Introduction

Virtual reality is most widely utilized for entertainment, such as video games, 3D films, and virtual social worlds. Video game firms first introduced virtual reality headsets for consumers in the early to mid-1990s. Oculus (Rift), HTC (Vive), and Sony (PlayStation VR) all introduced next-generation commercial tethered headsets in the 2010s, igniting a new wave of application development. Sporting events, fine art, music videos, and short films have all utilized 3D cinema.

In this blog, we will be covering the following:

What is Virtual Reality?          

The Origin

First Invention

• Virtual Reality in the 1950s and 1960s
• Virtual Reality in the 1970s and 1980
• Virtual Reality in the 1990s and 2000s

How does Virtual Reality work?

• Pros of Virtual Reality
• Cons of Virtual Reality           

Virtual Reality hardware and software          

VR Devices    

• Virtual Reality Headset          
• Software        
• Audio  

Applications of Virtual Reality

• Healthcare
• Entertainment
• Automotive
• Education
• Space & Military
• Architecture
• Digital Marketing
• Occupational Safety
• Social Science and Psychology
• Tourism

Conclusion     

What Is Virtual Reality?

Virtual Reality is a technique that mimics vision, resulting in a 3-dimensional environment where a person appears to be immersed through it or taking part in it. It is a 3D environment managed in 3D by the person in the experience.

On the other hand, the user making 3D VR environments experiences or explores them using appropriate devices like VR headsets. The use of computer technology to create a simulated environment that can dig in 360 degrees is known as Virtual Reality or VR. Virtual Reality, as compared to traditional interfaces, immerses the user in the virtual environment.

The Origin

In the previous 50 years, Virtual Reality has come a long way, yet it is still regarded as cutting-edge technology. It’s strange how it works. The detailed history that led to virtual reality’s existence is unknown; however, it has been a subject of discussion for many centuries. But, in the last few years, technology has risen to turn fantasy into reality.

Image source: ResearchGate.com

First Invention

In 1968, American computer scientist Ivan Sutherland and his student Bob Sproull developed the first virtual reality headgear. While it was the first instance of a VR system that looked anything like we have today, ‘virtual reality had been proposed in art and literature since the 1860s.

 To completely comprehend the development of this concept, we must first take a step back to discover how VR evolved from a mere hypothesis to a standalone reality.

Virtual Reality in the 1950s and 1960s:

Let’s look at the beginnings of this fictitious technology and how it came to be.

1. The Sensorama, a theatrical cabinet multimedia gadget that allowed viewers an interactive experience, was designed by Morton Heilig, a cinematographer –1957. 
2. Comeau and Bryan, two Philco Corporation engineers, designed the Headlight, the first head-mounted display (HMD) – 1961
3. A military engineer named Thomas Furness created the first flight simulator for the Air Force –1966
4. Ivan Sutherland, a Harvard professor, and computer scientist, developed ‘The Sword of Damocles,’ the first VR/AR head-mounted display -1968

Virtual Reality in the 1970s and 1980s:

1. The Aspen Movie Map, created by MIT, utilizes images taken from a car in Aspen, Colorado, to provide viewers with a “Surrogate Travel” experience –1978
2. The film Tron popularized the concept of Virtual Reality –1982
3. The phrase ‘virtual Reality’ was coined by John Lanier, a computer scientist, researcher, and artist. He founded the Visual Programming Lab (VPL) and co-developed Dataglove –1987

Virtual Reality in the 1990s and 2000s:

1. The Virtuality Group produced a series of games and arcade machines, making Virtual Reality accessible to the general public –1991
2. Nintendo released the Virtual Boy, the first portable system with 3-D graphics – 1995
3. The SAS cube was the first PC-based cubic room introduced. The Virtools VRPack was born from the SAS library – in
4. Google announced Street View in collaboration with Immersive Media –

How Does Virtual Reality Work?

Virtual Reality technology permits the creation of a digital environment aimed at replicating real-world scenarios or creating an imaginary world made up of non-realistic components, for example, games that allow players to participate in different methods with risk-free options.

