Complete Guide to Develop a Doctor Appointment Booking Application

Have you ever thought about how much loss missed appointments cause to the health sector in a year? According to ballpark estimates, the healthcare system loses more than US$ 150 billion due to patient no-shows. It proves how much there is a need to change the trends in bookings. It is the main reason for the popularity of doctor appointment booking software that eliminates this inconvenience to a larger extent.

The availability of such an application is also favorable from the patient’s point of time as they won’t have to deal with extended wait times. We have created a dedicated guide to develop a doctor appointment booking application with a proper explanation. Stick with the post to know why it is a perfect opportunity for healthcare professionals!

 

Espitalia is a telehealth app work on a worldwide level. Espitalia doctor appointment booking app is developed by Inventcolabs.

About Doctor Appointment Scheduling Software

A doctor’s job is very difficult due to limited time and an overwhelming set of duties for their work. They struggle to track their schedules and manage appointments with the patients. If they don’t fulfill their tasks within the stipulated time, the chances of low patient satisfaction increase.

The presence of a mobile application for booking appointments is beneficial for healthcare professionals in all types of divisions and niches in this industry. Whether a hospital or a health clinic, having an online doctor appointment system benefits everyone. The market for doctor appointments was nearly US$ 4.2 billion in 2021, which is expected to surpass US$ 10 billion by the next four years.

Although the trend for online consultation started many years ago, it is the COVID-19 pandemic that caused a huge surge in the digital healthcare market. More than 40% of total appointments are nowadays made using mobile applications. It proves how relevant doctor app development services have become in 2022.

Such a system is a golden chance to utilize this trend, make huge profits, and minimize losses as much as possible. It creates an opportunity for start-ups in the healthcare industry to start their business significantly, while established providers can use mobile apps to improve their services. This system can conveniently tackle the increasing need for better patient satisfaction.

Market Demands for Doctor Appointment App

The healthcare industry is divided into two categories- service providers and patients. Each of them demands an online doctor appointment system due to their potential requirements. We will talk about both prospects for giving the audience a better picture.

Service Providers

·   Profit Increase

Without any question, a mobile app will increase profits by a very wider margin for sure. Recent studies have proved that yearly spending on health-related applications may reach $6.2 trillion by 2028.

It proves healthcare app development service providers can boost their sales and increase profits in a way that traditional booking systems never will.

·  Huge Client Base

People’s approach to booking medical facilities has witnessed an incredible shift in the past two years. More than 65% of total patients prefer online bookings rather than calling on the hospital’s phone number.

In addition to scheduling appointments, the need for Doctor App Development Company has also increased due to online counseling and psychotherapy services. Healthcare service providers can widen their client base with such a system.

·  Boosting Administrative Efficiency

Medical appointment scheduling app boosts administrative efficiency by automating the booking process and minimizing the quantity of front desk staff.

Also, the chances of human error get eliminated thanks to the automated booking process used by the apps.  

·  Increased Patient Satisfaction

The modern generation believes “time is money” and prefers to contact hospitals online to confirm availability. They are ready to visit healthcare professionals more frequently when services are offered conveniently.

The booking system provided in appointment apps is welcomed by everyone with tight schedules who wants to do things as quickly as possible. The providers with online booking systems have a huge chance of better patient satisfaction rates.

Patients- Service Users

·  No Waiting in Queues

The patients can know their appointment time with a single tap on their mobile screens. It eliminates the need to stand in queues for long periods that are common in a traditional hospital environment.

There won’t be any waste of time from their precious schedule when a prior appointment is made.

·  Choices to Choose Doctor

A quality doctor appointment booking mobile app can manage a range of doctors. Many hospitals have different physicians for different services.

The software allows patients to conveniently select doctors according to their requirements and preferences.

·  24X7 Online Consultation

A doctor consultation app will ensure patients get emergency access to physicians at least online when the in-premises meeting isn’t possible. It also ensures they can stay in touch with their favorite doctors from any place across the world.

It not only strengthens the relationship between patient and doctor but also assists in better treatment.

