Development of a Mobile Application for a Russian Network of Private Clinics
We assisted a network of private clinics with branches in major cities across Russia in modernizing their existing appointment scheduling and patient communication system to meet customer expectations.
Customer
A network of private clinics with branches in major cities in Russia.
Task
The primary goal was to create a convenient and intuitive application that would enhance patient satisfaction and ensure stable, fast, and secure operation on devices with varying performance levels, even under high load conditions.
Key Objectives:
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Create a user-friendly digital tool for patient appointments and obtaining test results to reduce the burden on the call center.
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Enable timely communication with patients regarding new services, promotions, and changes in doctors' schedules.
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Increase the clinic's competitiveness by providing a convenient and modern service for attracting and retaining clients.
The main challenge of this project was to ensure stable, fast, and secure application performance on devices with varying capabilities and under high load conditions.
Solution
To address the client's needs, we proposed creating a mobile application that simplifies the appointment process and makes patient interaction with the clinic more convenient.
During the analysis phase, we collaboratively identified the key modules of the application:
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Appointment Calendar: Integration with the clinic's internal system will allow displaying the current schedule of doctors in the app. The classic scenario involves requests being sent through an API, where the backend processes schedule data, taking into account doctors' availability, cancellations, and rescheduling. After processing, the data is returned in a format optimized for display in the user interface. This will ensure instant synchronization and accuracy of information.
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Personal Account: Patients will have access to their appointment history, test results, and other personalized data.
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Push Notifications: These will contain automatic reminders about appointments and preparation recommendations for procedures.
The team presented three possible approaches to implementing the application for discussion with the client:
1. Using an Off-the-Shelf Solution: This allows for a quick app launch but limits customization options.
2. Development from Scratch: Offers maximum flexibility but requires significant time and financial investment.
3. Hybrid Approach: Implementing ready-made SDKs for basic functions (appointments, payments) while developing unique features tailored to the clinic's requests.
The client chose the third option as it would accelerate the development process while retaining flexibility for customization based on individual requirements.
How We Addressed the Task
Given the strict requirements for personal data protection, especially in the medical field, ensuring compliance with all security standards became a crucial task. Consequently, we implemented data encryption at all levels of the application and ensured information protection both during transmission and storage. Additionally, we introduced extra security measures such as code obfuscation to prevent analysis and modification of the application.
*Note: Obfuscation is a method of protecting an application from analysis and modification of its internal logic by intentionally compiling the code into a form that is difficult to understand while keeping the application's functionality and logic unchanged.*
The clinic serves thousands of users, particularly during peak hours, which can lead to server overload risks. Our team needed to ensure application stability even with a high volume of concurrent requests. To reduce server load, we implemented data caching mechanisms, specifically for doctors' schedules. This minimized real-time server requests and ensured quick access to information.
After the successful development and internal testing of the application, we proposed conducting a pilot launch to gather user feedback and make final adjustments.
Together with the client, we selected several departments and spent two months collecting feedback, making corrections, and refining the application's functionality.
After seven months of work, the application was fully ready for launch.
Results
Three months after the release of the mobile application, the workload on the call center decreased by 40%, and the patient retention rate increased by 25%.
A significant role in this was played by prompt feedback, which was facilitated through several channels. Patients could get answers to their questions via a feedback form, and after their visits, they could evaluate the quality of service, helping the clinic respond quickly to any concerns.
In addition to the form within the app, we actively monitored reviews left on Google Play and the App Store. These not only helped identify and resolve technical issues but also contained suggestions for improving the application's functionality and the appointment process.
Users noted the intuitive interface, the speed of the application, and the convenience of accessing clinic services at any time.
The client was satisfied and approved plans for further development of the platform. Future updates are planned to include functionality for conducting telemedicine consultations.