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Building a successful healthcare app requires the right combination of technology, talent and market fit ideas!
Missing even a single ingredient is a recipe for disaster. This is especially true with healthcare apps where the regulations are extremely important.
As per Statista, healthcare mobile apps ranked at a 7th place in most popular apps. Here are the numbers that highlight the growing demand for healthcare apps.
Source- Statista
But the fundamental question still remains - Is React Native a suitable choice for healthcare?
Let’s look at the top 10 reasons to use React Native for healthcare apps.
Top 10 Reasons to Use React Native For Healthcare Apps
#1. Cross-Platform Compatibility Gives Access to Broad Audience
Before React Native, there was no way for cross-platform app development. So, in those days, you would have to invest in Android and iOS versions, which was costly and time-consuming.
Here is where Facebook came up with its own cross-platform app development framework called React Native. Today, it owns 44% of the market share in cross-platform apps.
In short, React Native combines the goodness of both worlds - ease of web development and the user experience of native mobile apps.
#2. React Native Component Libraries Speed Up Development
React Native has a vast ecosystem of libraries, components, and plugins readily available. These can significantly speed development by providing pre-built solutions for common healthcare app functionalities. Here are a few libraries that are ready to use.
- React Native Camera: Uses for document scanning, image capture, telemedicine consultations, etc.
- React Native Maps: Used to integrate maps and location-based services into your app.
- React Native WebView: Used to display web content within your healthcare apps, such as patient portals or telehealth platforms.
#3. Integrations With Electronic Health Records Eases Data Monitoring
React Native can be easily integrated with Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems, facilitating secure access to patient data, and ensuring seamless interactions between the app and healthcare providers' existing systems.
#4. Customizable UI/UX Lets You Tailor User Experiences
Every user will have a unique experience with your app. This makes it difficult to please users. The good news is, that React Native provides flexibility to create customized user interfaces and user experiences. In this way, you can tailor the app to user needs and keep them happy.
#5. API Components & Integrations
A healthcare app integration is a complex process. This includes the high cost of API development, data sharing and privacy issues, compliance with regulatory standards like HIPAA, etc.
Here, APIs play a key role. However, here too challenges like lack of standard data, fragmented systems, and absence of good developers may hinder the app's success.
Fortunately, React Native handles integrations and data privacy with ease, through the use of third-party libraries, stellar state management, and native modules!
#6. Save Costs with a Single Codebase
An average healthcare app starts from $50,000. So, it's definitely a costly affair. However, React Native’s single codebase and multiple platform philosophy cut costs to a large extent. Almost 90% of the code is reusable among iOS and Android platforms, reducing both development time and costs!
#7. Reusable Components
Writing components from scratch means more time spent in development. This unfortunately increases the app costs and maintenance. Fortunately, React Native is a huge proponent of reusing the components. It encourages developers to build reusable components that can be used in several parts of the apps.
#8. Scalability
Healthcare apps are one of the fastest-growing apps today. This means scalability must be on the front end during development. React Native is built for scalability and helps you expand your healthcare app as per demands.
#9. Rapid Prototyping
Imagine spending $100k on building an app only to find out there’s no demand for it, or the competition is too high! That’s what makes testing so essential. This is especially true for startups who have limited funds.
This is where React Native comes into the picture. Its rapid prototyping and iterative process enables you to quickly test app features and refine them based on user feedback.
#10. Good Security and Stability
Like any other platform, React Native focuses on security aspects like encryption, secure data storage, and user authentication, ensuring the safety of sensitive patient information. However, it's also essential to note that security also depends on how it is developed, configured, and maintained.
Also Read - Top React Native App Development Companies
Top Features of React Native for Healthcare Apps
1. Native-Like Performance
React Native is designed to provide near-native performance by using native components. This ensures that healthcare apps built with React Native are fast, responsive, and deliver a smooth user experience. Native-like performance is crucial for real-time health data monitoring, medical image rendering, and other performance-intensive tasks.
