DEV Community: Natalia-Joseph

Healthcare App Development — Leading The Way To A Healthier Lifestyle

Natalia-Joseph — Fri, 22 Nov 2019 05:32:08 +0000

Technological development is an aspect of any fledgling business. Keeping up with changing technology is an important step in making your business venture a successful one. The healthcare industry is no different. Technology has helped humanity combat numerous diseases and has raised our life expectancy and quality of living to new heights.

With the advent of mobile application technology, this trend has continued to prosper and grow. Healthcare apps have revitalized the medical industry by allowing patients and doctors to perform tasks in an easier and more efficient way.

Healthcare app development has become a full-fledged industry aimed at both patients and doctors as well as healthcare professionals in a more administrative role. There are thousands of healthcare apps available in the market, providing various types of services from monitoring fitness to apps aimed at food and nutrition to ones that help the elderly take timely medications.

And the best part is that most of these apps are free.

It’s no wonder that people are downloading healthcare applications at a record rate than ever before. Healthcare mobile apps are expected to garner a revenue close to 60 billion dollars by 2020. That is a huge step up from years prior.

This trend is here to stay as the younger generation is more inclined towards using technology to solve their issues. But not just the youth, a survey conducted worldwide says that over 75 % of users see technology as a vital part of their healthcare regimen.

This indicates that most consumers are excited by the benefits that healthcare app development has to offer them.

The spurt of growth in this fledgling sector provides a wonderful opportunity for another group of people — entrepreneurs. With estimates and reports suggesting such a healthy future, there has never been a better time to invest in healthcare app development.

With such a diverse range of choices to choose from, the marketplace is set up perfectly for opportune investment. There are many different types of healthcare applications that one can choose to invest in.

For example, some of the most widely used types of healthcare apps are

Emergency apps — designed to provide immediate care/tips and guide the user to the nearest hospital or medical professional.

Lifestyle apps — this section encompasses even more types of apps under it. (diet and fitness, healthcare tips, etc)

Reminder apps — designed to remind the elderly (and the forgetful) about medicine intake and appointments.

Consultation apps — a useful app that lets you check in with your doctor through video call or text and get real-time advice.

These are all useful applications that have a wide variety of benefits. However, entrepreneurs should look towards the future and bet on apps that are not yet widely known but are at the forefront of current technology.

Let’s take a quick look at some of these apps.

Artificial Intelligence Integrated Applications

In many cases, AI provides a more accurate and timely diagnosis than humans can. Whether it be the possibility of human error or just the speed at which an AI can carry out tasks, this is an industry that is truly revolutionizing how the industry functions. More and more operations are done using AI-assisted tech and have been seeing great success.

Blockchain-Based Healthcare Applications

Blockchain might be just a buzzword to many but in the healthcare industry, they have already begun to enact big changes. Blockchain technology has been increasingly used by healthcare providers to build applications that offer a service built on security and reliability. The data encrypted using blockchain technology is strictly monitored and cannot be altered without the express consent of all parties involved.

This provides a great way for doctors and patients to store and share medical records in a secure and private manner which ensures the doctor-patient confidentiality.

Wearable Devices

A great piece of tech for users to have real-time monitoring of their health using wearable devices assisted healthcare apps. These apps can be used to monitor vitals such as heart rate and blood pressure as well as other useful data such as calories burned.

These apps can lead to a positive change in the lifestyle of many people.

Augmented Reality

This piece of technology is especially useful for training medical professionals in an accurate environment without real-life consequences. Surgeries can be practiced in a realistic manner and can even be used to gain useful insights.

Conclusion

When it comes to our health, it is very important to utilize the tools we have at our disposal. Healthcare app development provides us with ways of improving our lifestyle, prioritizing our health and staying free of any ailments. Leveraging our technological advancements to improve our health is a must in this digital age.

Fuel Delivery Apps — A Profitable Industry Caught In The Crossfire

Natalia-Joseph — Wed, 20 Nov 2019 05:14:15 +0000

Innovation is a major part of any business plan that’s trying to be successful. Bringing the people what they need in a unique way is what builds you up for success. Gauging the market, figuring out what’s lacking and working on fixing that gap is a sure-fire recipe to get your company off the ground.

