Medical mobile applications, also known as mHealth apps, gained popularity post-pandemic, thanks to their assistance in early detection, fast screening, patient monitoring, information sharing, education, and treatment. But will medical applications continue expansion or lose prominence? 

According to Grand View Research, the interest in medical applications has not faded away. In 2021, more than 350,000 health applications were available in app stores. Valued at US$38.2 billion, the mHealth apps market is expected to expand at a CAGR of 11.8 per cent from 2022 to 2030. 

Here are some tips on medical app development to give secure the most viable solutions in healthcare:

Choose the right solution

The first step is to choose the type of app to develop. Here you need to understand what options are at your disposal and explore their characteristics:

Wellness apps

Wellness apps are not directly related to medicine. They comprise different solutions, from activity trackers to meditation apps. 

This category of mHealth apps is considered the most popular. For example, Statista reports that in 2022, Americans aged 18 to 60 invested in such solutions, and nutrition apps with 43 per cent became the leader. Somewhat behind them are sleep-tracking apps (34 per cent) and meditation apps (31 per cent). 

So how to make such applications successful? First, you need a solid understanding of the target audience, their needs, and the problems they face. 

In the case of wellness apps, the key user is an economically stable person who is mindful of their health and wellness. The only thing lacking is extra time. So to help them meet their personal goals with no additional time investments, you need to equip the app with a handy analytics solution. 

To fuel user interest and engagement, you can also add a competitive spirit – launch some challenges divided into tasks. For every resolved challenge users get a specific reward such as a thematic badge.

As the app hosts personal data, you should pay attention to information security. It is recommended to set up multi-factor authentication and ensure end-to-end data encryption. 

Therapeutic apps

The other subtype of mHealth apps is therapeutic apps. Such solutions help patients manage their diseases or conditions effectively and at a moderate cost. Those apps often aim at mental disorders like anxiety, depression, eating disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and other mental health issues.

As for the efficacy of such solutions, opinions differ. Some clinicians believe the apps are useless, while others state using an app is better than not getting treatment altogether. Nevertheless, the American Psychiatric Association (APA) takes those apps seriously. APA researchers developed the app evaluation model to help mental health practitioners choose an app for themselves and their patients. The model evaluates app safety and privacy, scientific evidence for its efficacy, user-friendliness, and interoperability.

Another promising field for therapeutic apps is physiotherapy. Today, there are a lot of mobile apps developed to facilitate home training for patients and exercise monitoring for doctors. Such apps make use of the camera and mobile device sensors. Some of them also employ AI to deliver an immersive experience to patients. Physiotherapeutic apps also offer some features that foster patient-provider cooperation. 

For example, with PT Timer, a physiotherapeutic app, patients can describe what went well and what did not when the training is complete. The app lets patients complete their programs smoothly while following their health therapist's instructions.

Chronic condition management apps

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), six in 10 Americans live with a chronic disease, and four in 10 have more than one condition. Besides, the number of people of different ages with chronic diseases is rising annually. 

Hence, developing a solution catering to that group can be a good investment. Symptom trackers, educational materials, health diaries, and other handy helpers are popular in this area. Such applications help patients be in control of their condition. As a rule, the apps have personalised drug reminders to help patients follow their drug regimens. 

It also makes sense to set up a vendor-agnostic integration with devices for tracking vitals. Such apps also have an analytic solution that assists patients and doctors with tracking their health data over time and identifying various trends and patterns. 

The solution can also assist patients with shifting to healthy lifestyles with the help of customised reports regarding different non-clinical data. 

Last not least, chronic condition management apps help patients reduce their healthcare spending. In some cases, reaching out to the doctor to ask a question is enough, with no further consultation required. 

Can mHealth solutions bring more harm than good?

At times apps designed to help can turn dangerous. That is not only about chronic condition management apps but also about solutions for relatively healthy people. 

For example, an article published in JAMIA in February 2020 investigated safety concerns. The researchers studied over 74 publications describing mobile apps of this kind and found that 80 per cent of those contained 80 potential health risks. 

