandemic.

• In terms of digital health technology, 76% of professionals already using (Digital Health Records) in the practices.

• 64% of healthcare professionals agree that patients will have access to their health data (including test results, prescriptions, scabs, etc.) and healthcare facilities impacting patients’ experience.

• 80% of healthcare professionals in the US shared patient information with other healthcare professionals inside the healthcare facility.

The COVID-19 pandemic is opening doors for cutting-edge technologies & tools in addressing areas of public health, medicine, and wellness hence opening avenues of healthcare app development in the process and public discourse with consumers while looking at the broad canvas of wearable gadgets, mobile health apps, and Artificial Intelligence(AI) robotic carriers, sensors, and electronic records.

The pandemic’s health response infuses a tangible shift in the erstwhile focus of apps and hardware from lifestyle enhancement to medical and emergency care. You can hire developers for leveraging innovations in hardware and software such as sensors and other potentially life-saving functionalities.

Holistic technology and data-driven digital tools allow patients to have greater control over their health and medical outcomes. Experts suggest that programmers in India could play a key role in reviving digital health fortunes and likely to witness a massive spike both in demand and supply sides.

If you talk about Digital healthcare you can assess capacities and avenues, pursuing evidence-based innovating and developing new technologies across the board, including diagnostic and telemedicine tools, cellphone apps for fitness, well-being, medical and healthcare, and data-driven software. This piercing healthcare revolution in the industry directly corresponds and builds ownership of smartphones and tablets, giving a sustained push by governments towards digital economies and increase lifestyle-related health concerns.

Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, GOI has been actively controlling healthcare software development services to unleash and harness the nation’s collective entrepreneurial spirit. The PM has urged the importance of telemedicine in the country. He said, “We already see several consultations without actually going to the clinic or hospital. Again, this infuses the spirit. So could we think of a business model to help different telemedicine across the world?”

On this front, several companies are coming at a brisk pace in the recent past, with a wide range of tech-driven digital healthcare tools and products. The canvas of national and global funding opportunities is expanding on a large scale. Prominent digital health companies helpful in money in India include M-fine ($23 mn), from four founders of Myntra, Stellaris Venture Partners and Prime Venture Partners, and SBI Investment, SBI Ven Capital, and Beenext (all from Japan), and 1 mg technologies whose latest Series-C round of $15 mn came from a group of investors led by HBM healthcare investment.

The mobile health app market is steadily growing over the last years. According to the data provided by IQVIA, there are more than 318,000 health apps available in app stores worldwide. And more than 200 health apps are being added each day hence doubling the number of apps that occurred two years ago.

Health apps can typically be broken out into three categories:

For keeping track of General health & wellness apps such as nutrition-tracking apps, you can help count calories, sleep apps that track our sleep patterns, and stress-management apps to keep the mind calmer. Telemedicine apps provide virtual patient care by licensed doctors.

• Health management apps will help you assist individuals in monitoring their health status such as heart disease, diabetes, pregnancy, mental health, and more,

• It allows healthcare providers to share and report patient’s health records remotely,

• Monitoring the state of medication

And what are the commonalities? They allow us to live a healthier life!

In this post, I’m breaking down exactly how mobile health apps improve our lives and overall well-being.

Let’s dive into some key facts:

A Reduction in Healthcare Costs:-

Chronic illnesses are one factor why countries like India have to bear the healthcare cost each year. According to the Chronic Disease Prevention Alliance of Canada, more than 60% live with at least one chronic illness, and another 80% are at risk for developing one.

The cost incurred on the economy and patients’ treatment is astronomical. As per the stats from the same Chronic Disease Prevention Alliance of Canada resource referenced :

Chronic illnesses cost Canadians $68 billion in direct healthcare costs. Quite further, translating into an estimated $122 billion loss in indirect income and business productivity.

The good news?

Health apps are expected to reduce overall health costs for both patients and providers.

The IQVIA Institute for Human Data Science conducted a study to assess consumer-focused health apps’ impact on the healthcare system in 2015 and concluded that “potential healthcare saving would be quite significant in the future.” The study ( based in the U.S.) found that healthcare apps and wearable devices could save the U.S. healthcare system $7 billion per year.

This particular analysis centered on diabetes prevention, diabetes care, asthma, cardiac rehabilitation, and pulmonary rehabilitation but concluded that the healthcare system could save $46 billion in annual cost if health apps track all diseases using healthcare apps.

That’s significant!

Today, health apps are beneficial in managing health conditions.

Why does this matter?

In the long run, it will be extremely beneficial in reducing overall health costs for both patients and providers as people seek preventative care to stay healthy.