2. Modular Components
React Native encourages the use of modular components, making it easier to build, maintain, and update healthcare apps. These components can be reused across the app, streamlining development, and ensuring consistency in design and functionality.
3. Hot Reloading
Hot reloading allows developers to see the immediate effects of code changes without the need to rebuild the entire app. This feature accelerates the development and debugging process, which is particularly beneficial when fine-tuning features and user interfaces.
4. Push Notifications
Push notifications are essential for healthcare apps to send alerts, reminders, and critical health updates to patients and healthcare providers. React Native provides tools and libraries for implementing push notifications, ensuring timely communication between the app and its users.
Challenges of Using React Native in Healthcare Applications
While there are multiple benefits, there are some limitations that we need to consider so that you can proactively weigh all the potential pitfalls and work towards reducing their impact. Here are some potential challenges of using React Native in healthcare applications.
Challenge #1: Performance Issues
While creators have tried their best to make React Native highly performant, it can be less effective than the performance of native iOS or Android apps.
Challenge #2: High dependence on third-party libraries
It's no secret that React Native depends on third-party libraries to acquire native-like functionalities. This can create several bottlenecks, as the third-party libraries may not fulfill regulatory compliance like HIPAA.
Challenge #3: Limited React Native Component Libraries
Ready-made components are lacking in numbers, thus limiting development experience. Existing components are suitable only for simple apps. For any advanced functions, developers will have to build components from scratch. Although you can use third-party libraries, it's a risk that you may not want to take, because of the risk of bugs.
Now, that you are aware of challenges, it is important to also take a view of future trends before you jump into development. Trends keep changing with time. So, apps must also evolve with time to keep up with users' demands.
Let’s explore some future trends that healthcare React Native apps may see.
Top 3 Future Trends of React Native in Healthcare Apps
1. Metaverse in Healthcare
Metaverse is an augmented reality invented by Meta (formerly Facebook) React Native is also developed by Meta, so React Native apps will follow the Metaverse trend.
Already some metaverse healthcare products like Digbi Health, and Neurotrainer are changing the healthcare landscape and opening up new possibilities.
2. Internet of Medical Things (IoMT)
The Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) is an interconnected system of healthcare devices that can be remotely monitored. Benefits include better patient care, higher accuracy, and clear communication among all the parties.
The aging population and increasing prevalence of chronic diseases have created a greater demand for remote monitoring and healthcare management solutions. This is expected to drive the market growth over the forecast period.
As a result, React Native will develop apps for medical wearables and gadgets due to its cross-platform feature.
3. Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality Inclusions
According to Harvard business review, there is a 230% boost in the performance of Virtual Reality trained surgeons compared to others.
Similarly, AR is also empowering the healthcare sector in many ways. And the day is not far when React Native apps will have AR and VR functions. It's definitely one of the healthcare app trends, that you must prepare yourself for.
Conclusion:
React Native showcases huge promise in bringing change to the healthcare industry. Although the challenges of using React Native in healthcare applications cannot be ignored, the benefits outweigh them. The cost-cutting and speed of development coupled with the stability of the framework make it a huge plus for healthcare app development.
If you still have questions or need a reliable React Native App Development company, Clarion Technologies is here to help you. Backed by a talent pool of amazing React Native developers, we can help you accelerate your healthcare app development at the right time. Hire React Native App developers today!
FAQs
1. How is React Native for startups?
React Native is an excellent choice for startups due to incredible features like rapid prototyping, reusable components, and pre-made libraries. All of this speeds up development while cutting down costs.
2. What is different between Healthcare app and medical apps?
Fundamentally, healthcare and medical apps are two different things. A healthcare app is geared towards individuals like dietician, patients, doctors, fitness individuals, etc. Whereas medical apps are for practicing medicine and public health through mobile. An example of medical app is Fibricheck, which generates ECG reports.
