iOS App Development for Healthcare- Advanced Features and Cost

Custom healthcare software development was quick to bank upon the medical landscape since mobile apps became a hit for every healthcare category. Today, every healthcare business has apps rolling out, extensively housing for nutrition, exercise, fitness, healthcare insurance and so much more. Moreover, the digital transformation in healthcare has helped evolve healthcare mobile app development to become an integral part of the industry. 

Healthcare mobile app development brings along a myriad of benefits to the forefront. With app development,  businesses achieve health data accessibility, reduced expenses, remote health delivery, minimized medical errors and enhanced communication. 

So, if you are thinking of focusing your healthcare services on patient experience and profits, it’s time to choose healthcare mobile app development also known as mHealth app development. 

Let’s also consider figures while taking iPhone healthcare app development further. 

Current Market Overview of Healthcare App Development

The global digital health market is rating an extensive demand, expected to grow at 25% and reach an estimated value of $660 billion by 2025.

• Mobile Health or mHealth refers to delivering medicine and public healthcare services using mobile devices. The prevalence of various featured health apps is the primary reason why mHealth app development global market is expected to reach $189 billion by 2025.  
• Now, another category of digital healthcare apps is eHealth including apps that monitor, direct and analyze physical conditions. This includes medication checker apps, awareness apps, diet and food tracking apps etc. The revenue in the eHealth app development segment is projected to cover $1.55 billion by the end of 2022. 
• Moreover, eHealth app market revenue is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 14.18%, resulting in projected market volume of $3 billion by 2027. 
• In similar mobile app development stats; according to Statista Global Consumer Survey 2022, nutrition based apps are one of the most purchased health apps in the US. 
• Now, coming to the Android vs iOS statistics, the number of mHealth apps available for Android users via Google Play Store were 65,300 in the last quarter of 2021. 
• Meanwhile, iOS app development for healthcare surged up by 2% from the last quarter and crossed over 54,000 iOS healthcare apps on the Apple Store in the last quarter of 2021. 

While both Android and iOS are the most preferred platforms for healthcare mobile app development, the iOS app development for healthcare has gained more popularity in recent years due to several benefits such as high revenue, enhanced security and less development time. 

It is imperative that iOS withstands premium healthcare development challenges and gives extraordinary results. Therefore, if you are convinced enough to start your journey with iOS medical app development, this article familiarizes you with innovative healthcare app startups, iOS healthcare app features and factors affecting iOS healthcare app development cost. 

So let’s begin, without further ado. 

Innovative Android/iOS App Development Revolutionizing Healthcare 

With Android and iOS healthcare app development, it has become easier for patients to seek assistance remotely, compare prices and process of multiple medical services, store and monitor health data, and choose personalized care. The more innovative healthcare apps are, the higher are the chances of patient engagement. 

To give you a detailed reference, let’s take a look at a few healthcare mobile app development startups that have impressed users with their innovative app ideas and features.

1. Health-e People App

Appinventiv brought the segregated health industry together by designing and developing Health-e app. The objective of creating Health-e was to make a platform which would connect all the medical devices together and do a lot more than just being a concentrated platform.Using this healthcare app, users can store and monitor all their healthcare apps and devices’ data. The app also allows users to find medical caregivers, researchers and professionals for their friends.

2. Soniphi Medical App

Soniphi is another successful healthcare app created by Appinventiv that uses vocal information to provide you with a complete well-being analysis report on your personal health. It is the first resonant frequency based personal wellness system designed by renowned healthcare iOS app developers. 

3. YouComm Health App

YouComm is another innovation of Appinventiv designed as a multi-request format platform for in-hospital patients to connect with nurses to get help for their basic needs. The fully customizable patient messaging system enables patients to notify the staff of their needs through the mode of manual selection of options, voice commands, and the use of head gestures.

4. Teladoc App

TelaDoc is a leading healthcare app that allows users to connect with doctors or surgeons at their convenience. Here, users can book appointments and even update their medical history.