Eighty-three per cent of those risks covered health information an app provided. It was either incorrect or incomplete. Moreover, some apps prompt users to risky behaviour. For instance, an app for monitoring alcohol consumption offered users data on how much more alcohol they could take before their driving ability was affected.

To prevent providing erroneous or dubious recommendations, you need to have qualified medical professionals reviewing your app content. Professional medical consultants can help you ensure your application provides benefits and does not contain any harm.

Conclusion

Given the growing popularity of mobile medical applications, the interest in them from providers, users, and developers is also growing. But how to choose which project to launch? 

You need to explore the options available and weigh the potential hurdles that each one presents. The main risk shared by all mHealth applications is the potential danger to users. That occurs when industry specialists are not involved in the development. Without careful review and approval by medical professionals, the project may bring financial losses and litigation.

Therefore, it is always better to have an expert by your side to proceed with building effective and safe mHealth solutions. 

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Inga Shugalo is a US-based Healthcare Industry Analyst at Itransition: Software Development Company.

Innovative techniques, such as applying the world’s bitterest substance Bitrex to button batteries, are being used to prevent accidental ingestion by children, which, if left untreated, can have serious consequences.

Globally, the incidents of accidental ingestion of batteries by children have been on the rise. Experts say that the damage can start within just two hours of ingestion. In the US alone, from 2010 through 2019, a team of researchers from Safe Kids Worldwide and Nationwide Children’s Hospital, revealed that every 75 minutes a child under the age of 18 years visited an emergency department for a battery-related injury – more than twice the frequency reported in a previous study looking at data from 1990 through 2009.

Also, as per National Battery Ingestion Hotline Biennial Report Biennial Report (July 2014-June 2016), more than 90 per cent of cell ingestions occurred due to loose or in-device batteries and more than 50 per cent of ingestions by children younger than six-years-old.

Statistics from just one children’s hospital in the UAE show a similar trend. According to doctors from Al Jalila Children’s Specialty Hospital, the number of kids suffering from fatal aero-digestive disorders or who have ingested potentially lethal substances has significantly increased.

In 2021, the hospital reported as many as 13 cases of battery removal from the airway or digestive tract of children who have swallowed button batteries and magnetic ball toys. These procedures required endoscopy as most of them needed prolonged hospitalisation and abdominal surgeries from bowel perforations. This year, there have been at least 20 cases reported to date.

Last year Duracell introduced the Child Secure Technology and applied a non-toxic thin coating of Bitrex, which according to the Guinness World Records is the world’s bitterest substance - on the back of the 20 mm lithium coin cell.

Amer Afifi, GM of Duracell Middle East, said that as the number of devices that require lithium coin batteries rises, the child safety risk associated with coin battery ingestion also grows accordingly.

“It is more important than ever to remind parents not to forget batteries when it comes to child safety,” he said. The coating is available in the most used lithium coin cells: 2032, 2025, and 2016.

How does the technique work?

Duracell 20mm lithium coin cells come with double blister child-resistant packaging, making it almost impossible for young children to open the pack with bare hands. But as more than 90 per cent of incidents happen due to loose or in-device lithium coins, the company started using Bitrex in the shape of a full ring, applied to the back of the cell. When the bitterant comes in contact with saliva, it immediately affects the different taste receptors on the tongue which send a signal to the brain. Young children have more sensitive taste buds than adults and so are more particularly sensitive to bitter taste. The brain then identifies the bitter taste as a potential toxic and sends a signal back to the body prompting the child to spit the battery out. The physical reaction is instinctive, which reduces the risk of ingestion.

However, only a global regulatory move can ensure mass production.

“Majority of batteries sold in the Middle East do not use this technology. Until we see a wider industry or regulatory move, it will be hard to judge the impact,” said Afifi.

To raise further awareness among parents and caregivers, the company has collaborated with Dubai-based Al Jalila Children’s Specialty Hospital and launched a series of initiatives such as educational workshops, on-ground activations, and talks from medical professionals.

