Introduction
COVID-19 has played a role as a catalyst in the advancement processes of a lot of industries across different domains. There is hardly any sector that remains untouched by this devastating virus. In the few upcoming decades, studies will be segmented into pre-Covid and post-COVID eras, and highly significant determinants will be developed to carry out the comparative study.
COVID-19, a deadly virus that began its journey in Wuhan, China, spread across the whole globe in the first quarter of 2020. There was not a single country that could alleviate itself from the clutches of the life-threatening disease.
Alongside the spread of the coronavirus, there was another element that proliferated at almost the same rate. That element is none other than mobile devices. According to a report, there are around 7.33 billion people in the world who are using smartphones, which makes up 91% of the entire population. With the rise of smartphones, applications related to the Health sector have also increased. There are almost 350k digital health mobile applications as of 2023. In this study, we are going to discuss in detail the role of mobile application development in shaping the future of the healthcare industry. You will also be provided a channel for hiring mobile app developers to accelerate your growth in the healthcare sector.
COVID-19 emergence
Before getting into the core of the development process, let’s briefly cover the history of the virus’s spread, its effects, and its current state. A well-known saying goes something like, “Need is the mother of invention.” Rehashing the same discussions about ongoing issues brings us closer to finding resolutions.
The virus started from a city in China, Wuhan, in late 2019. The SARS-CoV-2 virus is the causative agent of COVID-19, a kind of coronavirus illness. The majority of persons who have this virus will have mild to moderate respiratory symptoms and will recover without any particular therapy. Some, though, will get gravely sick and need hospitalization. People over the age of 65 and those who already have illnesses like high blood pressure, diabetes, asthma, or cancer are at a higher risk of becoming very ill. COVID-19 can cause significant illness or death in people of any age.
As of June 2023, WHO has received reports of 768,187,096 confirmed cases of COVID-19 worldwide, with 6,945,714 fatalities. As of the 17th of June, 2023, 13,398,054,518 doses of vaccination have been distributed.
Health sector before COVID-19
The COVID-19 has had a profound impact on the overall health sector globally. Prior to the virus’ emergence, the general public was not aware of physical and mental health, which made them prone to catching diseases rapidly. The health infrastructure in the under-developed countries was pathetic. With the rise of COVID-19, the digital healthcare system got highly promoted, advertised, and accepted in the entire human population. Below you can find more detailed information:
1. Routine examinations
In order to maintain the overall health, the provision of routine health examination provisions were given to the general public at large. However, because of non-awareness, a very negligible amount of people would avail this.
2. Emergency
Emergency sections were prevalent almost everywhere. Accidental cases from minor to major categories were addressed in the segment of the hospitals, clinics and trauma centers.
3. Maternal and child health
There were different departments specifically designed to focus on health issues related to maternity and child health.
4. Long-term disease cure
Long-term diseases, such as; diabetes, heart issues, cancers, and the likes were thoroughly examined and treated. Regular medical check-ups for such patients were made easier, and consistent counsellings were done to prevent its spread.
5. Research and Development
Medical colleges and research institutes were developed with advanced technology to carry out research on diseases, pharmaceuticals, and other treatment methods.
Health sector after COVID
COVID-19 has left a long-lasting impression on the health sector. From perception to prescription, everything witnessed a significant change in its existence. Below are a few important trends after the pandemic:
1. Remote healthcare
Social distancing led to the speedy development of the remote healthcare system. It was necessary to have consultations with the doctor through virtual modes, along with telemedicine options and remote monitoring.
2. Disease management
The COVID-19 pandemic brought into focus the significance to manage the spread of disease, forecast it at the right time, and develop preventive measures to eliminate the possibility of its widespread harm.
3. Mental health awareness
Mental health was never given that much priority before the emergence of COVID-19. Prior to the lockdown days, mental well-being was not paid heed, as life was too busy to be contemplated. Lockdown period allowed the opportunity of contemplation to occur. Various schemes to combat poor mental health were designed.
4. Data analytics
With the rise of COVID-19, big data sets are being used by various governmental and non-governmental organizations to turn them into intelligent data. Although data was analyzed previously, the coronavirus gave some other important variables too. The physical as well as mental well-being of individuals were deeply monitored through datasets.
5. Research and Development
Substantial research and development activities in the fields of vaccines, treatments, and diagnostics have been sparked as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The level of collaboration that exists between researchers, pharmaceutical corporations, and public health authorities has increased, which has resulted in significant leaps forward in terms of medical knowledge and novel approaches to healthcare.
Healthcare softwares
Healthcare softwares was prevalent even before the rise of pandemic, as already discussed in the initial paragraphs of this blog, however, the acceleration has gained since its outbreak. Let us discuss them in the following paragraphs:
1. Remote patient monitor
Since the basic demand of the coronavirus was to maintain social distance, the need for a telehealth system emerged. Many such devices were made available to the general public so that they could do the basics and then consult the doctors virtually to take the further consultations.
2. Mobile apps for contact tracing
Such mobile applications provided data to monitor the social distancing and the spread of virus with the help of bluetooth and location detection. It enabled the people to learn their own status and helped them to take precautionary measures.
3. Artificial intelligence
The application of artificial intelligence (AI) has been utilized to the development of software solutions for the quick diagnosis and screening of instances of Covid-19. AI algorithms can examine medical pictures to help in early detection and diagnosis. Some examples of these types of images are chest X-rays and CT scans. In addition, AI has been put to use in the process of drug discovery, where it has assisted researchers in the identification of possible medicines and hastened the production of vaccinations.
4. Vaccine management system
The development of vaccinations against COVID-19 heightened the need of developing and implementing effective vaccine management systems. Software applications were devised in order to facilitate the distribution of vaccines, the scheduling of appointments, the administration of inventories, and the tracking of vaccination data. These systems have been essential in the management of mass vaccination programs and in the monitoring of the effectiveness of vaccines.
5. Health applications
These consumer-oriented applications encourage health and well-being by providing features such as exercise tracking, diet monitoring, and mental health assistance for the user. Fitbit, MyFitnessPal, and Headspace are a few examples of such trackers.
6. Decision making apps
These software systems include clinical guidelines, medication interaction checks, and diagnostic support to aid healthcare practitioners in making decisions based on evidence. UpToDate, Isabel, and VisualDx are a few examples of such programs.
Conclusion
The global market size of the health software is predicted to be around USD$4.32 billion in 2023. Because of the increase in health awareness, people have become more conscious of their well-being, and in this era of IT revolution, there is no other respite than softwares to find the solutions to maintain health. The 350k applications for health is a testimony in itself that softwares will rule this sector as well. If you also want to have a customized application for your industry, you can contact us now. We are a top mobile app development company with years of experience in developing scalable applications to streamline the work.
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