5. K-Health App

K health is one of the most popular healthcare apps for iOS based on AI and Machine Learning that helps users connect to the desired medical professional. This app also offers a symptom checker for free.

You might also want to explore, how to create a successful healthcare mobile app startup? And; A detailed guide to start with iOS app development

These were a few healthcare app use cases that are making big in the healthcare sector with their user-friendly and innovative features. These apps connect patients with doctors and speed up treatment procedures making them a key success factor in healthcare app development. 

Now, let’s move on to the next part of this article where we will discuss the different types of iOS healthcare apps, so that you have an understanding of what kind of iOS healthcare app development you need.

Types of Healthcare App Development for iOS

iOS Healthcare apps are generally categorized on the basis of patients and healthcare institutions. Let’s take a quick look at the most common types of iPhone healthcare app development that fall under both the categories. 

Apps for healthcare providers 

• Patient monitoring apps
• Reference and database apps 
• Appointment and clinical assistance apps
• EHR solutions 

Apps for patients

• Education and self-diagnosis apps 
• Health monitoring apps 
• Mental wellness apps 
• Nutrition apps 
• Women health apps
• Reminder apps

This exhibits how the healthcare industry comprises a wide range of iOS app development solutions to choose from. The types and purpose of the iOS healthcare apps mentioned here are highly variable, therefore every healthcare business can benefit from them. 

Now if you have decided the niche for your iOS healthcare mobile app development, it is now time to unveil iOS healthcare app features that decide the success of your app.

Must-Have Features in Your iOS App for Healthcare

When developing an iOS app for healthcare, it’s important to decide which features to include in your app. You must make sure to include such features that make the whole experience immersive and user-friendly for the users. For premium iPhone healthcare app features, it is suggested to seek guidance from experienced iOS health app developers before you start.

Below are a few common features that you must include in your healthcare mobile app.

1. Sign up/log in

This feature allows users to sign up or log in easily via email, phone number, or social media accounts like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. The sign-up process should not be too complicated as it will frustrate your users, and they might end up leaving your app. So think carefully about what information you need from them and try not adding unnecessary fields.

2. Health tracking

It is one of the most crucial features to include in a healthcare app for iOS. This functionality enables the monitoring of a patient’s health conditions such as blood pressure, sugar levels, heart rate, calories intake, etc.

3. Appointment booking

It is one of the most basic iOS healthcare app features to find and book appointments with doctors. This functionality will help patients to easily check the doctor’s visit timing, book an appointment, and even set a reminder. It will make the booking procedure stress-free for patients. For doctors, this iOS health app feature will help them to quickly see their upcoming appointments and change their availability as necessary.

For instance, Zocdoc is a popular mobile healthcare app for iOS that allows patients to find a doctor in urgency and book appointments at their convenience.

4. Doctor and patient profiles

Healthcare apps must include Doctor and user profiles as a part of premium iOS healthcare app features. The doctor’s profile can have details like their area of specialization, location of the clinic, visitation charges, etc. This will allow patients to find appropriate doctors in their area.

The user profile, on the other hand, can include the user’s name, age, gender, and basic health data like weight, height, blood group, etc. This will help doctors to get a quick overview of patients, their conditions, or medications.

5. Siri integration 

If you’ve never integrated Siri into the application, now is the time to evaluate it. Siri’s functionality now offers a better voice experience, additional customization, and more. For example, your healthcare app can allow people to search for hospitals using geolocation or ask Siri to remind them to take medicines on time. Integrating Siri can add significant value to your user experience. 

6. Video calls 

Integration of video calls allows real-time communication between patients and doctors. With video chat app feature, people living in suburbs or far-flung areas can get timely care without having to travel to a hospital.

For instance, Doctor On-demand allows you to video call a doctor or therapist at your convenience. After the consultation, your prescription will be uploaded to the app itself. 

7. Online chat

With this online chat feature, you can give users an option to communicate with healthcare professionals who will be available to offer valuable consultations. The chat feature is a great solution for both patients and doctors. While patients can easily send their questions or files required for consultation, doctors can address their issues and upload prescriptions.