Virtual Reality is a complete immersion of the user in virtual reality. For these experiences, the user requires VR headsets to experience the entire 360-degree understanding of the virtual world. It’s a preferred technology in the entertainment and gaming industries and is entering other sectors, including construction and medical.

Pros of Virtual Reality

• It creates an engaging learning area; students can practice their abilities with VR. For instance, medical students could practice performing surgery instead of looking through AR.
• Improved cognitive abilities VR could aid the user in developing their thinking and decision-making abilities. A new pilot may wish to go through a risky scenario in a virtual world to gain experience and prepare for what is likely to occur within the actual world.
• Improved social interaction: In the wake of events that will cancel around the globe in 2020 and 2021, VR programmers have developed a place where users can live stream the event from the virtual space. It makes people feel as if everyone is in the same area.

Cons of Virtual Reality

• Addiction: Similar to AR, it is possible to run the possibility of addiction among VR users. It is precarious since users are involved in illicit activities in real life, which they can now transfer to the world of Reality.
• User’s health: There are a variety of effects on the user’s health. There is a possibility that VR can cause loss of awareness and dizziness, disorientation, confusion, and nausea.
• Loss of connections: This may occur when users depend on VR for social interactions, as they prefer to do it in real-time.

Virtual Reality Hardware And Software

We’ll learn about the VR hardware and software that makes Virtual Reality possible, the specifics of virtual reality headsets, and how they work.

Hardware

VR hardware can be employed to generate stimuli to control the sensors of the VR user. They can wear on the body or in isolation from the user. VR hardware utilizes sensors to monitor motions, for instance, the user’s button presses and the controller’s movements, such as hands, head, or eyes. Sensors have receptors that capture the energy generated by the user’s body.

The sensors within the hardware convert the energy it receives from hand movements or button press into the form of an electric signal. The signal is transmitted to the device or computer for the appropriate action.

VR devices

1. There are hardware devices that enable VR technology. They are personal computers that can process outputs and inputs from users and phones, consoles, and consoles.
2. Input devices: It includes VR controllers balls or the tracking ball, controller wands trackpads, data gloves, buttons for controlling devices bodysuits, motion trackers motion platforms, and treadmills (virtual Omni) that employ pressure or pressure to create energy which is then converted into an electrical signal that allows the user’s selection possible in a 3D environment. These devices help users navigate through the 3D worlds.
3. The computer should be capable of rendering high-quality images and typically employs Graphics Processing Units to provide the highest quality and user experience. Graphics Processing Unit or Graphics Processing Unit is an electronic device in a card that receives information from the CPU and alters and manipulates memory to speed up creating images within the frame buffer and the display.
4. Output devices include the auditory and visual or haptic displays that stimulate the senses and display the VR contents or the environment to users to create an experience.

Virtual Reality Headset

VR headsets are head-mounted devices that can offer virtual reality images for the eye. A VR headset comprises a visible screen or display lenses and headphones, stereo audio, or eye motion cameras or sensors to the same effect. Sometimes, it also includes controllers integrated or connected, which are used to navigate through VR content.

Image source: dazeinfo.com

• The sensors that detect the head or eye movement and track it could comprise gyroscopes, structured lighting systems, magnetometers, and accelerometers. Sensors are used to decrease the load on rendering and deliver ads for advertisement. For example, in reducing the burden, the sensors are utilized to determine the user’s gaze and reduce rendering resolution to the user’s eye.
• Image clarity is determined not only by the quality of the camera but also by the resolution of the display optic quality, refresh rate, and area of vision. Cameras also monitor motion, for example, to create room-scale VR experiences in which the user can move around a room while experiencing virtual real-world. But, sensors are more efficient as cameras typically have a more significant delay.
• With P.C. Tethering VR headsets, the ability to move freely around while you explore VR surroundings is a significant problem. Outside-in and inside-out tracking refer to two different terms commonly used in VR. Both terms refer to how the VR system can track the user’s location and any accompanying devices when they move about the room.
• The VR headsets are usually mid-range, low-end, and high-end VR headsets. The lower end includes the cardboards utilized in conjunction with mobile devices. The mid-range range includes devices like Samsung HTC Vive, a mobile headset with a dedicated portable computer, and PlayStation VR. Lastly, top-end models consist of P.C.-tethered and wireless headsets such as HTC Vive, Valve, and Oculus Rift.

