In today’s fast-paced healthcare environment, it becomes essential for healthcare professionals to stay up-to-date on the latest medical information. Also, at times, they need to access to reliable healthcare information that can help them cure patients.
In such situations, medical reference apps like Medscape play a vital role in offering medical information and resources to doctors, nurses, medical students, and more.
The market of medical reference apps is growing exponentially, there are no signs of slowing down. According to reports, the global medical reference app market is expected to reach $8.031 billion by 2029, expanding at a CAGR of 8.2%, during the forecast period (2023-2029).
Considering the market growth, this is the right time to invest in developing a Medscape-like app. Therefore, we provided a comprehensive guide to developing a healthcare mobile app like Medscape, that includes the development process, top features to add, technology stack, and more.
What is Medscape App?
Before moving on to the development process, it is crucial to understand the Medscape app.
The Medscape is a leading medical reference app, created for healthcare professionals, doctors, nurses, and medical students. It provides access to the latest medical news, drug information, expert podcasts, and clinical guidelines, as well as continuing medical education (CME) resources.
Morever, it also offers 450+ calculators to allow doctors to perform complex calculations required for diagnosis and treatment.
Top Features of Medscape Healthcare App
- Latest Medical News
- CME and Education
- Procedure Tutorials
- Drug Reference
- Disease & Condition Database
- Medical Calculators
- Pill Identification, and more.
Now that you have learned about the Medscape app, let’s discuss its development process.
How to Develop a Healthcare Mobile App like Medscape
The following is the step-by-step guide to building a healthcare app similar to Medscape.
- Planning
The first step to developing a healthcare app like Medscape is to plan the type of app; native or cross-platform, target audience, features and functionalities, and more.
Also, you must evaluate other medical reference apps to understand what value they offer and areas where they lack. Also remember to follow the required industry standards like HIPAA, GDPR, and others.
- Set Up Development Team
To develop a Medscape-like healthcare mobile app, you must possess years of experience and extensive knowledge of app development, emerging technologies, and the healthcare industry.
If you do not have these skills, it is recommended to hire dedicated developers to set up a development team to build your healthcare reference app.
- UI/UX Designing
Begin with designing the user interface (UI) for a healthcare app like Medscape. Always remember to keep it sophisticated and well-organized to enhance user experience (UX).
The text, color combination, images, icons, and other elements must be appealing, and reflect your brand’s image.
- Develop the App
Develop the backend infrastructure of the Medscape-like healthcare app. Integrate features and third-party APIs into the app to enhance its functionalities.
Moreover, consider adding emerging technologies like AI and augmented reality to improve the user experience for your healthcare app.
- Testing
Post development, test the application to ensure its functionalities as per the expectations.
Use the healthcare app on different screens like smartphones, tablets, desktops, and platforms, like Android and iOS, to ensure it is delivering a consistent experience.
- Deploy
After testing, deploy the healthcare app like Medscape to platforms like Google Play Store and App Store.
Remember to follow the guidelines of the respective app stores while deploying the app.
- Maintenance and Upgradation
Keep an eye on the app’s performance using KPIs (key performance indicators), such as app downloads, average usage time, daily/monthly active users (DAU/MAU), session length, and more.
Furthermore, upgrade it with new features and UI designs frequently to keep it relevant in the market for a long time.
Technology Stack for Building a Medscape-like Healthcare App
The following is a technology stack you can use to build custom healthcare app like Medscape.
| Component | Technology Stack |
| Frontend | React Native or Flutter |
| Backend | Node.js or Django |
| Database | PostgreSQL or MongoDB |
| Authentication | OAuth 2.0 or JWT |
| API Management | GraphQL or REST API |
| Cloud Hosting | AWS or Google Cloud Platform (GCP) |
| Push Notifications | Firebase Cloud Messaging or OneSignal |
| Search Functionality | Elasticsearch |
| Data Encryption | AES-256 |
| Real-time Chat | Socket.io or Twilio |
| Analytics | Google Analytics or Mixpanel |
| Content Management | WordPress or Strapi |
| Video Conferencing | WebRTC or Zoom SDK |
| Third-party APIs | Epocrates or MedlinePlus |
* Please note that the above-mentioned technology stack is for recommendation purposes only. You can also use other technologies that align with your requirements, to build your app.