Dr. Christos Tzivinikos, Consultant Paediatric Gastroenterologist, Al Jalila Children’s Specialty Hospital, explained that button battery ingestion (BBI) can cause damage in as little as two hours and can also be fatal if not recognised early and treated promptly.

“Toddlers are at the greatest risk due to their curious nature and that they are unaware of the dangers. Many coin-sized button batteries can appear ‘invisible’ to parents as they are pre-installed in devices. It is advisable to search your home for any products that might contain button batteries and to keep gadgets out of little children's sight and reach. Keep loose or spare batteries locked away and continue to share life-saving information with caregivers, friends, family members and sitters,” said Dr. Tzivinikos.

The European Society of Paediatric Gastroenterology Hepatology and Nutrition (ESPGHAN) Button Battery Ingestion Taskforce of which Dr. Tzivinikos is a member, has published a guide for clinicians and parents as part of its International Button Battery Awareness Day initiative.

The EPSGHAN button battery ingestion task force collaborated with European Portable Battery Association (EPBA) and industries in Europe with MEPs to promote awareness and lobby for an awareness symposium in European Parliament. The task force also organised the international BBI day on June 12, 2022 with support from five MEPs and gained support from Jo Gideon, MP in the UK via a dedicated button battery ingestion meeting in UK Parliament to launch a foundation to promote BBI awareness in the UK.

ESPGHAN has also received official endorsement resources from the Saudi Arabian Society for PGHAN (SASPGHAN) and Croatian National Society (HDPGH).

The term ‘patient-centred’ has been buzzing around healthcare circles for many years but delving deeper into how that is accomplished requires more than mapping out plans that aim to meet the promise of compassionate care. It also means taking consistent and actionable steps that cater to the patient reality of today and tomorrow.

Patients’ expectations today, especially within the context of serious and complex care, have never been higher and with that truth in mind, healthcare professionals must recognise this need and do everything in their power so that world-class premium care is delivered.

Related: Why let inadequate tech interfere with patient care?

Being patient-centric is when care professionals possess the skills and capacity to holistically understand a patient’s physical case, emotional pain points and all other ailments. Being innovative in this fundamental regard starts with having a constant growth mindset. That begins with knowing everything there is to know about a patient’s case as they seek treatment from a premium care facility.

Adopting a proactive approach to delivering an exceptional patient experience 

Delivering an unmatched patient experience requires proactive and deliberate steps to build a trusted relationship with patients. While healthcare delivery must be task-oriented and transactional to drive results, it is essential that patients are placed at the centre of the care that is being delivered.

Related: Patient satisfaction key in shaping overall positive healthcare outcomes

Dr. Matthew T. Gettman, Urologic Surgeon and Chief Medical Officer (CMO) at Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City (SSMC)

 

According to performance coach and business advisor, Joe Calloway, Author of the bestselling book ‘Becoming a Category of One’, knowing everything there is to know about the person you are providing care to is essential to distinguish your offering and reaching a new benchmark in patient experience.

When doctors exercise good listening and communication skills during consultations, they can unlock important information about patients’ social and personal circumstances, which can be factored into the recommended treatment course. For instance, questions such as “what does the patient fear may be the problem?” or “what is the patient hoping to achieve from the consultation?” can help doctors achieve a holistic view of patients, their needs and problems. This is even more important in a complex care setting; studies indicate that effective communication can prevent over 70 per cent of medical errors in the Emergency Department.

A productive conversation with a patient can strengthen the doctor-patient relationship significantly by increasing trust and patient experience, according to a 2018 study in the Journal of Patient Experience. Interestingly, a deeper doctor-patient relationship can have an extraordinary ripple effect on patient outcomes. Recent studies show that it leads to finer care practice, stronger patient cooperation, self-management, treatment adherence and overall patient empowerment.

Becoming a change agent and instilling the ‘Category of One’ mindset

While applying a ‘Category of One’ mindset is a winning formula to deliver a premium patient experience, implementing it across a large healthcare organisation is less evident. Building a hospital culture that promotes holistic and trusted care requires an all-round shift to an integrated, team-based and patient-centred care model. It is also essential to garnering an educational culture where every single person involved in the patient journey is attuned to what the patient is experiencing at every step of their treatment plan.