Software

• Controls the VR input and output devices, analyzes the input data and generates the correct feedback. All input for VR software must be in sync, and its output must be swift.
• The VR developer can create their very own Virtual World Generator (VWG) by using the software development kit provided by a VR headset manufacturer. An SDK includes primary drivers that allow access to the tracking information and call graphics rendering libraries. VWG can be customized for specific VR experiences.

• VR software relays VR content stored in Cloud and different sources through the Internet and assists in managing the content.

Audio

Some headsets have the headsets with their audio systems. Some headsets allow using headphones as an add-on. Virtual reality audio is a 3D illusion for the ear that can be created using a multi-speaker with a positional feature commonly referred to as positional audio. It gives the user clues to draw their attention or give the user some details.

This technology is now used in surround audio systems.

Applications Of Virtual Reality

Healthcare

The primary method VR modernizes healthcare is through education. VR creates a place that allows you to grow and learn from the classroom in real-world settings.

With VR, professionals who must perform precise operations can train without being in the middle during an emergency.

Practitioners who want to become familiar with the hospital’s environment can do this without stress.

This technology is used in cognitive behavioral therapy, where people suffering from anxiety or phobias work on their issues in a controlled space.

Entertainment

The entertainment sector was among the first industries to adopt VR and is still one of the best examples of its use. If you examine gaming on consoles and online, it will be apparent that VR has a significant presence in the gaming industry.

Similar to VR, HTML0 is now being introduced to theme parks and cinemas to recreate movie-like experiences and allow people to enjoy their favorite cinematographic works.

Automotive

VR assists car makers in analyzing road situations and the behavior of cars. Simulations allow the users to study and alter the models before constructing the next model.

Virtual reality is widely utilized in creating smart cars that will be flooding with new models in the coming years. Autos learn to drive, turn, and stop using AI (AR) and virtual reality.

Education

Although education is thought to be a slow business to adopt the latest trends and technologies, VR has already shown the potential of VR.

For adults, any business offers professional education to its employees. VR is a component of games for education and field trips and generally experiencing the world for younger students.

Space & Military

Because these two sectors must operate in hazardous environments that aren’t accessible, VR provides conditions for getting like reality feasible for training.

VR lets trainees prepare for their training with minimal risks. It also assists those who have suffered from trauma on the battlefield to overcome their injuries and prepare for unexpected scenarios.

Architecture

With VR architecture, architects can visualize what they are designing and what it feels. It lets them feel the space before its construction and implement real-time adjustments to provide the best customer experience.

Digital Marketing

Though most people aren’t a fan of commercials, the experience of a close-up view of a product can be fun and educational. There are numerous uses for VR in the realm of digital marketing.

For instance, retailers could explain what the product will look like at home to prospective customers. Nonprofits can also create more humane messages to address politics.

Occupational Safety

Safety and health at work (OSH) can be a significant concern for any workplace with machines or natural dangers.

The workplace hazards can be dealt with through a simulation environment where employees can be taught how to handle them without causing injury.

Social Science and Psychology

The majority of the industry is based on VR so that users can imagine themselves as another person and experience the world from a different angle or perspective. Immersive environments have positive effects on future interactions between people.

Tourism

Take a trip before you purchase it. No, seriously. One of the most popular virtual reality applications is tourism. You can take virtual tour tours through the hotels, landmarks, restaurants, and anything else you’d like to see during your next trip. If you decide to go, you’ll be sure that you’ll be impressed.

