Background
Main text
Misconceptions in mobile medical app development
Misconception #1—the investigator fully understands the problem they are trying to solve and the users they intend to help
Misconception #2—app development does not require much effort
Misconception #3—the app should easily integrate into the electronic health records (EHR) system
Misconception #4—app development is a single-step “one and done” process
App development principles and structure
Design approach
Building a team
Full time vs part-time staff
Applying the app development process
Competitive and regulatory landscape survey and literature review
Design strategy
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Who will use this app? Is the patient or a family member the primary user?
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What benefit will the user get out of using this app?
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What data (if any) do you expect the app to collect?
App design
App development
Native development | Cross-platform development | |
---|---|---|
iOS Devices | XCode (requires a Mac) | ReactNative Flutter etc |
Android Devices | Android Studio |
Launch
Updates and maintenance
Lessons learned: roadblocks, pivots, and best practices
App development costs
Staff cost | Per hour estimated cost |
---|---|
Graduate student intern | $30/h |
Outsourced app developer (India) | $30–50/h |
Academic app developer | $60–100/h |
App development consultants | $100–250/h |
Experienced designer | $60–100/h |
Mobile app development stage | Estimated cost |
---|---|
User and market research | $2000–10,000 |
User interface design | $5000–10,000 |
Software development | $10,000–50,000 |
Software maintenance (annual) | $1000–5000 |