Leveraging their patient experience offices, hospitals can play a leading role in creating functional trainings that teach staff how to be empathic and focused on personal touch. A hospital’s patient experience department can also create a caring environment that is focused on the holistic approach by introducing transformation projects.  

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Dr. Matthew T. Gettman, M.D., F.A.C.S. is a Urologic Surgeon and the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) at Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City (SSMC).

According to healthcare experts, updated stroke guidelines and newer-generation medication have made stroke clinical management more convenient.

The NCD Alliance, World Stroke Organization and American Stroke Association recently published an update to their policy brief, ‘Acting on stroke and non-communicable diseases: preventing and responding to stroke to work towards universal health coverage’. This was conducted as part of their efforts to address the global and individual impact of stroke within the broader Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) response.

The newly updated policy brief focuses on the stroke and NCD response in light of the Covid-19 pandemic and provides evidence-based recommendations to healthcare providers, policymakers and civil society across the stroke continuum of care, from prevention to treatment and rehabilitation, as they work towards Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and other Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) targets.

In the UAE, updated guidelines have focused on several areas. Dr. Haider Ali, Consultant Family Medicine at Medcare Medical Centre Town Square, explained: “The new guidelines have updated information about several areas such as what clinical scenarios to consider for rapid blood pressure lowering therapy. The use of neuroimaging markers alongside clinical markers helps determine risks of haematoma (clot) expansion and helps guide management as well as instructions to hospital physicians to the lack of evidence of compression stockings, corticosteroids, and hyperosmolar fluid.”

He said that Tenecteplase, a newer-generation medication administered through a single injection into a blocked blood vessel has proved to be a game changer. “Previously we were reliant on another medication (alteplase) which needed an hour-long infusion following its injection into the affected blood vessel(s). The fantastic news with Tenecteplase is that we found it caused half as many serious complications when compared to the previously relied upon medication,” he explained.

Dr. Ali also said that those who had this newer treatment were far less likely to need further procedures to remove the brain clot that caused the stroke in the first place (thrombectomy).

Stroke remains the world’s second leading cause of mortality accounting for 6.6 million deaths a year. It is also the third leading cause of disability. Over 100 million people in the world currently live with the impact of stroke, which can include devastating loss of mobility, cognition and communication as well as negative effects on mental health, social inclusion, and income.

With the global lifetime risk of stroke standing at one in four (an increase from one in six just a decade ago), it is shocking that only 38 per cent of governments around the world report having a national strategy to specifically address stroke, and that only three per cent have identified resources to deliver it. Meanwhile, the upward trajectory of stroke continues, driven by an increased incidence in low- and middle-income countries where public stroke care systems are often underdeveloped.

With an estimated global cost of about US$1 trillion per year, stroke represents a significant brake on international and national efforts to develop sustainable economic growth. Government action remains too slow and investment remains too low, especially when every US$1 spent on stroke prevention yields a return on investment of over US$10.

The statistics are not any different in the UAE where between 8,000 and 10,000 people suffer a stroke annually. It is also estimated that around half of all stroke patients are below the age of 45 compared to figures internationally where 80 per cent of those suffering a stroke are aged 65 or over. “In the UAE, strokes are one of the main causes of disability other than road traffic accidents,’ said Dr. Ali.

He also said that the UAE has an advanced medical infrastructure that allows for rapid investigation and treatment to be possible for life-threatening, and potentially life-changing conditions such as stroke.

“We need to continue working on educating the population on the risk factors for stroke and cardiovascular disease to reduce the incidence we have in the UAE.”

Given the existing backdrop on NCD and stroke mortality, it is imperative that health systems reorient from a single disease approach to integrated care packages across multiple NCDs through a holistic person-centred approach. The integration of NCDs into UHC must be at the core of national and global preparedness for future health threats. UHC ensures financial protection from high out-of-pocket payments and aims to leave no one behind, prioritising marginalised communities, according to the new policy update by the World Stroke Organisation.