Conclusion

This comprehensive virtual reality article introduces you to the concept of the evolution of Virtual Reality, commonly known as VR. We also learned how lenses for the headset work with the eye by using light emitted in and out of sight, creating these visual illusions.

In this context, we also looked at the factors that impact the quality of experience provided by VR for the viewer and how it can improve. We also explored the various applications of VR, which included gaming and training.

Introduction

Think apps are just for fun? Think again. Healthcare apps are big news and are getting a lot of attention as mobile technology becomes cheaper and more accessible to the everyday person. There are new apps being created every single day that are meant to help improve the quality of healthcare and reduce the cost of treatment. This guide will help you properly understand what is coming down the pipeline in the mHealth sector and how it might affect a physician’s practice and patient’s wellbeing journey.

This blog post covers the following information:

• Understanding Mobile Health Technology (mHealth)
• Types of Healthcare Applications
• Predicting The Future of Healthcare Apps
• Some Famous Healthcare Apps
• Monetization of Healthcare Apps
• Conclusion

Understanding Mobile Health Technology (mHealth)

Mobile health, or mHealth, is a broad term that describes the use of mobile devices to gain access to healthcare information, manage and improve health behavior, and improve the delivery of healthcare services. Mobile health devices can range from smartphones and tablets to wearable devices, such as activity trackers. The technology also includes mobile phones that are modified for healthcare purposes.

A graph showing a surge in mHealth market size and share (2016-2028) Source

According to insights, the global mHealth market size valued at around USD 56 billion in 2020, will grow at over 30% CAGR from 2021 to 2030. Healthcare apps are a key part of this technology. For example, if you have diabetes and use a cell phone app to help you monitor your blood sugar levels throughout the day, you’re using mHealth technology!

By the end of 2021, there are 320,000 mHealth apps available on the Internet. These apps require people to input large amounts of data manually. Some of these apps have artificial intelligence (AI) functionality that can help detect early signs of disease by analyzing collected data.

According to research, the most common uses for mHealth apps include:

●     Health and chronic disease management (41%)

●     Monitoring wellness (20%)

●     Tracking fitness (18%)

Types of Healthcare Applications

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines mobile health (mHealth) as “medical and public health practice supported by mobile devices, such as mobile phones, patient monitoring devices, personal digital assistants (PDAs), and other wireless devices.”

Mobile health apps fall into three main categories:

●     Apps that are used to monitor the health

●     Apps that are used to manage or treat a particular condition

●     Apps that aim to promote general health

There are many different types of mobile health apps, which are categorized based on their primary goal or function. Some common types of mobile apps include:

Diagnostic Applications

Diagnostic applications are the most popular category of mHealth apps, with a market penetration of 31%. The reason for their popularity is that users can self-diagnose medical conditions, which often means they don’t have to pay a visit to the doctor. (They can always make an appointment, but at least they’ll know what to ask about and how worried to be.)

There are two main types of diagnostic apps: symptom checkers and disease management apps. Symptom checkers are usually free and are designed to help users figure out what’s wrong with them based on the symptoms they’re experiencing. Disease management apps like Flaredown are essentially tracking tools for people living with long-term illnesses like diabetes, hypertension, and asthma. They help users monitor their health on a regular basis and track progress in managing their condition.

Monitoring Applications

Also called data collection apps, these are typically apps that track things like your daily calories burned or consumed, your moods over time, or how often you brush your teeth. They can also include things like reminder notifications if your doctor has suggested that you take regular medication throughout the day or have scheduled appointments coming up. These monitoring apps allow you to quickly see trends in your diet or exercise habits so that you can make changes accordingly.

Health monitoring apps like Instant Heart Rate provide real-time data about things like blood pressure, heart rate, glucose levels, and sleep; in some cases, monitoring apps are integrated with medical devices and offer a continuous stream of biometric data (e.g., blood pressure monitors).

Information Applications

An information application is a mobile health application that provides the user with information only. These apps don’t record or track any data, but rather just provide information to users in order to help them better understand their health or a certain condition. These types of apps are most useful when they are provided by an expert source (such as a government agency).

