While Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) has been a popular trend among businesses for years now, its usefulness is gradually becoming more known within the medical industry.
Healthcare – along with the travel, food and retail industries – is more open to the use of mobile strategies than it in the past. Experts suggest that it’s possible we’ll soon see the use of mobile technologies in the fields of virtual healthcare and remote diagnoses.
Moreover, reports suggest that within the healthcare field, mobile adoption has doubled over the course of the last couple of years. In fact, roughly a third of consumers report to having at least one medical app (whether it be for health or fitness) on their mobile device.
With this number growing, it’s no surprise that app developers are making access to medical apps so easy for consumers. In app stores, you can find numerous medical apps targeting various health issues, including:
- Blood sugar monitoring
- Heart rate monitor
- Blood pressure monitoring
- Activity tracking
- Sleep tracking
- Stress monitoring/relief
- Water intake reminder
Granted, these tools in no way should replace visiting your physician. However, they can, for example, help patients avoid the long queue for a simple blood pressure check. Additionally, these DIY tools help free up medical staff in waiting rooms.
It’s worth noting that creating this type of app involves more skill and knowledge because we’re talking about confidential medical information. Security should be in the forefront of any medical app’s development, particularly paying attention to preventing viruses (of the computer variety) and data breaches.