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You’re most likely part of the 93% of physicians who believe mobile health apps can help improve a patient’s health and your life a bit easier. It’s no surprise to you that 61% of smart phone users have downloaded a health app and are interested in improving their health. Although there are a plethora of applications to choose from, there are few with widespread industry adoption and even less that may be suited for your practice.

Using these 4 steps, you’ll be able to determine which applications are best for your business and how to get started implementing them.

1. ASSESS YOUR NEEDS

There is no one app fits all for primary care physicians. There are a variety of categories to choose from and determining which one to download can waste valuable time and/or money that could be spent helping patients. Begin narrowing down which applications you may use by asking yourself the following questions:

• What are my goals for my practice and for me as a physician?
• Where can patient care be improved in my office?
• What software do I currently use?
• Do my current software companies make complementary applications that can integrate with my current software and help me reach my goals?
• What features are absolutely necessary to make my business and patient care better?
2. EXPLORE SOME OF THE APP LEADERS IN EACH CATEGORY

Medical applications are very focused on serving a particular category and there is no single comprehensive software. After determining what your goals are, next explore which category or categories will help you obtain it.

Patient Communication and Education

These apps may be for you if you want to:

• Build trust with your patients
• Reduce no-shows with appointment reminders
• Have the ability to video chat and conduct consultations without the patient in-office
• Keep secure patient records including medical history, allergies, and lab results
• Understand a complete picture of a patient’s health by reviewing fitness tracker and medical device readings

Here is the side-by-side comparison of leading players in this field:

	eVisit	snapMD	Patient IO	Virtual Practice	Hale Health
HIPPA Compliant	X	X	X	X	X
Video chat	X	X		X	X
24/7 technical support	X	X	X	X	X
iOS app	X	X	X	X	X
Android app	X	X	X	X	X
Medical billing	X	X
Patient notification system (Alert messages to doctor)	X		X	X	X
Personal Health Records	X	X		X
PHR integration with existing EMR	X	X	X
Secure file sharing	X	X	X
Automated and personalized follow-up	X				X
Custom web portal	X			X
ePrescribe	X	X			X
Health articles and education for patients
Medical devices generating an audio or video feed can sync with platform (i.e. dermatoscope, stethoscope, otoscope)		X
Consent to treat form
Legal guardian authorization form		X
SOAP notes		X
White labeled (Doctor’s brand-their technology)		X
Secure messaging			X		X
Health plan verification		X
Appointment scheduling		X		X
Supports online payments				X
Analytics and practice management tools		X	X		X
eVisit verification and patient signature			X
Medication management			X
Family sharing accounts			X
Tailored health education for patients			X
Consumer wearables integration			X

Reference, Diagnosis Tools, and Point of Care Apps

These apps may be for you if you want to:

• Review your diagnosis by evaluating symptoms
• Sort information by demographic information
• Get a second diagnosis opinion from your peers
• Research medications, dosages, potential side-effects or drug interactions, and up-to-date information on new medications
• Have access to a medical calculator
• Learn about alternative healthcare solutions
• Learn about treatment plans based on big data analysis of large amount of episode data

Here is the side-by-side comparison of leading players in this field:

	Epocrates	Isabel	Medscape	John Hopkins ABX Guide
HIPPA Compliant	X	X
Disease information	X	X	X	X
Alternative medicine	X		X
24/7 technical support	X	X
iOS app	X	X	X	X
Android app	X	X	X
ICD-10 and CPT Codes	X
Infectious Disease Treatment	X
Labs	X
Drug information	X		X	X
Drug interaction check	X		X	X
Drug breakdown by costs				X
Pill ID	X		X
Clinical guidelines	X
AthenaText/ Secure text between colleagues for consultations	X
Tables	X
Integrates with AtheaHealth	X
EMR integration	X	X
Search engine-with demographic filters		X
Medical calculators			X
Formulary information			X
Earn continuing education credits			X

Continuing Education and Professional Development

These apps may be for you if you want to:

• Earn continuing education credits by reading articles
• Maintain your learning goals
• Collaborate with other doctors

	Doximity	UptoDate	Docphin
Medical journal articles	X		X
Send messages/fax to other doctors	X		X
HIPPA compliant	X
iOS app	X	X	X
Android app	X	X	X
Earn continuing education credits	X	X
Articles for patient education	X	X
Save articles as PDFs			X

3. COMPARE YOUR NEEDS TO EXISTING APPS

Compare existing applications to your list of needs. Are there a few apps that will work cohesively to help you achieve your goals? If so, great! Skip ahead to step 4 and your implementation checklist! If not, you may want to explore developing your own application. You can begin by contacting a developer in your local area or using a company who specializes in developing healthcare applications.

4. IMPLEMENT YOUR APPLICATION(S)

Integrating any new software into your practice will take research and patience for successful long-term results. Use the checklist below to keep the implementation on track and on (business value). Do not, “chase every shining object”.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Although there are many leading applications, they are developed for niche purposes. The fragmented market is confusing for physicians shopping for a, “turn-key” solution. The reality is that there is no single “THE solution” for healthcare providers. Physicians must determine if using existing apps in conjunction with their existing software will help them reach their business and patient care goals while maintaining a competitive advantage. Providers who seek a customized solution should consider hiring a developer to create a personalized app for their practice. Connect with someone in your local area who can develop apps or contact a company who specializes in healthcare to help you discover a solution for your business.

APPLICATION IMPLEMENTATION SEARCH CHECKLIST

• Contact the app developer for specific questions and implementation steps
• Document how the app will be used within the practice, and create training guides for staff to learn the app(s)
• Download the software
• Practice using the software according to your protocols
• Make adjustments or trouble-shoot before training staff
• Train your staff
• Introduce and educate your patients about the new software (if applicable i.e. PHR or patient communication apps)

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