Several examples of these apps include:

●     Apps that tell you how many calories are in the food you’re about to eat

●     Apps that teach you how to do specific yoga poses

Intervention Applications

Intervention applications help users understand what they can do to change certain behaviors or habits. For example, a smoking cessation app might offer tips for how to quit smoking, as well as reminders to not smoke and help with stress management.

A chart showing Healthcare App categories with the highest global market potential (2016-2022) Source

Predicting The Future of Healthcare Apps

The future of healthcare apps is now. Information has always been the lifeblood of medicine, and the Internet has enabled an explosion in medical information. Today’s healthcare apps allow busy doctors to access real-time patient data from anywhere, helping them ensure that patients are receiving quality care at all times.

These applications are growing in number, and the future is promising for both patients and healthcare mobile app design and development consultants.

According to insights from eMarketer, about 30% of adult smartphone owners in the United States used a health or fitness app monthly in 2020—that’s about 87 million people. This number is expected to remain relatively stable in the next three years.

A graph showing the trends of Healthcare Apps in USA (2018-2022) [source]

The future of healthcare apps will ultimately depend on how well, apps can respond to the patient’s needs.

BUT…

Do we have some amazing technology that can help fill the healthcare gap in the coming years? Let’s gain some insights into where medical apps are heading.

Artificial Intelligence

Artificial intelligence (AI) is getting better than ever at diagnosing medical conditions. It can identify patterns in medical data and then diagnose patients based on those patterns—which makes it an incredibly powerful resource for physicians. AI is likely to be particularly useful when working with a high volume of patients, as the potential for error usually increases as the number of interactions increases. AI could help physicians avoid making mistakes and keep patients safe.

Patients should also benefit from AI in the future of healthcare applications. One example of this is natural language processing (NLP). In NLP, systems are designed to analyze, understand, and extract information from human speech. This is exactly what IBM’s Watson Health does: a doctor can ask Watson questions about a patient’s symptoms or condition, and Watson will be able to give them rapid feedback based on the information he has been fed through his database of journals and studies. This can save doctors precious time while they’re trying to give patients the care they need.

Think of going to the nearby clinic, where you are greeted by a little machine that takes your blood pressure and gives a preliminary diagnosis. You only see the doctor if there is something unusual about the results. When you think about it, this makes perfect sense. That said, there are more advanced applications of artificial intelligence in medicine on the horizon. According to health care experts, AI will soon be able to:

●     Predict cancer risks

●     Prescribe medication (not just tell you what you should take)

●     Diagnose illness using images and symptoms

An example of AI in action:

Let’s assume you’re running a fever, but have no idea why. You head to your doctor’s office, and before you even know what’s happening, your nurse tells you that she’s tested you for the flu and strep throat, and has already sent off a blood sample to be analyzed for a number of other potential illnesses. You ask her how she knew to test you for all of those things, and she tells you that it’s because of your medical history (which is all contained in your patient record) and symptoms that are stored in your iPhone app.

This is just one example of how AI is making healthcare more efficient: by helping doctors identify the right tests to order based on patient data that has already been collected. The next step will be training AI agents to make personalized recommendations based on similar patients’ health histories and diagnoses. Imagine telling your phone about your symptoms—and having it tell you what kind of medication might help!

Blockchains

Since the coronavirus pandemic began, there have been more than 40 million patient records compromised in incidents reported to the federal government in 2021. Many healthcare providers are unprepared for the changing threat landscape and increasing sophistication of hackers, leaving their patient data at risk of being compromised.

Therefore…

Blockchains are going to play a major role in the future of healthcare apps. They are already being used for functions like maintaining and verifying medical records, and we have only just scratched the surface of their potential.

One of the great benefits that blockchains will provide is more thorough data analysis and better recordkeeping. Blockchains allow for speedy, secure data collection from across many different sources, leading to more comprehensive patient histories. This can not only help with treatment decisions but also with developing new medical technology by analyzing trends across large datasets.

