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Doctor appointment booking apps have increased the overall effectiveness of clinics, hospitals, and online
healthcare marketplaces while streamlining processes. Such apps permit patients to connect online with
doctors. Not only doctor appointment booking mobile apps are a reliable & effective solution, but they are
also the future of clinical progression and a distinct, new phase in the patient-doctor relationship.
For Patients
Doctor appointment booking apps grant patients an option to ‘Book Anytime, Anywhere’ and also allows easy
access to doctors. Furthermore, the appointment booking feature makes the lives of elderly patients, and
those who are suffering from life-long ailments or are bed-ridden more comfortable.
Workflow:
Patient
Sign In
Book an Appointment
Receive Notification
Give Feedback
Doctor Side
Sign In
Complete Profile
Share Timeslot
Approve Appointment
Communicate with Patient
Payment Management
Prescription
Admin Side
Sign In
Data Appropriation
Calendar
Notification
Communication
Payment
Revenue Streams
Commission-Based model
In a doctor appointment booking app, the admin has an option to earn profit by charging a commission fee
behind each booking. Here are the steps that may take place under commission-based model:
A patient browses the website and initiates a search based on the medical problem.
Once the payment is made online, the admin receives the complete booking amount.
After deducting the commission fee, the admin transfers the remaining amount to the doctor.
Paid Listing
The paid listing feature works with specific filters that can be used in a doctor appointment booking app. For
example, a patient can perform a search to find doctors for specific medic problems, treatment types,
problematic body parts or organs, treatment at a nearby medical facility, and others. Accordingly, the search
results may appear.
In such a feature, the doctor pays to get listed on the search results page. While there are multiple ways to
implement this feature, following steps can elaborate the use of this feature in a simple and general way:
After signing-in, the doctor may click on the “Advertise” tab and select “Paid Listing”.
A new web page may load with multiple options to make the Paid Listing appear on relevant search
queries.
After selecting the criteria or placement of the listing, the doctor proceeds to make the payment.
Using a payment gateway, the money is transferred online to the website admin.
General Advertisement
A doctor can advertise on specific web pages at certain places. The homepage is generally the most
common place for advertisement. Different sections of the website can be used to display an advertisement.
Ideal places include header section, mid-section of the webpage, and above the footer for banner
advertisement. The places can be modified during the web design and development process and as per the
client’s preference. Here is the general process to explain how a doctor may choose to advertise:
Depending on the client requirements, different options can be provided. Few of them include pay-
Now, let’s take a look at what the leaders, ZocDoc and Practo, offer.
ZocDoc:
Strengths Opportunities
– Reliable service & larger footprint in Suburban USA – Provide better Health Literacy
that may lead to a healthier
society
Weaknesses Threats
More of ZocDoc:
An in-app reminder keeps them stuck to their medications and appointments.
Reviews from patients are significant when other users are looking to book an appointment with a
physician.
Practo:
Strengths Opportunities
– Tools that offer analysis & insights for safer clinic & – Practo can provide more services by
business practices
filtering their requirements
Weaknesses Threats
More of Practo:
Practo created a SaaS product for doctors to easily organize appointments, track past medical
Practo adopts a Premium Listing method according to which doctors, clinics, and hospitals have to
pay for the listing price to stay on top of the search list.
Practice Management System (RAY) for doctors and clinics to capture patient data and give
reminders and messages to the patient – sold to Doctors on an annual contract basis.
Practo adopts a Premium Listing method according to which doctors, clinics, and hospitals have to
pay for the listing price to stay on top of the search list.
Practice Management System (RAY) for doctors and clinics to capture patient data and give
reminders and messages to the patient – sold to Doctors on an annual contract basis.
Doctor Panel
Introduction – An ‘About Us’ or a general introduction section about the clinic/hospital is important
to attract users. Write down an informational piece of message that should introduce your services to
your users, and also inform them why they should choose you as their primary healthcare provider.
Login Process – Make sure the login process is easy & quick. A doctor appointment booking app
should also have the option of logging in with a social media account or via an OTP.