8. Geo-location-based search

Adding a geo-location search functionality enables patients to look for doctors and clinics in their areas. You can make use of Apple Map functionality to add the geo location-based search feature in your healthcare mobile application.

9. Doctor’s ratings and reviews

Doctor’s ratings and reviews will help users decide whether it’s worth contacting a particular doctor or not. For your healthcare app, you will have to ensure that you have a good lot of genuine ratings and reviews for your partnered doctors.

Patients only click on those doctors’ profiles who have a good set of ratings and reviews backing them. So, in case they find profiles with no ratings and reviews, chances are that they won’t interact with those doctors and ultimately with the app as a whole.

10. Payment gateway

Adding payment gateways to your app will allow users to easily pay for the doctor’s services and consultation. Offering payment gateways such as Stripe and Paypal make paying bills simple for users and collecting payments easy for healthcare professionals.

11. Reminders and notifications

You can add notification and reminder features to keep users up-to-date on their prescriptions and medicine intake. These notifications can be not only time-based but also location-based. 

12. Personal coaching

This feature helps you provide a personal coach for your app users to help them achieve their fitness goals. A personal coach can help you with your exercises and nutrition.

Apart from these iOS app development features, you can also include trending next-gen features in your healthcare app development for iOS

Next-gen Features for iOS Healthcare App Development for 2022 and Beyond

Let’s now discuss a few additional features that you can get added by your technology partner during iOS app development to upgrade user experiences and ensure higher adoption rates among patients and doctors.

1. Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

AI is becoming absolutely instrumental in various medical spheres. The global AI in the healthcare industry market is expected to reach USD 45.2 billion by 2026 from USD 4.9 billion in 2020. 

Integrating AI technology into your app can help with early disease diagnosing, identifying health trends, and analyzing massive sets of health data. 

2. Blockchain

Blockchain for healthcare presents a great way to create an innovative healthcare app for iOS. It can be used for managing EMR and EHR data, conducting research, medicine tracking, and bettering the insurance and hospital billing process.

Also read- How to build an EHR system: Features and Cost

3. AR/VR 

Augmented reality and virtual reality can help patients get better through the mode of virtual simulations and practitioners bettering their procedures through a virtual environment. 

For creating a healthcare app for iOS, you need to hire the best iOS mobile health app developers that have a track of developing such applications with the latest features and functionalities. 

Moving further, let’s discuss the cost of developing an iOS app for the healthcare sector and the factors that contribute to the ultimate cost of developing a healthcare app. 

[Related blog: 10 Healthcare Trends That Will Redefine Industry in 2021]

Factors That Determine The Cost of iOS Healthcare App Development

There are a number of factors such as the type of mobile app that you want to build, the location of healthcare iOS app developers, and features of your app that can increase or lower the final price. Make sure to consult reliable healthcare iOS app development services that help in developing world-class iOS apps to create new milestones.

Some of the factors that affect the cost of building a healthcare app for iOS are given below: 

1. Features and functionalities

The first important factor that decides the healthcare app development cost is features. The more features and functionalities your iOS application has, the more expense you need to bear for your app development. So, it is advisable to concentrate only on the core features in the initial version of the app. It will help you offer a great customer experience at affordable costs. As the features advance, the cost entailed in the app development process also increases.

2. App category

There are endless types of iOS mobile apps, and the cost of each app depends on its category to a major extent. Each category comes with its own functionalities, demographics, security criteria, etc. 

For instance, if you are building a healthcare app, it must possess all the features to make healthcare services easily accessible to both doctors and patients. It’s crucial for these apps to serve millions of users at once and have a robust security system. All these features add to the final estimated cost of the app and require more development time.

[Also Read: 15 types of healthcare software you can use to take your medical business to the next level]

3. UI and UX

User interface (UI) and user experience (UI) are vital for the success of your healthcare application. It is tough to create a simple yet unique UI/UX app design and it will have certain additional costs. 