The other boon offered by blockchains is secure data sharing. Medical records are some of the most sensitive information out there, and making sure that they are protected is crucial. Blockchains offer a secure way to share records across multiple providers while preventing users from improperly accessing or modifying them without proper permissions.

This kind of security will be especially important as telehealth grows in popularity. Telehealth allows patients to receive care remotely using apps or video chat services, and its growing popularity means that it’s more important than ever to ensure that patient records remain private and properly secured.

VR/AR

Virtual and augmented reality technology will be used in healthcare apps to provide a better patient experience, increase compliance with treatment, and improve patient outcomes. It will also give doctors more insight into their patients’ health. There are several interesting ways VR/AR technology will be used in healthcare apps.

Creating Content That Fosters Greater Understanding

A patient can use an augmented reality app to get a first-person look at what is happening inside their body while they undergo a procedure. The doctor can also use the app to explain what is happening during the operation and why it needs to be done. By using an augmented reality app, patients can feel more informed about their health and be more involved in their treatment decisions.

Advanced Visual Systems Helps Train Surgeons

Virtual and augmented reality technology is also useful for training doctors and nurses. With simulated scenarios, students can get hands-on experience without putting themselves or real patients at risk of making mistakes. They can learn how to treat different conditions and perform procedures without having to practice on real patients until they have mastered the skills needed for the job.

A Tool For Patient Entertainment

One of the most well-known uses of VR is its ability to help patients “escape” from the discomfort or anxiety of their current situation by immersing them in a completely different world.

For example, if someone is undergoing radiation therapy, they would typically be laying in one spot for an extended period while a machine moved around them, blasting them with radiation. Now, a VR app could put the patient “inside” their favorite movie or on a beach in Tahiti, making the process much less unpleasant for the patient. There are many other ways VR can be used by healthcare companies; some of these include surgical simulations, visual aids for doctors and patients to communicate more effectively, and even helping with prescriptions.

Allowing Patients To See Results And Changes On Screen

It helps patients visualize their conditions. For example, if you have multiple sclerosis, you can use VR to see what your brain looks like now, and what it would look like if you do not get treatment. Research shows that patients are more likely to take action when they can visualize the benefits of doing so.

Another example is, if you’re receiving chemotherapy treatments, there are VR apps that help you visualize your body becoming healthy again and provide other positive imagery to encourage you through the process.

Telemedicine

Telemedicine will be the future of healthcare applications. In fact, the market for telemedicine—or virtual consultations—is expected to reach $186.5bn by 2026.

Modality Systems’ OneConsultation (a telemedicine software) has been hosting virtual consultations for over three years and has hosted over 100,000 calls in 2021, with an average of 832 calls a day with the NHS alone!

More and more people are having access to smartphones and doctors can easily connect with their clients through this medium. This is particularly useful for doctors who are based in remote areas where it is difficult to see patients in person. These doctors can see the patient via teleconference or video call, which is a huge boon for those who do not have easy access to a telephone or reliable internet connection. Also, if you’re stuck at home, this would be much more convenient than having to take time off work to travel all the way into town just so that you can visit your doctor’s office!

The best part about telemedicine is that it will allow patients to have more control over their own health care decisions by providing them with access to medical information whenever they need it. In addition, this type of technology has potential benefits for those who live in rural areas where there may not be enough physicians available locally. This means that people will be able to get treatment from specialists without having to leave their homes or take time away from work because they’re traveling hundreds of miles just so they can see someone in person!

Internet of Things (IoT)

With the advent of the Internet of Things or IoT, our lives have become easier than ever before. IoT is basically a network of devices that are connected to the internet and can communicate with each other. This new technology has ushered in a new era of convenience, permeating almost all of our daily activities—including healthcare.

Here’s how it works: sensors embedded in medical equipment measure your vitals and send alerts that are processed by your personal assistant, which alerts you to potential problems. This equipment can also be used to monitor patients who may be at risk for health issues or elderly patients who live alone.

