IXD 303 – Health Care Research

Prologue

Before I started to look at what I wanted to do for my app I want to look at some examples of other health care apps and products out there. Firstly the biggest question is what do patients want from an healthcare app?

 

Functionality: Easy to Use

In general, apps that require a lot of time to figure out quickly lose users. The sign-in process should be smooth and simple. It’s great to have unique functionalities in the app, but the basic features should be easily accessible to the end-users.

Accessibility: Clear Information with Actionable Steps for All Users

The healthcare app needs to provide clear and actionable information for all users. What we mean by this is that many apps fail to take patients with disabilities into consideration. It is important to cater to the needs of all potential users and provide reasonable and helpful functions.

  • Easy Communication with Professionals 

According to AJMC, studies show that nearly 75% of doctors, ER, and urgent care visits could be handled via phone or video. It was also calculated that the average time for an in-person visit was 121 minutes. This is major thing that I feel causes backlog in hospitals.

Health Care Apps

GENERIS

“Get health tips, food recommendations and more personalized to you and your genes. GENERIS uses your DNA data to create customized lifestyle advice that helps you be the best version of you. GENERIS is a health and wellness app powered by DNA. We aim to empower you to improve your life by understanding your genes – genetics affect how our bodies process food, build muscle and absorb vitamins and minerals. Everyone has different health and fitness needs, so a one-size-fits-most approach to wellness often ends in failure. Advice should be tailored to each individual, that’s why the suggestions from GENERIS are designed for you at a genetic level.” This app looks at using personalised lifestyle advice that uses your DNA to make a tailored routine for you. This app isn’t exactly related to what I have in mind to do but I feel it is an interesting app too look at.

One issue I have with this app is the steep cost of $20. As far as an app goes this is fairly expensive. I know that for my app I want to look at making mine a completely free service for patients.

Teladoc

“A DOCTOR’S CARE. ANYTIME. ANYWHERE. Teladoc® connects you with a U.S. board-certified doctor via web, phone or app. Join over 50 million members and get quality, convenient healthcare and therapy on demand.”

What I love about this app is the colour scheme used, it uses purples and has a clean and simple UI that makes accessibility great. What I love also is the fact this service out front is free. The apps says in the description that they have thousands of board-certified doctors, dermatologists, therapists, licensed nurses, nutritionists and leading specialists who can diagnose, recommend treatment and provide prescription medication for many medical issues, including:

– Non-emergency conditions like allergies, flu and sinus infections

– Eczema, psoriasis, rashes, acne, aging and skin care

– Depression, anxiety and relationship issues

– Nutrition and wellness consults

– And more

This app is more along the lines of something I want to look into as I want to either find a way to make hospital waiting times quicker and/make repeat prescriptions easier to get.

mySugr

“Get help with managing your diabetes, it’s quick and easy! Ranked the Top Diabetes App by Healthline 3 times. Featured in Forbes, TechCrunch, and The Washington Post. Adding the mySugr Diabetes App to your daily routine with diabetes (Type 1, Type 2, or Gestational diabetes) will make your life easier.”

This app is a pretty well done in terms of layout, with the amount of data shown. The app shows and helps the patient track many different aspects of their condition. It can do this through the features such as

• Easy and personalized dashboard (diet, meds, carb intake, blood glucose levels and more).

• Insulin/Bolus calculator with precise insulin dose recommendations (Limited to some countries using mySugr PRO).

• See clear blood sugar level graphs.

• Estimated HbA1c at a glance, no more surprises.

• Daily, weekly, and monthly reports, that you can share directly with your doctor.

• Secure data backup (built with regulatory compliance, quality, and safety).

Again with the Teladoc app, I really like the layout and colour scheme, they both share things I could incorporate into my app.

 

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