UI/UX components such as push notifications, icons, and interface and software customization need to be added to your application if you wish to make an impression on your users. A good design will make your users want to use your app more and not drift away from it in the long run.

4. Development hours

The total time taken by healthcare iOS app developers to build an iOS app also plays a huge role in deciding the cost to make the app. The time taken to develop an app is directly related to the number of developers. 

if your app is complex and you want less development hours, then your team needs more professionals to achieve the tasks quickly. And this means you need to shell out more money. 

On the other hand, if you want a basic team, you need to pay relatively less as compared to the above case. 

5. Choice of app development company

The cost of your healthcare app development will also depend on the app development company you choose. A reliable app development company has expertise in multiple domains and offers expert resources to deliver excellent services. While it will add to the development costs, the quality of service will not be compromised and it will definitely speed up the development process.

6. App maintenance

The work does not end with your app getting launched in the store. There are other additional elements that contribute to the increment in the cost of developing an iOS healthcare app, like app maintenance. Once the app is launched in the market, you need to constantly maintain and update it.

Enterprises need to revamp the app integrations and functionalities as per their users’ demands. You will also require regular technical assistance from professional developers to ensure the smooth functioning of your app. This, in turn, leads to an increase in the price of mobile app development.

7. App security

Many companies undermine app security even though it is essential. Your app must keep the data of users safe and confidential. If you compromise on security, your existing and current users will not trust your application. Thus, it is wise to invest in data security as a major security breach can break your business.

8. Location of app developers

Location plays a crucial role in deciding the iOS app development price. For instance- the price of iOS app development for healthcare in California is different from iPhone app development companies in Texas. It is due to the fact that services around the world vary significantly in terms of quality as well as cost.

[Also Read: How mobile apps are transforming the healthcare industry?]

How Much Does it Cost to Develop an iOS Healthcare App?

The average cost of developing an iOS app for the healthcare sector might range from $40,000 to $50,000. 

If you are looking to add advanced features like AI, it can cost somewhere between $100,000 to $150,000. However, this is a very rough estimate.

For a cost estimate, here is a cost structure based on all features and factors discussed above: 

Now all you need is a reliable iOS app development company to get started.

[Also Read: How much does it cost to build a HIPAA-Compliant platform for medical supplies delivery]

How Can Appinventiv Help You With iOS Healthcare App Development? 

Appinventiv is a leading app development company that has worked on over 50 digitization projects solving three of the biggest challenges to completing healthcare digitization: governance, organizational structure, and mindset. We are fully equipped to take care of your healthcare project.

Our team of iOS healthcare experts can make your application, the source of the healthcare revolution. Our healthcare mobile app development services include: 

• Telehealth apps 
• EHR (Electronic Health Record)
• mPrescription 
• Process management
• Patient engagement software
• Medical insurance claim 
• Laboratory management 
• Patient gateway 
• Lifestyle tracking and more

Reach out to our healthcare experts to get started now!

FAQs on Healthcare iOS App Development

Q. Why choose iOS app development for your health app?

A. iPhone app development is an ideal choice for your health app as it offers several benefits such as instant global exposure, higher ROI and revenue, robust security, and more.

Q. What is the need for a healthcare app?

A. Healthcare apps have become the need of the hour because of the several benefits they offer such as enabling immediate access to care, streamlining the clinical processes, saving time, reducing diagnostic errors, and more.

Q. What are the popular reasons for healthcare app failure?

A. Some of the reasons that lead to the failure of healthcare apps are:

• Lack of appeal in UI/UX design
• Lack of rigorous testing
• Choosing the wrong app development company
• Not following legacy and privacy rules

Q.How can Appinventiv help with iOS app development?

A. As a leading healthcare mobile app development company, we have developed many apps for our users. We have a highly skilled team of iOS app developers who have mastered the technologies that are needed to develop top-notch healthcare apps.

Therefore, in case you also have some interesting app ideas on your mind, feel free to contact us. Our experts will offer the best healthcare mobile app development services and bring your idea to life.

THE AUTHOR

Amardeep Rawat

Co-Founder and Director