Mobile applications are intertwined in just about every industry you can think of – including healthcare. Today’s patients and medical professionals are now equipped with tools and resources in real-time that, when used efficiently, help to improve the overall quality of life and medical practices across the globe. Below, are a few more reasons why healthcare applications have become so popular.
One of the first benefits of healthcare applications is productivity for medical professionals and supporting staff. Doctors can check patient records, order or review test results, consult with other medical professionals, write prescriptions, and even send educational material to their patients with the use of healthcare applications.
Patients find healthcare apps to be beneficial for a number of reasons. One of the most important is that it saves them time. No more waiting for long periods of time to speak with a representative about making an appointment, spending several minutes filling out paperwork once you arrive for your visit, and no need to stop by to pick up a prescription. Each of these tasks can be completed digitally which saves both patients and medical professionals time.
Need to learn more about your condition? Waiting to hear back from your doctor about test results? Maybe you’re feeling a bit ill but you don’t feel like coming into the doctor’s office for a visit. All of these things become possible and more convenient with a healthcare app. As a patient, you can review information on medical conditions, get real-time updates on test results and lab work, search for doctors or specialists, request referrals, refill prescriptions, and even pay your medical bills online. Some medical professionals even allow their patients to be seen virtually to save them the wait in the office.
According to Schwartzapfel, a Medical Malpractice Lawyer, approximately 200,000 deaths are caused each year by preventable medical errors. There are a number of factors for these preventable errors, however, misinformation seems to be at the top of the list. Without the time or resources to review a full patient medical history, doctors are making a diagnosis or overlooking possible health issues that are causing harm or even death to patients. Healthcare applications help to reduce these errors as they provide doctors with an extensive medical history, notes from previous medical professionals who worked with the patient, and even questions or concerns the patient might have. This information can then be used to make a proper diagnosis and prescribe a more efficient method of treatment.
With healthcare applications reducing the workload for doctors, nurses, and other supporting medical staff it helps to save medical practices, and, therefore, patients money. Many of the tasks that patients would previously have to come into the office to have done can now be done virtually and for free through the application reducing out of pocket expenses.
Another reason healthcare applications have become so popular is that patients now have more control over their own health. They can keep an eye on their physical and mental wellbeing and alter their lifestyles accordingly. Whether it’s keeping track of their blood pressure, weight, sugar levels, cholesterol, or other vitals, patients can use this information to act. They can decide to slow down on the carbs, eliminate salt from their diet, or reach out to their doctor because they feel something more is going on. This can help individuals to reduce their risk of developing serious diseases, monitor their long-term conditions more closely, and seek help before things get out of hand. All of these things essentially help improve their quality of life.
As you can see mobile health apps are not only changing the medical industry but doing a lot of services to the general public. From saving them money and time to providing overall better customer experience and the opportunity to take full control of their health, such applications are changing lives for the better.