Doctor’s Profile – A doctor’s profile should contain information about their certification, experience,
competency, and languages spoken, their specialty, price, preferable time for an appointment,
available insurance, and their location, among other things. It should enable their users to make an
Appointment Management – A doctor appointment booking app should permit doctors to manage,
check, cancel, or view the status of their appointments. This feature leads to better optimization of
the time and money of a doctor/clinic/hospital and is essential for a more reliable working system.
Request Management – Accepting & rejecting appointment requests is a simple task but a
designated feature/button in the doctor appointment booking app will make it even more accessible
to the doctors.
Functionality – Before everything else, showcase specialty/functionality for your users. Your patients
should know what kind of service they are to expect from the clinic/hospital & whether it caters to
Telemedicine – Telemedicine, also known as online consultation via built-in chat or video-calling,
has changed the way the healthcare industry used to operate, therefore, it is vital to have this feature
in your doctor appointment booking app. Moreover, some patients demand to consult a doctor first
History are crucial for understanding the illness of the patient. CDM plays a significant role in
determining a dangerous illness in its early stages which could be a defining agent between life and
death.
Trackers – Your Doctor Appointment Booking app must have a feature where the patients can track
their medicine prescribed by their doctor. This tracking system also assists patients to adhere to their
medication schedule.
Data Sharing – Health Literacy is low in the US, facilitating the option of sharing files with clinics,
specialists, clinic staff, and more & hence become a vital feature to have.
Payment Modules – Automated invoice and payslip generation, multiple payment options, payment
history, fee calculation, among other things are essential for a systematic working of a doctor-patient
relationship.
Rating – Ratings given by the patients should announce the credibility, legitimacy, and ability of a
clinic since it also paves the way for better adoption of improved healthcare methods.
Online Prescription – Online prescriptions are way more useful since they contain in-depth aspects
of medications, its usage, and names. Also, you can directly send the prescription to the pharmacy
Banking – Revenue transfer to the bank & generating automatic invoices are key for a medical
practice’s survival. Add a proper feature in the doctor appointment booking app accordingly.
Patient Panel
Patient Profile – Name and phone number, address, and other essential information should be
Functionality – For a patients’ panel, an option to determine the requirements according to category
Dynamic Search Filters – Specialty & expertise of the doctor, price range, time availability, and
accessible insurance are the dynamic search filters that should be granted to the users. With the help
of these filters, patients can make an intelligent choice while choosing their healthcare provider.
Payment – Multiple payment options – Credit card, Debit card, e-Wallet – makes the process of
appointment booking much more manageable. It should have fewer actions, must minimize the
Tele conferencing – Online consultations or built-in chat enables a patient to discuss any additional
concerns or queries. An add-on feature of app-to-app calls could also be a vital component of a
GPS Tracking – In order to easily locate the patients and/or the clinic/hospital, GPS tracking is
needed.
Push-Notifications – Reminders, Push Notifications & Social Media sharing are also crucial. These
provide the latest updates i.e., from HIPAA and other medical institutions which enable patients to
Wearables – Apple watch is one of the prime examples of how wearable devices have revolutionized
the Healthcare industry. Their integration with the Doctor Appointment Booking app is significant as it
will alert the emergency services in case something goes wrong or special attention is required for a
patient.
booking app should render convenience & assurance to the patients, therefore, it becomes essential
Ratings – Ratings given by the patients should indicate reliability, legitimacy, and expertise of a
clinic/medical practice. It also paves the way for a more suitable appropriation of enhanced
healthcare classifications.
Support – A Doctor appointment booking app must have a support section. Since not all the users
are tech-savvy or know the whole process, a support section will enable users to understand it better
Referrals – Loyalty Programs are essential considering not all the patients are from well-to-do
families and may require assistance. A referral program will enable them to avail services of a doctor
Admin Panel
Manage Users & Doctors – An admin panel requires data associated with doctors and patients both
Content Management System – The role of an admin panel in CMS is to ensure informative
blogs/articles to exclusive health-related posts by health experts are made available to the users of
Analytics – It is used for the identification, understanding, and presentation of meaningful patterns in
data. Predictive analysis & real-time is the base of effective health management of the patients.
Marketing Tools – For the promotion of a respective clinic/hospital, marketing tools are important.
Since the admin panel takes care of external things, effective marketing should be put into regular
Modes of Communication – From email to video conferencing, a doctor appointment booking app
should offer multiple modes of communication for the benefit of the doctor and patients alike.
