Why are mobile health apps becoming so popular?
In one of the fastest-growing mobile sectors, there seem to be unlimited opportunities for anyone looking to own mobile health apps. Whether it’s creating an app to make a difference or simply as a money-making machine, there are plenty of subcategories within the mHealth industry.
In this blog post we go through some of those subcategories, the market growth as well as some of the ways in which your future mobile health app can both make a difference and make money for your business.
Categories of mobile health apps
Mobile health apps include a lot of different subcategories. They range from more medical health apps to diet & nutrition apps.
- Diet and nutrition / Healthy living apps
- Weight loss coaching
- Sleep cycle analysis
- Menstrual period tracking
- Pregnancy tracker apps
- Medical advice and patient community
- Clinical and diagnostic apps
- Stress reduction and relaxation
- Remote monitoring apps
- Meditation
- Hospital selection and appointment management
Mobile health app market size
As mentioned previously, the mobile health app market is one of the fastest growing categories on both the Apple App store and the Google Play store. So much so, that the global mHealth app market size was valued at USD 40.05 billion in late 2020. Moreover, it is expected to grow at an annual growth rate of 17.7% from 2021 to 2028. Needless to say, that it is a good time to own a mobile health app.
Mobile health apps and solutions
According to the WHO, mHealth (mobile health) is “The practice of medicine and public health supported by mobile devices such as phones, patient monitoring devices, personal digital assistants and other wireless devices.” This not only includes lifestyle and wellness apps but also more medical-orientated apps for Doctors & Nurses.
How to monetise a mobile health app.
Not only can a mHealth app be a powerful tool for good, but it can also be very profitable for the app owner. Below we have highlighted just some of the many mobile monetisation strategies that apply to the mHealth world.
- Freemium
- Localised advertising campaigns
- Registration and subscription fees
- Promotions
- Monetising accumulated data
- In-app purchases
- Sponsorships
Mobile health apps: Opportunities.
Since the pandemic began, mobile health apps have had a key role for medical organisations, governments, and the public. However, it goes further than just creating a Covid-19 tracking app. In a wider sense, health apps can lead to new opportunities that tackle some of the hardest challenges that society faces:
- Online or remote consultations
- Electronic Health Records
- Mobile Data Tracking
- Wearable devices.
Wearable medical devices such as smartwatches are getting more and more popular as technology advances.
“According to Global Market Insights, the market for these products is expected to reach $87 billion by 2025, up from $8 billion in 2018. The iTBra, for example, can detect cancer in breast tissue, and the Apple Watch can track atrial fibrillation based on heartbeat data.”
A great example of wearable devices is Buddi. We worked on this project a while back and built the application to work alongside it’s wearable device that helped the elderly in emergency situations. See our project here.
The benefits of mobile health technology
Mobile health solutions can bring extremely positive outcomes for both patients and healthcare professionals. Key benefits include:
- Allowing doctors to keep consistent contact with their patients through virtual consultations, messages, and notifications.
- Allowing people across the world to access essential health information quickly, minimises the cost and time, such as hospital visits.
- Tracking symptoms in real-time
- Personalising health data and treatment programs.
- Reducing the spread of disease and infection by conducting virtual appointments
- Decreasing hospital costs
- Reducing waste and bettering the environment by going electronic.
Where do I start if I want a mobile health app for my business?
Understanding the steps you need to take when you’re planning an app can be daunting. The most important thing to do is determine the purpose and goal of your app. Once you have a clear idea of the what and the why, you can move on to the how.
To help businesses along this process, we created a free App Planner that is simple to understand and use and doesn’t require any previous knowledge about the app world. As developers, we often have to walk our clients through these steps. Our advice has been tried and tested and has helped business owners plan successful apps from start to finish.
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