Future of healthcare apps
We recently had a chance to attend the Hacking Health cafe in July, and felt so inspired by the keynote speaker, Dr Zayna Khayat.
The way Dr. Khayat explained the upcoming changes in healthcare sector were well-organized, and relevant to various stakeholders including app designers and developers. Here are some of Dr. Khayat’s advice for healthcare apps or other small size technologies/solutions (or the way I interpreted them).
Use more metrics:
Apps need better metrics than just the number of downloads. Although there are more detailed metrics that evaluate an app’s success, new types of metrics need to be conceptualized and implemented.
At this point, here are some links about existing metrics. I will write up another article dedicated about this.
Be the part of a bigger system:
However, current metrics still focus on users’ interaction rather than provide a bigger picture of how an app can be integrated and create user values in a larger system. Dr. Khayat argues this as well, since the common struggle for apps is to find a way to be embedded in an expanding network.
To develop an app, we should focus on specific challenges otherwise nothing will get done. However, too many apps are being produced with “tunnel vision”. As of now, app advocates need to review where we are, and clarify what users or a large system would get out of the app’s projects.
Image from Rotman School of Business
Bonus! A great reading cited in Dr. Khayat’s presentation: Healthcare’s new entrants by PWC. This article summarizes how the healthcare market is shifting to be more customer-centered. The content in the article mostly reflects US markets and its healthcare system though.