Notification Module – Notifications keep you up-to-date about the daily tasks and keep the whole
Report Generation – It is essential to check the daily activity of the app, therefore, the report
generation feature is a must for a doctor appointment booking app. It enables you to understand
where you may require some improvement and which area is now your strong suit.
Use Cases
Comprehensive EMS Data Collection – With the guidance of the Clinical Data Management system, EMS
providers can compare a hospital’s diagnosis in real-time, and take necessary measures accordingly. It
digitally stores data, thus substantially improving the workflow of the healthcare marketplace.
Innovation in mHealthcare – Several apps available on the online marketplace help women relax and
soothe their pain during pregnancy. With a doctor appointment booking app, women can e-consult doctors,
especially during odd-hours or in regions where medical services are not as effective.
Patient Management – Doctors, nurses, and other caregivers within a healthcare marketplace can use their
smartphones to manage patients. In a doctor appointment booking app, its main features include managing
patient rounding, patient information, room allocation, diagnosis, e-Prescriptions, billing records, among
other things. It results in better staff optimization and improved productivity.
Timely Medications and Systemized Processes – For a doctor appointment booking app, the core function
of this feature is to send out push notifications as per the medication schedule. This feature also makes it
easier for physicians to keep track of their patient’s health.
Life-saving Wearables Devices – Wearable health trackers and smartwatches can gather important health
data such as heart rate, blood sugar, posture control, sleep patterns, and other physical activities. It helps
patients get more control over their health and fitness routine.
Extending Rural Access – Around 3.6 million Americans miss getting medical care due to lack of affordable,
accessible, and reliable transportation. Other factors like geographic scope, cultural backgrounds, and
languages spoken, along with other economic, health, and social obstacles may prove prohibitive for
patients in getting medical care.
With doctor appointment booking apps, accessibility in rural areas has increased that enabled them to get
medical care which wasn’t possible earlier.
Pain Points
Sensitive Data
According to a recent study, 81% of the mHealth apps share consumer data with Google and Facebook. And
only half of these mHealth apps are clear about their data-sharing practices. This ambiguous practice puts
patient data security at risk as they are unlikely to consider future implications when met with a pressing
healthcare issue. On top of that, most of the mHealth apps are prone to Cyberattacks. Business owners
generally put security on the back burner, thus, further exposing the user data to threats.
Solutions
Provide access control of Patient Health Information (PHI) to relevant people.
Virtual Private Network (VPN) can be used to check the integrity of health data.
Solution
Maintain a 24/7 log of traffic on the network and identify rogue attacks.
An alternative secure solution can be to use a superior algorithm in the OSI stack.
While encryption is ideal, considering going for end-to-end and MD5 encryption.
Communication Barriers
One of the major problems faced by the mHealth industry is the absence of clear communication channels.
Lack of proper infrastructure, inadequate internet speed, shortage of technical knowledge, among other
things are some of the major communication barriers faced by healthcare providers.
This helped in the effective and economic management of chronic conditions. With the rise of mHealth apps,
smoother communication via intuitive communication channels will be a guiding force for doctors and
patients alike.
Solutions
Priority can be given to intrahospital communication such as transmitting patient records
Superior error control mechanisms can be used to ensure relevant entries in the database
Also, with the help of healthcare data analytics, portraying a complete picture of a patient’s health will let the
insurers provide a more suitable package. By creating a holistic, 360-degree view of consumers, patients and
physicians, hospitals can improve healthcare efficiency, effectiveness, and personalization of the treatments.
Identification of patterns in health outcomes, patient satisfaction, and hospital growth is vital for the
advancement of the healthcare sector as a whole.
Solutions
Risk scores feature can be provided based on patient-generated data.
The analytics feature can present insights into supply chain ordering patterns.
Rural Connection
For several years, doctors and hospitals have been trying to find a fitting solution for the limited healthcare
access for the population residing in the rural parts of the U.S. The problem is two-fold – their inability to
attract, afford or retain speciality providers and lack of health insurance. Thus, Telemedicine could very well
be the answer to these problems.
