Let us give you a very strong reason to know the real difference between a healthcare web app and a healthcare website.

It directly influences the development budget, time, maintenance, and overall success. 

So, which of these two satisfies your goals in the best possible way?

Most importantly, how would you evaluate whether you need a healthcare website or healthcare web app?

In this blog, we will solve all of your questions and differentiate healthcare web app development and healthcare website development in a very detailed way.

What is a Healthcare Website? 

What you are reading right now is the website (our company website), only accessible by anyone via the internet.

It has a series of web pages and multimedia files such as images and videos.

It utilizes a database and webserver to store data. 

Each website has a web address which is called a domain name. In our case, it is syscreations.ca. 

What is a Healthcare Web App Development?

A healthcare web app is either an entire software or a piece of software that users can access from any supported web and mobile browser.

A healthcare web app does not only contain information but is equipped with app-like features that enable users to interact more engagingly. 

For example, users can make payments, receive notifications, have video calls, find routes etc.

The best example of a web app is Gmail. 

Healthcare web apps are the outcome of healthcare web app development.

The front end of the web app is generally built using common development technologies such as HTML, CSS and Javascript.

And the backend of the web app is built on the MEAN tech stack. 

Here, MEAN stands for MongoDB (database system), Express JS (backend web framework), Angular JS (frontend web framework) and Node JS (backend runtime environment). 

Detailed Comparison of Healthcare Web App Development and Healthcare Website

Now that, you have a basic understanding of healthcare web apps and websites, let's move ahead and compare both of these on different factors. 

Factor #1: Use Case

• Healthcare Website:   

In most cases, a healthcare website is used to share information about a product or service. 

The target of having a healthcare website is to convert readers into customers.

Or let readers explore your healthcare and wellness offerings, your bio, timing, etc.

• Healthcare Web App:

A healthcare web app has capabilities to accommodate advanced features.

Thus, it is used for more complicated use cases such as healthcare eCommerce, telemedicine, patient engagement, appointment booking, etc.

Factor #2: User Access or Authentication  

• Healthcare Website: 

Anyone can access your healthcare website.

He/she does not need to authenticate by providing a user id and password.

• Healthcare Web App: 

Here, users need to first create an account and then log in every time they want to execute any specific task on your healthcare web app.

Factor #3: Team (Resources) Requirements 

• Healthcare Website:

To build a healthcare website, you would require a small team consisting of only frontend developers.

In most cases, it is a one-man project, only requiring website developers. 

• Healthcare Web App: 

Healthcare web app development is in all cases a mid-size to large-size project as the frontend and backend of web apps are built separately using different technologies.

The team you would require has UI/UX designers, frontend developers, backend developers, business analysts, and sometimes healthcare compliance specialists.

Factor #4: Cost of Development

• Healthcare Website: 

Since the team size is very small here and it does not require any advanced technologies, it costs very low - somewhere around $1K to $10K.

• Healthcare Web App: 

It is very obvious that healthcare web app development costs higher than healthcare websites. 

Because, it requires a larger team, specific experts, and a longer development period.

In most cases, it costs somewhere between $15K to $90K depending on your requirements.

For example, if you want to add advanced features like multiple user roles, third party-integration, custom statistics, and online payment then, it costs more as a team needs to invest more time to achieve these features.

Factor #5: Development Time

• Healthcare Website: 

The development complexness is less in healthcare websites.

Thus, it usually takes around 30 to 45 days.

However, it depends on the features and tech stack you need.

• Healthcare Web App: 

Healthcare web app development takes more than 60+ days as the functionalities are quite complex compared to a website.

Though the development time completely relies on the features, integration, and compatibility needs.

Factor #6: Functionality and User Experience 

• Healthcare Website:

As you now already know, there is no advanced and innovative use of healthcare websites as it is best at only sharing information.  

The reason is simple, it lacks advanced features needed to achieve a certain level of functionality and user experience. 

• Healthcare Web App:

A healthcare web app assures great functionality and user experience similar to mobile apps. 

How?

Well, it can support more advanced features such as

• User profiles
• Ability to purchase items online
• Chat with other users & providers

It can also be designed using modern UI/UX best practices that enhance the user journey and overall experience on healthcare web apps.

When Should You Build a Healthcare Website?

Making things easy for you, let’s give you top scenarios when it is a risk-free and most intelligent decision to build a healthcare website. 

• When you only want to share your healthcare product or service offerings
• When you want to get some business online
• When you want to let your customers or clients know your background
• When you want to share content and resources with your patients or readers

You must read: Healthcare Website Development Guide for Providers

When Should You Go For Healthcare Web App Development?

• When you want to solve any healthcare challenge. For instance, delayed healthcare challenges with a virtual care web app
• When you want to deliver healthcare services online
• When you want to streamline entire clinical workflows
• When you want to let patients manage their health and wellness online
• When you want to promote patient engagement
• When you want to give easy ways to patients to get engaged in their treatment
• When you want to manage your all clinical operations online
• When you want to let patients pay online
• When you want to make a lot of $$$$$$!

Explore the Real-World Examples of Healthcare Web Apps

First, let’s discover some top healthcare web applications.

#1. GoodRx:

GoodRx is a healthcare company that enables patients to save money on prescription and virtual care services.

It offers free price comparison services on both web app and mobile app.

You can explore the features of the GoodRx web app in the below image.

Here is how you can build app like GoodRx.

#2. PocketPills:

PocketPills is the largest online pharmacy in canada.

What makes it special is that PocketPills is not just an online pharmacy, but also offers telehealth solutions using a healthcare web app and mobile app.

Here is the screenshot of its web-based application.

#3. Maple:

Maple is the leading virtual care and online prescription provider in Canada.

It has both healthcare web and mobile app.

Its healthcare web application features include –

• Sign and registration
• Language change
• Pricing
• COVID-19 section
• Doctors list
• Features list
• List of the healthcare specialist

You must also read: How to build mental health app like Maple?

Our other useful resources:

• Telemedicine app for OB/GYN
• Healthcare MVP app development
• Build medical imaging platform like PocketHealth

We’ve been Engineering Web Apps and Websites Exclusively for the Healthcare Industry for 8+ years

We're an Ontario-based healthcare-focused IT company.

In other words, we are an IT company but entertaining only healthcare IT projects. 

Why?

Well, we believe healthcare is a very unique industry.

Be it a healthcare provider or healthcare IT expert, you must need specific knowledge of a specific thing to deliver the result. 

Serving only the healthcare industry makes us deliver websites and web apps to healthcare providers which other IT companies servicing all industries cannot deliver.  

Our developers, designers and business analysts have only been working on healthcare projects since the first day of their professional careers. 

We also accommodate dedicated healthcare compliance experts to make your digital solution compliant with all data privacy laws. 

In short, we are the Elon Musk of the healthcare industry; not trying out other industries when you are already doing pretty well with space (healthcare web apps) and cars (healthcare websites)! 

Let’s have a discussion to make you Jeff Bezos of the healthcare industry!