How to Create Healthcare Solutions Patients Want to Use

Welcome the era of the patient. Patient health and satisfaction were always important, but now patients are playing an even greater role in selecting and maintaining their health treatments. Before, patients were reliant on physician knowledge and recommendations. With the array of diagnostic tools now available to information seekers, patients can increasingly become active agents on their personal health journeys.

Co-creating Care Benefits Patients and Physicians

Now more than ever before, patients and physicians are working together to co-create the best care and manage results. Research published by Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) in August of 2014 found patients without the skills (or we argue, the tools) to manage their health incurred “costs up to 21% than patients who are highly engaged in their care.”

The work further verified observations of professionals “living” the transition to a more open medical climate. Healthcare software, secure messaging and even social media are opening the lines of communication between patients and providers.

80% of smartphone users worldwide are interested in using smart devices to interact with care providers. Patients see the value in staying engaged. But, creating a worthwhile solution is harder than it looks. The battle to create technology that cuts through the noise can be a daunting one.

The most common use case for an app is fleeting. It is opened. Then promptly forgotten about. Partnering with technologists, developers and strategists who understand the potential in healthcare is the key to imagining, designing and developing technology that patients care about and continue using.

When designing a wellness solution, it starts with just one question.

To Build or Not to Build?

The first question to ask yourself when considering a wellness or healthcare software is a simple one. Should you custom build the software new, or should you adapt a pre-existing white label solution?

There are considerations of course.

• Do you anticipate wanting more functionality and control in the future?
• How large is your budget?
• Do you trust that the manufacturer of the white label software will remain solvent and able to provide support as long as you need it?

White Label Apps — Saving Costs or Prolonging the Frustration?

Curious about putting a white label app or portal to work for your business? Consider your long-term  strategy. There’s no question that integrating with third-party products can reduce initial development costs. This is, of course, assuming that the solution is being used exactly as it was designed. If you don’t plan to change anything about the app, this may pay off in the long-run. On the other hand, what you save initially may come back to haunt you.

Custom add-ons or adapting the app/portal as your business needs change is often difficult. The only thing worse than struggling through a frustrating sequence of futile development attempts or work-arounds is having your product constrain growth.

While white label solutions certainly have their drawbacks, using them to release software within a limited time frame is a valid strategy. In the long-term though, the only way to avoid finding yourself at the mercy of the manufacturer is to custom develop your app, portal or website.

If custom development seems outside of your budget, think about it this way: Pay now for exactly what you want or pay later by cobbling add-ons in an attempt to differentiate a white label solution.

Image Source: Nino Liverani on Unsplash