Industry 4.0 has brought improved technology to every part of life, including healthcare. Many healthcare facilities have developed apps to improve 24/7 patient access and treatment. Over the past decade, healthcare app development costs have increased significantly, with no signs of decreasing. Because designing healthcare apps requires a lot of work, compliance with patient data security standards, and continual integration of new technology. So, specifically, how much does it cost to develop a healthcare app? Find detailed information in Nexle Corporation’s article!
Healthcare Market Overview
Market revenue in Health is estimated to rise from $119.5 billion in 2023 to $395 billion in 2028. The development of the digital health market is strongly supported by the fact that users worldwide are utilizing smart devices and digital services to manage and enhance their health conveniently.
There is an expected growth in health improvement, sports and fitness participation, and smart device use, particularly among youth. This simultaneous development is fueling the expansion of the digital healthcare industry.
Moreover, there is an increasing popularity of digital healthcare services and remote patient monitoring. This highlights the necessity for healthcare apps to address these demands. Consequently, there is a strong projected growth in this market for the future.
Global mHealth Apps Market Size & Trends Report, 2030
Benefits of developing a healthcare app
Developing healthcare apps for patients brings significant benefits. With this app, healthcare facilities can easily:
- Improve the patient’s satisfaction and healthcare experience.
- Give individuals easier healthcare access.
- Enhance the efficiency of healthcare procedures and operations.
- Allow medical facilities and providers to generate more income.
- Increase patient data collection and analysis for improved diagnosis and treatment.
Healthcare apps have emerged as a competitive solution, offering numerous advantages to provide the best care for patients. Consequently, many companies are actively working towards developing these apps. However, there are still uncertainties about “how much it does cost to develop a mobile healthcare app?”. In the following section of this article, we will delve deeper into this topic. Let’s uncover the details together!
Most Popular Types of Healthcare Apps
Choosing the right app may depend on your specific needs, as many apps are developed to serve different health goals. Below are some common types of healthcare apps that you can consider:
Doctor on Demand apps
Doctor-on-demand apps have revolutionized the way doctors interact with patients. With the help of these innovative applications, doctors can now connect with patients through convenient video calls. This not only offers a more flexible schedule for doctors but also expands their ability to examine patients from all corners of the globe.
Medication Reminder Apps
Medical reminder apps have become increasingly popular in the healthcare industry. Their purpose is to remind and motivate patients to adhere to their medication schedule or post-treatment lifestyle recommendations. These apps play a crucial role in improving patient recovery prospects by sending timely reminders about medication intake. Doctors can use these reminders to assist patients in following their treatment regimen effectively.
“Medication Reminder Apps” is one of the most popular healthcare applications
Diet tracking apps
Diet tracking apps enable patients to keep track of their food intake, monitor their exercise activities, and set health goals for gradual achievement. Patients can use these apps to stay accountable for their diet and lifestyle choices, fostering a healthier lifestyle over time.
Mental Health Services Apps
Mental health services apps are applications created to provide psychological and emotional support. They can be beneficial for people dealing with stress, anxiety, depression, or other mental health concerns.
Medical Record Apps
Medical Record Apps enable patients to conveniently submit their personal and health information directly from their smartphones. This eliminates the hassle of filling out paper forms during doctor’s appointments and improves the overall efficiency of the process. Additionally, patients gain greater control over their health information, empowering them to take charge of their well-being.
Medical Record Apps streamline the medical examination process
Medical Training Apps
Rather than relying on conventional teaching approaches like theoretical lectures or textbooks, the developers create interactive training apps. These apps offer lectures or interactive modules that cover topics like anatomy or clinical procedures. They present information in an engaging and informative manner that makes learning more fun and interactive.
The goal here is to ready the upcoming generation of healthcare providers by sharing knowledge and skills using contemporary training apps.
Chronic Disease Management Apps
Chronic diseases like diabetes, high blood pressure, or lupus usually need careful monitoring with the help of a doctor. Chronic disease management apps have emerged to make this process easier. Doctors can now track patients’ health and share information more conveniently. This allows patients to directly communicate with their doctors and update information about their health status.
Prescription Price Comparison Apps
The healthcare sector is embracing technology advancements to improve patient care. Doctors now use prescription price comparison apps to help patients save costs while ensuring high-quality treatment. These apps allow users to search and compare medication prices at nearby pharmacies, enabling doctors to prescribe suitable and cost-effective medications for their patients. This not only benefits patients but also ensures positive treatment outcomes.
Prescription Price Comparison Apps help doctors save treatment costs for patients
Medicine Delivery Apps
Rather than insisting that patients must come into the doctor’s office to get their prescriptions, doctors are now using medicine delivery apps to send medications straight to their homes. These apps make health easier and more fitting for patients.
Healthcare App Development Cost
The cost to develop a healthcare app typically falls between $50,000 and $100,000. But it’s crucial to remember that this estimate doesn’t cover expenses for maintenance and advertising after the launch. It’s worth noting that this amount might not be enough for more intricate healthcare app projects with numerous features.
Factors Influencing the Cost To Develop A Healthcare App
As mentioned earlier, the world of healthcare apps is quite diverse. Though they all aim to serve the healthcare industry in some way, each one has its own special features. Consequently, the cost to develop a healthcare app doesn’t stay the same. It can fluctuate based on several key factors:
Platform Type
When it comes to budget, creating a healthcare app can be done on either iOS, Android, or even both platforms. In order to determine the best platform for your app’s specific requirements and performance, it is essential to gather thorough insights about your target users.
