Healthcare institutions are increasingly leveraging technology to enhance patient experiences and streamline medical services. One powerful tool in this pursuit is the hospital app. That’s why two-thirds of the largest US hospitals offer mobile health apps [1].
These apps hold potential benefits for patients and staff. Yet, creating a successful app is just the start. To maximize its gains, you must prioritize adoption. This article details strategies to boost your hospital app’s uptake. Furthermore, we’ll explore how PenguinIN enhances app services, addresses concerns, and integrates seamlessly to elevate app adoption.
Building the App – Things to put in mind when developing the App:
Understanding User Needs and Pain Points
Your primary goal should be focused on enhancing the patient experience, making it more convenient for them to consume data and manage their health concerns. Step into the shoes of a patient within your hospital. Consider what might be lacking in the current setup. How can processes be simplified and made more accessible? Are there services that would significantly benefit patients and should not be overlooked?
This perspective should also extend to healthcare personnel. Given the demanding nature of their work, it’s important to find ways to collaborate with them in order to optimize their daily tasks. How can you work together to create smoother operations?
Crafting a User-Centric App
A user-friendly interface and intuitive navigation are key components of an app that users will embrace. Aim to create an app that not only provides value but also makes interactions effortless and enjoyable. Make sure that the app’s design aligns with the diverse user demographics it aims to serve.
Prioritizing Security and Privacy
Highlighting the utmost significance of Security and Privacy in the context of hospital apps cannot be overstated. It’s crucial to convey and assure users that their data is safeguarded and kept entirely confidential. Place special focus on collaborating with well-versed cloud service providers and upholding a centralized, fully controlled database to thwart any potential data breaches.
Incorporating Value-Added Features
Now that we looked at what you should consider when building the app, now let’s talk features.
Hospital apps can include an array of services, which in time can be updated and added to adapt to constant needs. Think of COVID, a sudden epidemic that made hospitals a hazardous environment with most cases spreading in healthcare facilities and quarantine zones. Apps emerged as an essential part for infection control and contact tracing
Let us look at some added value features that can lure your patients to download the app, focusing on what we know best at penguinIN having witnessed the result of our features firsthand with our clients.
Patient-Centric Health Records: The hospital app becomes a personalized portal, granting patients access to their health records, test results, and medication reminders. This transparency strengthens patient’s relationship with your hospital, elevating their level of engagement and commitment to their treatment plans.
Appointment Management: By allowing patients to effortlessly schedule, reschedule, or cancel appointments through the app from data provided in real time, healthcare providers will have streamlined operations and reduced no-show rates. Patients are drawn to the convenience and empowerment the app grants them in managing their healthcare needs.
Telemedicine: People value the feeling of empowerment, especially when dealing with illness. Telemedicine has the potential to streamline processes for patients, engaging them more profoundly in their healthcare journey. This thoughtful approach can bring significant results and help build a loyal customer base.
Hospital apps open doors to the realm of telemedicine, enabling patients to access virtual consultations with healthcare professionals. This digital frontier democratizes healthcare access and proves necessary, especially during unexpected challenges.
Indoor Navigation for Patients: Picture this scenario: a patient enters the vast, convoluted halls of a hospital, clutching their appointment details with a slight feeling of anxiety. How can you ensure they have a seamless journey from the entrance to their designated destination? Enter Real-Time Patient Wayfinding, an integral feature embedded within the hospital app.
With the tap of a finger, patients gain access to precise, step-by-step directions to their appointments and various hospital departments.
Indoor Navigation Empowering Accessibility Where It Matters Most: These apps empower patients, especially those with mobility challenges, by providing step-by-step directions to their destinations. With live updates and accessible routes, individuals can navigate the hospital confidently, reducing anxiety and saving time.
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Real-Time Location Systems (RTLS) Features: When it comes to boosting efficiency and ensuring patient safety, Real-Time Location Systems (RTLS) take the lead. Utilizing an intricate network of advanced sensors, intelligent tags, and cutting-edge communication technologies, RTLS enables unparalleled real-time tracking within healthcare facilities – encompassing medical equipment, staff, and even patients.
Hospital apps equipped with RTLS functionalities facilitate precise resource allocation and utilization, leading to optimized operations and, most importantly, improved patient safety and satisfaction. In dire situations, such as emergencies or Code Blue scenarios, RTLS prepares healthcare professionals and supports patients with instantaneous information on nearest available personnel and proper emergency procedures. The outcome is a timely response that can spell the difference in outcome in challenging scenarios.
How to Market Your Hospital App Successfully
Having comprehensively addressed the fundamental aspects of constructing a hospital app and incorporated distinctive features that set your platform apart and cater to critical healthcare aspects, let’s delve into methods to ensure your app gains traction. Additionally, we will introduce you to some of the techniques employed by PenguinIN to encourage patient downloads of hospital apps.
Feature Branding: Feature branding involves emphasizing and promoting distinct features or functionalities of a product or service as integral components of its brand identity. Let your partners serve as your advocates. PenguinIN ensures effective marketing of the added services, with a focus on a particular feature having the potential to enhance the app’s appeal to patients. This ensures the spotlight is on specific features that can attract a larger user base.
Wi-Fi Landing Page: By utilizing Wi-Fi landing pages strategically, you can encourage users connecting to the hospital’s network to download the app. These pages can feature a compelling call to action, highlight the app’s benefits, and offer incentives for immediate download. This direct approach takes advantage of users’ connection to increase app downloads effectively.
QR Codes: Leveraging QR codes can boost hospital app downloads by providing instant access. Users can scan the QR code, directing them straight to the app download page. This seamless process capitalizes on their immediate interest and simplifies the download experience, enhancing app adoption.
Leverage User Reviews and Ratings: Monitor and respond to reviews, addressing any concerns or issues promptly. Additionally, consider showcasing some of the most positive reviews on various promotional channels to build confidence among potential users.
Staff Education: Incorporate staff education and advocacy into your app promotion strategy. Train hospital staff, including doctors, nurses, and administrative personnel, to become advocates for the app. Staff can play an important role in promoting the app during patient interactions.
Traditional Print Promotion: Cards and flyers effectively drive hospital app downloads. Placed in waiting areas and across the hospital, they directly engage patients and visitors. With clear calls to action, app benefits, and QR codes for swift access, this tangible approach enhances visibility and spurs app adoption.
At PenguinIN, we employ these methods to market our clients’ apps. Beyond just providing features, we genuinely believe our services enhance patient experience. This shared objective becomes a cornerstone when you choose to collaborate with us.
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