In addition, IoT integration has also made it possible for doctors to monitor their patients remotely and collect data about their experience with treatment. While this may seem like just a cool new way for doctors to keep track of you, it actually has serious implications for patient care. For instance, if a doctor knows what kinds of questions his patient has asked while using his app, he will know exactly what’s on her mind when she comes in for an appointment—and that information can help him better manage her condition.

All of this will be done using wearable devices that are connected with the hospital management system.

For example: Take a patient who has an issue related to blood pressure. He visits a doctor and after proper analysis, the doctor prescribes medicines to control blood pressure. The patient wears a smart band while going home. The band has sensors that can measure blood pressure and send data directly to the hospital management system. If there are any issues in controlling blood pressure then the hospital staff will automatically get notified regarding this issue. They will contact the patient and ask him/her to visit again or give instructions over phone call according to issue severity.

Some Famous Healthcare Apps

These are some health care apps that are currently operational and making their way into the market. However, we might only be looking at the tip of the iceberg as more and more advanced health care apps will be coming out with more sophisticated technologies in the future.

Doctor on Demand

Doctor on Demand is an online platform that allows patients to consult with healthcare providers via video chat directly from their phones. It’s based in San Francisco, California, and boasts $74 million in funding and nearly $12 million in annual revenue.

2nd.MD

2nd.MD is an online platform that lets patients consult with healthcare providers. This is great when you have a non-emergency health issue, as well as if you want to get a second opinion on your diagnosis or treatment plan. This app was founded in 2011 but has still managed to attract $2.29 million in investment just last year—a testament to its success and popularity among users.

Amwell

Amwell is an online platform that lets you have on-demand video visits with doctors who can diagnose and treat many common ailments. It’s supported by American Well, which has been in the telehealth business for more than a decade and has worked with top healthcare providers across the country. Amwell is dedicated to making it easier for people to get quality health care without having to deal with long wait times and congested waiting rooms. Amwell doctors are available 24/7, 365 days a year, and in some areas, patients can even get prescriptions delivered straight to their door.

Monetization of Healthcare Apps

The healthcare industry is in the midst of a digital transformation that has left many wondering how to translate their efforts into revenue. You may be familiar with the various monetization methods that have been implemented by companies of all sizes, but you may also be asking: “How will we be able to monetize our digital presence?”

This is a burning question that we are asked frequently, so let’s take a closer look at some of the most popular ways to monetize your healthcare app.

In-App Ads

Monetize your mHealth app with in-app ads. Just like you can make a living off of your blog or YouTube channel, you can make money from your mobile health app by incorporating ads into the app experience. The trick is to not let the ads feel like an intrusion into the user’s health-seeking experience. Instead, think of it as a natural extension of the kind of content that would appear on a website: relevant, engaging, and sometimes funny.

In-App Purchases

You can put certain features behind a paywall. For example, if you have a meditation app, you could have one type of meditation be free and another type cost money. Or maybe you have an app that helps people with anxiety and one of the features is a subscription to get daily affirmations via text message. This would be a great place to put a paywall because it’s something that users would really value and use every day.

Selling Information

If your mHealth app helps people track their mental health, you could sell their data to other companies or research institutions that are interested in the data. However, this is only ethical if you get the user’s consent beforehand!

Subscriptions

This is when your users pay a regular amount of money to access specific features of your app. For example, they might pay as little as 99 cents a week to use all the features in your app, or they might pay $10 a month for unlimited access to only one feature.

Some examples of apps that use this model include: fitness training apps like Map My Fitness, meditation and mental health apps like Calm, and sleep tracking apps like Sleep Cycle.

In order to make this work for you, you have to have a great product (obviously), a loyal customer base that keeps coming back for more of your awesome product, and a service that can’t be rendered obsolete by anything else on the market.

Freemium Model

If you offer a basic app for free and charge for more advanced features like additional content or in-app purchases, then your users may be more likely to upgrade and pay for premium content. For example, fitness apps can offer a premium service with personalized workout plans from certified trainers.