We advise making the app available on both iOS and Android if you want to attract the largest possible user base. More people, such as those with iPhones and Androids, will be able to access your content this way. But this might also imply more money spent on developing and maintaining the app across both platforms.
Creating a hybrid software may cost up to $600,000, whereas a native app may cost approximately $400,000.
UX/UI Design
The UX/UI design greatly impacts healthcare app development. It guides decisions on features, resource utilization, and technologies for a good user experience. Consequently, the cost of developing a healthcare app varies with different UX/UI design requirements.
UX/UI Design impacts the cost of healthcare app design
Hourly Rate
Hourly rates are indeed a significant factor influencing the development cost of healthcare apps. In developed countries with high-income levels, such as the USA and European nations, hourly rates tend to be higher than in Asian countries. Therefore, this is one of the primary reasons why developed countries often outsource software development to companies in Asia.
Below is a table of hourly rates in some countries:
| Developer Team Location | Hourly Rate |
| North America (the USA, Canada, etc.) | $80-$150 |
| Europe (UK, France, Italy, etc.) | $45-$100 |
| Australia & New Zealand | $35-$150 |
| Gulf Countries (UAE, Saudi Arabia, etc.) | $30-$120 |
| Asia (India, Russia, Japan, China, Vietnam etc.) | $20-$50 |
Compliance and Regulation
Developing a healthcare app is a field that demands utmost security. These apps store confidential medical information of patients and must ensure it remains private and inaccessible to unauthorized individuals. Additionally, healthcare apps must comply with regulations to ensure healthcare professionals and medical service providers adhere to high-quality standards for professionalism and patient safety.
Complying with compliance and regulation requirements for healthcare apps is a complex task that involves advanced features and technologies. Meeting these regulations can have a significant impact on the overall development cost of the app, requiring more time and resources.
Here are some examples of Compliance and Regulation:
Data Security
When handling and storing the confidential personal data of patients, ensuring a high level of security is paramount. This requires healthcare apps to implement security measures such as data encryption and the use of security certificates like SSL to ensure the safety and confidentiality of the information.
Patient Data Privacy
Healthcare apps are required to adhere to essential privacy laws and regulations. These ensure the protection of sensitive information.
- Complying with data protection regulations under GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) is essential. These regulations aim to ensure the privacy and security of personal data.
- The app must comply with consumer privacy rights under CCPA (California Consumer Privacy Act), particularly when used in California.
Ethical considerations
The World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Medical Informatics Association (IMIA) have jointly developed ethical standards and guidelines for application developers working on healthcare related applications. These guidelines ensure that developers adhere to established ethical principles while creating these applications.
These standards and guidelines aim to protect users by preventing healthcare applications from promoting unsafe or harmful treatment methods or conveying misleading information. Essentially, they ensure that healthcare apps follow ethical principles and avoid endorsing unsafe treatments or inaccurate health information.
Advertising and marketing
Healthcare apps must strictly adhere to regulations concerning advertising and marketing. Throughout the development process, developers must ensure that their apps not only abstain from making false claims but are also explicitly prohibited from promoting unproven and unsafe treatments or therapies. This strict adherence is crucial in safeguarding users from misleading information, thereby guaranteeing the provision of accurate and reliable health-related knowledge.
Examples of the Cost to Develop a Healthcare App
Zocdoc
The cost of developing a healthcare app similar to Zocdoc can be a significant concern. Zocdoc is an online doctor appointment booking app headquartered in New York and is well-known in the United States for its ability to schedule in-person or video consultations with ease.
The development cost for a healthcare app like Zocdoc typically falls within the range of $30,000 to $60,000 US. This expense covers various factors such as design, features, and functionality.
Zocdoc is a well-known appointment booking app for doctors in the US
HealthTap
HealthTap is a telehealth service that allows people to connect with doctors remotely for their medical concerns. It is considered a highly effective and convenient medical application. The cost to develop a healthcare app similar to Healthtap can range from $100,000 to $500,000.
Talkspace
Talkspace is a mobile app and web service used for online therapy. It connects users with licensed therapists who offer guidance and support for various issues. These include everyday stress, depression, LGBTQ+ concerns, work-related problems, family relationships, marriage, and emotional well-being.
The development cost for healthcare software like Talkspace typically falls within the range of $100,000 to $300,000.
Headspace
This meditation guide app is created to enhance the quality of sleep. It offers over 500 meditation and yoga sessions and soothing music to help users relax and reduce stress. By using this app, users can improve their focus and enjoy better sleep.
The Headspace app can be accessible online through web browsers like Google Chrome, Safari, and Opera. Alternatively, users can enjoy music and meditation sessions using smart speakers like Google Home and Alexa.
Creating a health software like Headspace can cost anywhere from $200,000 to $400,000.
Calm
Calm is an app that enhances sleep by guiding users through meditation sessions, engaging stories, and soothing music. It creates a peaceful and tranquil mental state, especially after a long day of work.
An app designed like Calm may require an investment ranging from $300,000 to $600,000.
Conclusion
When developing a healthcare application, thorough research is essential. It is important to determine which features are necessary for your app and consider the appropriate platform for development. You should also take the time to find professional designers at a reasonable cost. All of these factors will impact the overall cost of creating a healthcare application. Taking these steps will ensure a successful and effective healthcare app.
Nexle is an exceptional option for anyone seeking reliable software outsourcing services. As a well-established company based in Vietnam, we have amassed over a decade of valuable experience in designing cutting-edge software solutions for renowned global enterprises. Our unwavering commitment to excellence ensures that we can effectively assist you in reaching your desired objectives.
If you need detailed information about the cost of developing a healthcare application, please feel free to contact us at +1 951 888 9080.