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Features of Doctor Appointment Booking App

A detailed survey proves only 10% of total medical apps are equipped with vital and realistic features. An online doctor scheduling software system will only be preferred if it is unique and useful. We have a list of important features that will make it app convenient and useful for patients.

·  Doctor Profiles

Every doctor’s profile should have a data analysis feature that is updated regularly. The analytic data should be properly maintained and accessible 24X7 for the users. It must include details like licenses, experience, accreditation, etc.

Also, confirm the approximate appointment or treatment price in advance while booking for the extra convenience of patients.

·  Patient’s Profiles

The patient’s profiles hold equal importance as the doctor’s and should be added with proper amenities. It should give their treatment plan, medical reports, etc.

Cloudnine’s doctor booking app is the premier example of how it should be done. They have added columns for prescriptions, treatment, etc. in their patient’s profiles.

·  Online Prescriptions

The app should cope with the feature to allow patients to access e-prescriptions. Their trust also gets a boost when doctors give information and treatment plans digitally.

Buying medicines also becomes convenient as they can carry the reports on their smartphones whenever needed. The world is steadily moving towards digital prescriptions with few studies assuming an estimated rate of 60% in 2026.

· Scheduling

The scheduling feature is a very critical part that stays the utmost priority of any doctor mobile app development company. It is the core feature using which patients make the bookings.

It should involve fewer taps rather than the complicated process many apps have. The navigation system for dates and time slots should be transparent and convenient.

·  Telemedicine

This one is a must-have feature when someone wants to succeed in the healthcare industry nowadays. Also popular as online consultation, it is performed using chat or video calling between patients and doctors.

It has fully revolutionized the system allowing anyone to take health advice in the comfort of their room. On top of that, many people prefer to consult doctors digitally before meeting them in the clinic.

·  Numerous Payment Gateways

The system is moving towards digital payments quickly, especially in countries like the United States, India, and the United Kingdom. That’s why it is essential to have multiple payment APIs in the doctor appointment booking software to make things convenient for the users.

It allows them to make payments using various payment models, like digital wallets, credit cards, UPI, etc. Having multiple options give flexibility and security to the users while making payment.

·  Customer Support with Live Chat

A common mistake made while creating these apps isn’t integrating live chat options in the customer support system. The live chat access allows the patients to receive answers to their queries instantly rather than waiting for emails to get a response.

Also, try to integrate 24X7 live chat to increase trust and improve patients’ convenience.

·  GPS Tracking

The doctor appointment app development should include a GPS tracking feature to make it easy for users to locate doctors and health centers.

GPS tracking availability ensures reaching desired physicians becomes super easy for the users. It won’t only add convenience to the experience but also boost revenue significantly.

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What is the Development Process of a Doctor Scheduling Software?

If we talk about the various stages of developing a quality appointment app for doctors, we believe there is nothing like a golden bullet that can give instant results. There is a need to follow a proper process about which we have created a step-by-step guide for better implementation.

1. Clear Perception

Having a clear perception with proper information about prerequisites is an essential part of doctor appointment app development. It is like creating visuals of what is needed on every screen of the app. The developers should be clear about everything, whether it is about the design or the appointment system in the UI/UX.

Conducting user research to obtain important data to understand the major needs of the targeted audience. Also, it can be hugely beneficial for budgeting, methodology, and team setting while making the booking application.

2. Verifying Prototype

The prototype is the second most important thing to do while developing a doctor appointment app. The visuals of every screen in the app need to be created with features getting verified using a click-through system.

Many prototyping tools, ranging from Invision to Sketch and Adobe XD, can be used according to the requirements. The various graphs and wireframes must be assembled for various instances while creating such an application.

3.  Development Phase

The next stage in this process is the application development which needs to be completed by keeping rules set by AppStore and PlayStore in mind. Built a user interface that ensures a convenient navigation booking system with Tech Stack developers’ help. Give preference to applicants with comparative portfolios for mastery of the necessary stack.

There is a huge chance doctor appointment app might not look perfect, but it can be used as a beginning point for gathering feedback. It is a very useful phase allowing developers to know things that are working fine and what isn’t for the app.