Sponsorship Deals

Offering sponsorship deals provides another means of monetizing mHealth apps. This works best if you have a large number of users who will see the sponsored content within your app, which increases engagement and exposure to the sponsor’s brand or product.

Partnership with healthcare organizations

There are many healthcare organizations looking to use technology to reach out to as many patients as possible. You can partner with these organizations and allow them to promote their services within your app for money.

Best Technology Solutions for Building Future Healthcare Apps

Software and mobile device technologies are now enhancing day to day operations in the healthcare industry in ways which were not possible a decade ago. The use of these technologies are radically changing the face of the healthcare industry. It has become essential for physicians, doctors and surgeons as well as others associated with the medical industry to be aware about these technologies. Also, with new laws such as HIPAA reforms, there has been an increased awareness of patient data security; hence a more secure system is now required.

Drupal

Drupal is the only technology that provides a healthcare experience that complies with HIPAA standards. HIPAA compliance requires strict adherence to privacy and security regulations, and Drupal provides built-in functions that make meeting these requirements simple.

With Drupal, your website can be configured to hold information in such a way that it can’t be lost, stolen, or shared without authorization—and if you do need to share data, you can make sure it’s done securely.

Additionally, Drupal has a strong community of developers who are familiar with the unique needs of healthcare applications and websites, including the specific requirements of HIPAA compliance.

Backend-as-a-Service (BaaS)

With BaaS, the patient is always at the center of care. With BaaS, you can easily develop applications that will help put you at the forefront of technology in the field of healthcare.

By using BaaS to create applications for your healthcare organization, you’re giving your patients a way to access their data anywhere and at any time. You’re also giving them a way to communicate directly with their providers and engage in their care plans. And as an added bonus, you’ll be able to use real-time data collection to improve your treatments.

According to healthcare media experts like HIT INFRASTRUCTURE, “EHR integration can be complex and costly, making it hard to deploy an App. BaaS can cut costs and smooth the process.”

BaaS takes care of all of your server-side needs: creating databases, storing data, and setting up push notifications. This makes it the perfect technology for creating solutions that rely on data storage, like those in the healthcare industry.

For example, when creating an application for managing patient information and records, it is essential to have a reliable database that can be accessed and updated by multiple users without causing any issues (like duplicate records). By using BaaS instead of building your own backend from scratch, you are guaranteed to have everything set up correctly—and you won’t waste your time coding something that already exists.

Low Code Development Platforms (LCDP)

Low-code platforms can help healthcare organizations develop and deploy applications faster, meet new compliance requirements, and enhance the capabilities of their existing applications. Low-code platforms combine a visual development environment with pre-built components, connectors, and templates so that business users can easily create applications that cut across many different functions or departments.

By using low-code tools, organizations can accelerate application development and dramatically reduce the time it takes to build and deploy an app. IT staff can use low-code tools to quickly build apps for internal operations and then rapidly configure those apps for external clients or patients.

And when regulations change, healthcare organizations can use low-code tools to quickly modify applications to meet new requirements. With the drag-and-drop interface of a low-code platform, developers can make changes or add new features in a fraction of the time it would normally take with traditional coding methods.

Because they work with existing systems and data sources, low-code platforms reduce complexity, eliminate the need for wholesale system replacements, and make it easy to integrate other technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), robotic process automation (RPA), and blockchain into your development projects.

Conclusion

With the surge of apps in the healthcare sector and the increasing use of smartphones among younger generations, the evolution and adoption of healthcare-related apps will most likely continue. More people all over the world will be able to benefit from easy access to vital health information, all at their fingertips. This is an exciting opportunity and one that both patients and healthcare services would greatly benefit from exploring further.

We at MpireSolutions are a leading app developer that provides high-end technology solutions to individuals, small and large medical firms in the US. We have successfully developed and deployed a number of successful healthcare applications for health businesses. Please contact us for more information on how we can help you with your Healthcare applications and softwares.