Mobile Solutions, From Start to Finish

In the past, physicians looked to magazines, journals and large reference-style books to inform themselves on changes within their industry. In today’s digital world, many are embracing new technologies to provide them with the information they need to ensure they provide the highest quality care. The infographic below is based on Wolters Kluwer Health’s 2013 Physician Outlook Survey and depicts trends for 2014.

Mobile devices are not just for the younger generations. In fact, seniors have jumped on the technology bandwagon to help improve their lifestyles.

The infographic from GreatCall, shown below, shows many of the reasons why the older generation has adapted to this new technology. Most importantly, it provides developers with ideas of how they can craft mHealth apps to help fit the needs and lifestyle of this consumer base.

With no end in sight for the smart phone and tablet revolution, developing a dependable, user friendly app is critical to your business reputation and consumers’ representation of it.  Business 2 Community offers this advice on ways to make sure your app is viable in today’s marketplace:

Be a consistent performer: Users want an app they can depend on; one that will not crash or use a ton of power. If your app consistently crashes or provides the user with multiple errors, they are going to delete it from their smartphone or tablet.

Be a fast responder: Part of having a smartphone at your fingertips is having the ability to access information quickly. If your app takes too long for users to get the information needed, it’s going to be deleted. As a general rule of thumb, KISSmetrics recommends that your app should take no longer than three seconds to load. If your app is on the complex side, you can develop a loading page so users know something is happening.

Be ad free: Not all consumers are turned off by ads, but they can have an affect on the overall time a user will spend using it. For smartphones with smaller screens, ads can become cumbersome and users can inadvertently click on them and move away from the content they are looking to select.  While ads may have their benefits, make sure that they are worth it.

Be usable: Your app should be providing value to your user; it should help them or provide them with information they need.  When developing your app, decide its purpose before starting the design process. Be simplistic in your interface; your app will appeal to a broader audience if it can do one or two things well.

Be social: In today’s interconnected world, it would be silly for your app not to have a social component.  Connect your app with popular social media sites to enable users to easily share information with their networks and gain a bit of word of mouth marketing in the process. 

Be diligent in asking for feedback: Users of your app are the best people to ask about what is working, what is not and what they would like to see. This will help you build relationships with your customers as they know you value their input.

A new survey from Kantar Media has found that more than half of medical professionals are utilizing tablet technology to read up on journal articles, conduct research and email peers. Fifty-one percent of physicians are using tablets for daily work. 

Kantar Media surveyed 3,000 physicians and found that one-third of participants used tablets to review medical publications and 16 percent watched webcasts or listened to podcasts on their tablets.  This is just one of many surveys that EHR Intelligence refers to in regards to the growth of tablets.   

Medical professionals are utilizing tablets to review and record clinical notes and to interact with electronic health records.  These new technologies are providing doctors with increased productivity.  CDW found that doctors have gained an hour in productivity by using tablets as a way to multitask. 

image from betterhealth.mckesson.com

However, mobile devices provide challenges in the area of EHR software as the information is sometimes squeezed onto the screen.  Mobile versions are becoming more popular, but doctors are using innovative techniques to adapt. They are using tablets for medication renewal, allergy recognition and inter-clinical messaging.

Tablet technology is taking off. Has your organization developed a physician-friendly app? Share your stories on Twitter: @FountainheadMob.