4.  Testing Phase

Evaluating the work of a doctor appointment booking software can’t be done better than giving it a testing run before launching it for the users. The app should be released after performing various quality checks and tests to guarantee the perfect implementation.

A series of procedures should be performed in the test phase related to security, relapse, loads, and speed to know the real performance. Make the necessary changes if there is a need for improvements.

5.  App Launching & Maintenance

The time to make the grand debut arrives once all the issues found during the testing process get eliminated. However, the doctor appointment booking mobile app isn’t just about uploading to the PlayStore or AppStore.

The app needs to be maintained properly to obtain critical results. After all, the vendors will never wish the experience of their patients to get ruined due to technical glitches. Also, they shouldn’t face any trouble during the updating procedure. Make sure the app is updated regularly to stay ahead of your healthcare industry competitors.

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Cost to Develop Doctor Appointment App

There is a need for clear estimation to get started with the development process of a doctor appointment booking system. The cost to develop such an app depends on many prospects, like technology stack, revenue model, team members, feature list, and many more. This part will explain all the major factors in detail for better analysis.

·  Business Model

The best way to reimburse the cost of developing a doctor app is its revenue. So, it is essential to have a well-defined business model with an explanation of all major sources of revenue.

The major business models mostly used in the healthcare sector are in-app advertising, featured listing, and commission-based revenue. The developers can either opt for one or integrate all these to generate profits.

·  Complexity & Scaling Level

The complexity and scaling level greatly affect the cost of developing a doctor booking app. For example, if someone chooses to add a customized bill software system and telemedicine facility, the cost can increase to US$ 30,000.

On the other hand, adding medical history analysis and e-prescriptions can further increase the development cost. Furthermore, the advanced features that apps like Practo equipped can take cost up to US$ 100,000. 

·  Development Team

In the case of a start-up, it is ideal to go for freelancers or outsourcing agencies rather than hiring a proper in-house team for this work. The hourly charges of developers vary from $30 to $150, depending on the experience and capability level.

There are plenty of companies that can be hired to complete this job according to the budget plan. No matter which agency is selected, it is essential to have established communication for better results.

·  Advertising Cost

Marketing is one of the most important activities that must be performed to attain success in this business. There are over 400,000 healthcare apps in the market, but less than 15% are downloaded more than 5,000 times.

Only popular and well-known applications are downloaded most by the users on AppStore and PlayStore. There is a need for a proper marketing plan having social media promotion, celebrity endorsements, app store optimization, etc. It is strongly recommended to have a budget of at least US$ 10,000 for promotional work.

An average small-size doctor app can be made anywhere between US$ 10,000 & US$ 40,000. However, there might be a need for nearly US$ 500,000 to launch it on a larger scale.

To Conclude

We hope readers have all the information regarding the pathway to developing a doctor appointment scheduling software system. The knowledge gained here is enough to finalize the final model for the application. Several factors need to be evaluated and fulfilled for developing professional software.

Still, have a query regarding the doctor app development process? Connect with us to clear your doubts!

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FAQs

Q. How much time is needed to develop an online doctor scheduling software system?

Ans. On average, the development phase takes around 120 days to complete. However, the exact time depends on the number of team members, the feature list, functional properties, and other development parameters.

Q. Which Tech Stack is best for creating a doctor appointment app?

Ans. Although it greatly varies on the complexity and scaling factors, there are few popular tech stacks used for the healthcare industry. It includes MySQL, Angular, Swift, and Java. 

Q. What is the most important feature of a doctor booking application?

Ans. According to experts, protecting data confidentiality is the main feature every doctor app should have. It is essential to add security capabilities to keep the data secure to build users’ trust.

Q. Is it possible to develop a doctor appointment app with other healthcare services?

Ans. It is fine to provide other healthcare services, like diet plans, medicine information, etc. A good Medicine delivery app development company believes such solutions go hand in hand with the appointment system. They will always suggest integrating such solutions into the app.

Q. Which are the most important areas of the doctor appointment app?

Ans. The four areas that need the most emphasis while creating the appointment app are mobile app architecture, user interface product strategy, and app marketing.