Telemedicine addresses economic stability by accommodating rural residents to save money on travel
expenses. It also overcomes the difficulties residents face in areas where public transportation is inadequate
and strengthens overall patient engagement. Since the treatment is usually delivered locally, it also benefits
several specific rural populations, including rural residents with disabilities, those struggling with substance
use disorders and/or mental health conditions, and those with limited English proficiency.
Solutions
Video conferencing feature can be used to connect hospitals in rural areas with those in metropolitan areas.
With app features like online appointment and in-app payments, EHR apps can substantially improve the
overall proficiency of a hospital or a clinic. To set reminders for appointments and adherence to medication,
EHR apps also provide an in-App Calendar.
EMR App
EMR (Electronic Medical Records) apps have proven to be a great differential in the healthcare industry.
These apps enable physicians to online access patients’ medical histories that empower doctors to provide
safer healthcare services. COVID-19 pushed the need & demand for EMR apps considerably. During such a
perilous time, it enabled physicians to observe their patient’s situation and disease without risking their
health.
Factors to Consider While Developing a Doctor
Appointment Booking App
Target Hardware – While developing on iOS is faster development time with Android takes more time.
Accordingly, the cost also varies. Furthermore, the target audience is the major deciding factor when it
comes to choosing the right hardware.
Interoperability – Interoperability with the existing Clinical Management System (CMS) used by the hospital
staff is essential. It enables the clinic/hospital to assert an effective and seamless working system, therefore,
ensure that your CMS has interoperability.
UI/UX Considerations – 21% of millennials tend to delete the app if the user experience is not good. Design of
a doctor appointment booking app should be user-friendly. Moreover, it should be according to the target
audience needs – large fonts for old people, neutral colour for the colour blind.
API Components – Ensure the API components used are deployed accurately for more secure authentication
and communication between separate components of the app.
Develop Iteratively – An initial app design is likely to be flawed, resulting in cost overruns and sometimes,
even project cancellations. Industry experts support using agile development considering risks are mitigated
at the beginning, changing requirements are accommodated efficiently, and reusability can be increased
that results in a robust end product.
Data Security – The app servers are built for speed, not security, and are not difficult to breach into thus,
business owners must insist on end-to-end encryption or send data over secure communication channels.
Minimum Viable Product (MVP) – MVP accommodates a great deal in arranging customer’s feedback
which is important for business development & growth. It is essential to have sufficient features to provide the
primary users. As a business owner, it will also help you understand how many added features you need in
order to draw more users to your platform.
Device Security – Cybersecurity is a major issue today. Android apps are less secure than iOS apps are, and
yet, Android constitutes more than 80% of the smartphone market today. Make sure that you’re hiring a
professional & experienced doctor appointment booking app development company that will ensure the
safety of the device and the user data by deploying secure methods.
Testing Healthcare Applications – Testing is imperative; a business owner must test the security in
accordance with different authenticities like PII, PHII, and HIPAA compliance. For doctor appointment booking
apps which require a geo-location service, carefully check the accuracy and preciseness, build a real-world
scenario, test the application with poor connectivity, test performance by setting high load and performance
benchmarks, and check the adaptability of your app by testing it on various platforms like iOS & Android.
Before everything, doctors’ authentication is paramount. Lives are at stake so as a business owner,
you must validate each doctor’s certificates, licenses, and other vital documents.
The Revenue Model of your Doctor’s Appointment Booking app is crucial. Therefore, carefully select
your monetization strategy that will be beneficial for near-term as well as long-term plans.
Conclusion
Even though technology has taken over the world for good, real progress in the Healthcare sector still has a
lot of distance to cover. Business owners need to acknowledge the importance of doctors for they are the
present & the future of the Healthcare industry.
With the emergence of Telemedicine & mHealth, doctors can treat their patients virtually, and people in
suburban & rural areas can finally avail healthcare facilities they have been longing for ages. To build a
custom mobile app hire a custom mobile app development company like FATbit Technologies. As for
business owners, mHealth is one of the fastest-growing & emerging industries in the world which should
encourage them to invest their time, money & skills in this sector.
Disclaimer: The Blog has been created with consideration and care. We strive to ensure that all information is as complete, correct,
comprehensible, accurate and up-to-date as possible. Despite our continuing efforts, we cannot guarantee that
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