We have seen this phenomenon time and time again in various different fields. On-demand services are one such example. With the advent of mobile app technology and their subsequent explosion in popularity, one thing became very apparent. People of this generation have grown used to expecting services at their convenience and with the least amount of hassle.

From ride-hailing services like Uber, Lyft, and Ola to food delivery services like Uber and Swiggy, to even more niche-oriented services, on-demand services have managed to corner a large segment of the market in almost no time at all.

This natural progression was only destined to get stronger as more and more app oriented enterprises started to crop up to cater to the rising demand for accessibility and convenience.

The Start Of An Idea

In 2016, one such idea cropped up on the minds of an ambitious group of entrepreneurs. MyPetrolPump is a start-up on-demand service provider that had a novel approach to an inconvenience that had been plaguing vehicle owners around the world. They were one of the first companies in the country to start fuel delivery services. Catering to customers at the comfort of their homes, MyPetrolPump strived to bring them diesel directly to their doorstep.

This was a huge hit amongst the population. It was a novel idea at the time and more importantly, it relegated the need for vehicle owners to make the transit to petrol stations every time they needed to fuel their cars and bikes. With a dedicated application, all one had to do was push a few buttons and have a diesel (petrol delivery is restricted) brought straight to their homes.

Legal Ramifications

But disaster struck only a year later when government bodies took issue with the fuel delivery company and had them temporarily stop operations. By this time, the company had already roped in a lot of customers and was left stumped.

It took them some time but they were up on their feet once more and got back into action after jumping through numerous regulatory loopholes.

According to Pankaj Mehta, a partner at a reputed Delhi law firm, “Setting up, operating and scaling up an on-demand fuel start-up is a challenge in India owing to the plethora of regulations, licensing and guidelines that begin from acquiring fuel till the point the process of storing and consuming the fuel so acquired.”

One such problem is the fact that fuel is separated into three different categories, each of which has to follow different regulations.

With so many regulations in place, it might seem like a deterrent for future investment in the industry but the opposite is true. Due to the inability of the existing petrol pumps in India to meet the growing demands of the new-age customer, many are turning to on-demand fuel services to fill their needs. The companies, of course, recognize this and are willing to traverse the legal tightropes which have become a part of the industry.

Recognizing this fact, the government of India has also started to take the necessary steps to revise its regulatory standards regarding fuel.

From its point of view, the government claims that fuel delivery providers like MyPetrolpump are running a dangerous business that could endanger the lives of the public. They forced oil companies to stop dealing with the on-demand fuel provider.

The Resurgence

A few months later, MyPetrolPump re-entered the industry with a redesigned mobile dispenser. But still, the marketplace was a grey area where regulatory standards were unclear and tiptoed around.

They do not appear to have direct connections with any Oil Marketing Companies and instead get their supply fuel from private dealers, topping up regular dispensing units which are illegal as doorstep delivery options and can be filled only in «specially prepared areas attached to a service station.» Meaning, they essentially operate without certified approval from neither PESO nor the MOP&NG.

The delivery companies on their part, claim to adhere to a higher safety standard than the existing forms of fuel top-ups. They also claim (at least on paper) to put their personnel through extensive hazmat training and equip their vehicles with the necessary safety mechanisms.

The industry seems to be in a state of a dispute as the governing bodies and the delivery companies don’t see eye to eye on many issues. However, this does not seem to deter start-ups from wanting a piece of the pie and investing in this budding sector. Although the legality of such a business is still an issue that is being discussed, more and more investors are jumping on the opportunity as it presents a great way to earn enormous amounts of money.

Conclusion

Utilizing the benefits a fuel delivery app provides, entrepreneurs are trying to vie for a place that although might seem shaky at first, can provide them with enormous returns in the long run. No matter where one stands on the issue, the idea of a fuel delivery app is here and it’s here to stay.