Improved Efficiency and Speed of Healthcare Delivery

Healthcare apps are smart enough to collect, manage and monitor health information – from MyFitnessPal. This free app is beneficial in tracking calorie intake monitors their food intake to Sugar Sense Diabetes. Using such a free app lets people with diabetes track sugar levels, glucose, carbs, and more.

Here’s a look at the Sugar Sense Diabetes app:-

According to Jodi Robinson, a renowned dietician, and fitness specialist in Toronto, “research demonstrates that those having a record food intake will achieve more significant weight loss than those who never monitored health. For those high-tech users, apps are a fantastic option”.

Similarly, patients diagnosed with heart disease can send updated health information to their healthcare providers. People having diabetes can monitor their blood sugar levels and send reports to the doctor.

Personalized healthcare is now at our fingertips:-

Ease of Data Collection for Health Care Provider apps makes it easier for professionals to collect and retrieve the patient record. Hospitals using these apps providers can access patient information, medical history, vitals, prescriptions, and lab results remotely.

Epic Systems, a healthcare software company, developed an app called Patient Keeper that provides physicians access to patient clinical data through Apple or Android mobile devices.

Here’s a look at the app:-

Earlier entering test results or filling out intake forms helps import app test results and auto-populate the concerned paperwork for health practitioners. You’ll see a massive rise in healthcare app development companies using the digital model as per the prescription advice and reminders to help physicians avoid excessive testing and additional costs for patients.

Healthcare apps make it relatively easier to monitor doctors’ overall wellness to treat patients more effectively in diagnosing and keeping the fray social distancing concept.

Increasing Convenience for Patients:-

Apps like Maple, a doctor-on-demand telemedicine app, gives doctors leverage to assess patients anytime, anywhere. You can find numerous telemedicine known for convenient pay-per-visit or subscription plans.

The rise of healthcare apps made mHealth a prevalent trend these days:

“In a broad sense, mHealth is a set of apps, devices, connections that allow the user to use mobile, or reach out in a variety of ways.”

The Global Observatory for the Health Organization health defines mHealth as “medical and public health practice supported by mobile devices, such as mobile phones, patient monitoring devices, personal digital assistants, and other wireless devices.”

Memberships to telemedicine apps are covered by a company health plan or by the individual for an affordable price. The facility of an on-demand doctor is highly convenient. Patients now will have the convenience of logging into the app right from their phone, get a diagnosis and treatment plan, and get prescriptions sent to their pharmacy – all without leaving the comfort state.

Popular Trends post-COVID-19 in Digital Healthcare:

As the world is looking forward to stabilizing after COVID-19; and is likely to emphasize the recalibration of public health strategies towards digital tools, especially in the context of preventive healthcare. That’s the reason medical healthcare development services will see a turnaround in technology-centric firms for the growing appetite for digital monitoring of health and sake of post-Covid-19 safety and care. Cutting-edge biotechnology emerges as the most technology-centric firms, and is likely to build advanced technology as its core and emerge most profitable for investors, with massive investment and social welfare potential.

Tools and innovations facilitate and enable easy-to-use and affordable doctor-patient consultations; provide an accessible interface that connects patients, doctors, diagnostic clinics, and pharmacies in a holistic manner with a stronghold in the market.

According to Research & Market, the global digital health market would be worth $223.7 bn by 2023. Global Market Insights predicts $379 bn by 2024, and Transparency Market Research foresees by 2025 a digital health market worth $536.6 bn.

The healthcare app development is different from various public-private partnerships on e-health operational right now, as it renders greater accessibility, affordability, and quality services. They are very helpful in revolutionizing healthcare access and delivery in India’s Tier-2 towns and rural areas, especially for women, vulnerable and marginalized groups, and economically disadvantaged sections of the society.

You’ll also see a greater focus on AI, Robotics, Big data tools and analytics to strengthen the fate of India’s new digital infrastructure. In the “Internet of Things (IoT) era,” integrating medical and healthcare services with AI applications will hold key for tech providers.

Hence, healthcare apps became a growing mechanism to enable patient tracking, citizens’ movement, identification of viral loads and disease cluster/hotspots, etc to strengthen monitoring and containment measures.

Summary:

The rise of healthcare app development services is substantial in monitoring health through the digital medium and proving vital in revitalizing healthcare. Thus, we see a significant turnaround when it comes to healthcare app development in the IT industry.

Undoubtedly the pandemic proved a blessing in disguise by opening avenues in boosting healthcare and life sciences in India across the globe. As the old age says,” health is wealth,” one may safely say that in the post-COVID-19 world, health will still be wealth, with technology becoming the launchpad for digital monitoring.