Where You Store an App is Just as Important as the App

by Holly Shoemaker

When app developers make an app that specifically targets medical professionals, they need app stores to make them easily accessible. While Apple added a medical section to its app store in September, people have expressed dissatisfaction with the ability to find this category and the medical apps they need. Users are limited to searching by words like “medical” or “health.” This could generate too many returns that medical professionals do not need or want.

For medical professionals to find what they need, and for stores to create a better user experience, they should have a search ability that targets the particular audience. Currently, one app store seems to meet the needs for those in the healthcare field. Happtique, an app store dedicated to healthcare professionals, allows them to search based on audience (e.g., nurse) or topic (e.g., nursing). Happtique also extracts keywords from the app so users may easily find what they need.

Concluding Thoughts

Apps will only gain users when they find them. If app stores do not increase the ability to search for specific apps and categories, those apps lose the potential to make money as does the place storing the apps. Because medical apps are specific, and because many healthcare professionals are short on time, using a targeted app store like Happtique seems ideal.

Using Medical Apps as Back-Up Patient Records for Hospitals

by Holly Shoemaker

When I went to visit my 86-year-old grandmother this summer, she ended up falling and being admitted into the hospital. Thankfully, she feels much better. When I put all the emotional feelings aside, I can reflect on the process it took to get her admitted. I literally watched the nurse enter my grandmother’s information into the system for at least 45 minutes. I found that a bit odd as the hospital already had her information. My mom began to ask the nurse questions about what she thought of the system. The nurse went on to say that the staff seemed dissatisfied. If the system crashed, the staff had no way of retrieving patient records. The nurse also mentioned that she sometimes had to enter in patient information from the beginning.

The nurse’s thoughts got me thinking the following – Corporations provide smartphones to some of its employees; hospitals should consider doing the same. Better yet, they should look at app development as a way to retrieve at least snapshots of patient information. If healthcare facilities have already invested money into technology, they should take an extra step to ensure staff always has access to patient information. This type of app would certainly help staff when systems go down or if back-up generators fail. 

Final Thoughts 

Hospital patients cannot always communicate their medical histories. Loved ones may not always have the ability to answer all questions either. When hospital networks fail, staff would benefit from having an app that functions as a back-up method to retrieving patient records. In turn, hospital staff could focus on patient care while having access to potentially life-saving information.