Top Features for the Healthcare Mobile App Similar to Medscape
Below are the top features to add to a healthcare app like Medscape:
- Medical News and Updates: For the latest healthcare-related news and industry updates.
- Drug Information Database: To allow healthcare professionals access to detailed drug information, including usage, side effects, and interactions.
- Clinical References: HIPAA-compliant resources for doctors, medical students, and nurses.
- Medical Calculators: Tools to calculate medical formulas required during patient care.
- Continuing Medical Education (CME): CME credits for online courses and resources.
- Drug Interaction Checker: To identify potential reactions between different medications.
- Medical Guidelines: Providing access to the latest clinical guidelines and best practices.
- Video Tutorials and Webinars: In-depth educational videos and webinars by experts to support users’ ongoing learning.
- Personalized Feed: Artificial intelligence-driven feed for tailored content and updates based on user preferences.
- Real-time Notifications: Instant pop-up alerts on critical medical news and updates.
- Voice-Enabled Search Functionality: To allow users to search for drugs, conditions, and medical resources using voice commands.
- Multilingual Support: Content available in different languages for global users.
- Offline Access: To allow medical professionals to access critical information without an internet connection.
- Secure Messaging: To enable users to connect and communicate securely with healthcare professionals and peers.
Benefits of Developing Medscape-like Healthcare App
The following are the advantages of building a healthcare application similar to Medscape.
- Cater to Growing Demand
The market for medical reference apps is growing exponentially and will continue to do so in the coming years.
By developing a healthcare app like Medscape, you can cater to this growing demand, create opportunities for generating revenue, and establish your brand in the market.
- Enhanced Access to Medical Information
When you develop a healthcare application, you offer healthcare professionals and patients access to vast medical information and knowledge. This helps in improving patient care and informed decision-making.
- Continuous Professional Development
With medical reference apps, you provide Continuing Medical Education (CME) resources that help healthcare professionals stay updated on healthcare whereabouts and earn credits conveniently.
- Data-Driven Insights
By building a Medscape-like healthcare mobile app, you get insights into what healthcare professionals are looking for.
This helps you with continuous app improvement, providing personalized user experiences, and ultimately enhancing patient care.
- Improved Patient Outcomes
With features like drug interaction checkers and medical calculators in the medical reference app, you can support accurate diagnoses and treatments that lead to better patient outcomes.
- Revenue Generation
By monetizing the healthcare app and data, you can create new revenue streams in the form of premium content, advertisements, and in-app purchases.
- Global Reach
With a healthcare app having multi-lingual content, you can render your services to global audiences beyond geographical boundaries.
- Brand Authority
Last but not least, by developing a high-quality medical reference app like Medscape, you can not only establish your brand in the market but also position yourself as a leader in the healthcare industry.
How can Quytech Help You Build an App like Medscape?
With the rising popularity of Medscape-like healthcare apps, now is the perfect time to develop your own custom solution.
As a leading healthcare app development company, Quytech can help you create a medical reference app tailored to your unique needs and requirements.
Reasons to Choose Us
- 13+ years of experience in medical app development.
- Developed 400+ HIPAA-compliant healthcare mobile apps, software, and digital solutions.
- Worked with more than 500+ notable clients worldwide.
- Team of expert app developers proficient in mobile app development SDKs, tools, and emerging technologies, such as AI, Blockchain, AR/VR, and more.
- Post-development support and maintenance of your app.
So, what are you waiting for? Get in touch with experts and get your app developed today. For more information, visit www.quytech.com