The Benefits of Integrating Gamification to Boost User Engagement for Healthcare Apps

Introduction

379 million! The total number of times healthcare apps were downloaded in 2023. Sure people being conscious about their health after Covid is one of the reasons. But it was not long till the benefits steadily made people realize the importance of healthcare apps in everyday lives. Such courses of action resulted in a growing trajectory and in 2021, over 350 million users were reaping the benefits of healthcare apps.

However soon the user count just flatlined and even experienced a decline due to some reasons. In 2023 the healthcare mobile apps industry saw a small decline of 50 million users and there were many reasons for it. One of the bottlenecks is engaging users to guide them through the app in a personalized way. Overcoming the hurdle allows application users to navigate through the benefits, which of course are often overlooked by them. To conquer this neglected necessity, app developers leveraged the power of gamification in healthcare apps.

The Power of Gamification in Healthcare

The concept of ‘grind to get reward’ is much deeper and more widespread in your daily life than you think. And from ages such concepts have been uplifting people to overcome harsh obstacles. Let’s take a look at it from two different perspectives, professional and personal.

In professional life if one works tirelessly, does overtime, they get appraisals or bonus incentives as a reward. While in personal life, if someone quits junk food and does exercise regularly, they get health benefits as a reward. A practical concept enabling people to achieve their desired goal and climb the leaderboard. Yes! If you are thinking “Hey, I’ve heard this one before somewhere” then you may point out that games work on such rewarding concepts in today’s world.

So why not utilize a simple rewarding system in mobile apps too? It can open avenues to build a modern enabling environment or experience for users. Especially in a domain in which users positively accept an enabling experience, the Healthcare industry. However to fully grasp the benefits of gamifying healthcare apps, we need to understand what are enabling experiences or environments.

Gamification primarily incorporates features that focus on boosting user engagement in healthcare apps. The importance of user engagement will be discussed along the way as we explore the list of features. One should remember healthcare apps are highly user-centric. So, it's only normal that mobile app developers will consider such features to help users to become better in terms of mental and physical health.

To Level Up Motivation and Adherence

Both motivation and adherence play an extremely crucial role in medical treatments.

Why?

Gamified healthcare apps allow users to stay motivated and adhere themselves to basic rules that are proven advantageous to them. By making medical treatments fun and engaging to promote self growth is what they aim towards.

How?

A simple yet effective strategy is to implement gamified activities in healthcare apps. Patients have a set of task lists that they need to follow with complete discipline. However, sometimes they lack motivation. if we add levels and quests to make those tasks less tedious and they will adhere to the routine.

Exercising and timely medication, and completing such tasks results in rewards and points. These points can make their medication less expensive, offer a free cheat meal, or even unlock premium guides to be fit.

So what we are really integrating in the healthcare apps to level motivation and adherence in tech terms is:

• Gamified activities

• Interactive challenges

• Reward system

Personalization and Social Interactions

In order to develop a healthcare app that is user-centric we need to consider all the relevant aspects of the users choice. Gamification in healthcare apps unlocks hyper personalization and social interactive features eliminating the problems faced by users while using the app.

Why?

Well the spectrum of treatments is vast. Every individual needs care depending on their symptoms and disease. A diabetic person will need unique care compared to one suffering from a mental trauma or disorder. Hence personalizing the app’s gaming experience according to that uniqueness becomes a necessity. On the other hand, social interactions are an important factor for patients who are in the recovery stage.

How?

In terms of personalization, the challenge is to list down the characteristics, specific needs, and program preferences of a patient. Now based on patient selection of the program every other correlated aspect is considered. Features such as quotes, content, essential practices, medication challenges and rewards are fabricated. Let's talk about socializing now and how gamification amplifies positive interactions.

Healthcare is driven by a comforting force; social support groups. Socializing to share experiences has made a special place in the industry. Enhancing such relevant interactivities, every gamified healthcare app supports social networking features. Your friends and families can take part in certain activities with you and they can motivate you. On the other hand you can share your progress to gain praise resulting in a motivational cycle.

So basically from the perspective of gamification in healthcare development, the traits in the spotlights are:

• Improved relevance

• Better Health outcomes

• Customized Support & Care

Tracking Progress and Setting Goals

Gamification is not about just incorporating features and technologies to enhance the fun. It also aims at helping people to believe that they can achieve their health goals too. Hence we introduce tracking progress and setting goals in healthcare apps,

Why?

For gamifying healthcare apps you need tasks and rewards. Aside from reward there is another thing that drives engagement into patients, it's leaderboards. Mastering games lets users feel they exhibit mastery over something and leaderboards amplify that feeling. To provide a user with a sense of accomplishment there are level systems, progress bars, and badge rewards.

You see, setting the ultimate goal in your gamified healthcare app is quite easy. It's the dedication, discipline, and commitment towards it that scares people. Experts have recognized through psychological research that the majority of humans will reject tasks that feel like lifting a mountain. However if the task is broken into sizable chunks and manageable bits, slowly but surely we will work towards it.

How?

Keeping such factual information in mind we implement a level bar system into our gamified healthcare app. For example: You have a 500 steps preset daily exercise program. Although due to some reason the app evaluates your pain points and rather reduces your steps it provides you an alternative exercise routine. Here it can also add side quests like a suggested diet plan. And at the end of the day review your progress to boost your motivation for the next day.

The premise we are building here is that gamification in healthcare app development provides many more benefits. Sure it boosts user engagement but also allows people to achieve their goals in a disciplined manner.

In terms of development perspective the terms you are looking for are:

• Gamified data tracking

• Improve goal commitment

• Real time feedback

Conclusion

So we looked at how gamification in healthcare apps helps to boost user engagement. They will feel motivated by interacting with various aspects of the feature-rich gamified apps. A reward system completes the cycle and empowers them for further growth.

However one should not forget that gamification of apps is not about replacing the essence of that app. Every Healthcare app development company will agree the very purpose of the app should not be lost. A healthcare app is made to serve a very serious and reliable purpose. Gamification in healthcare should always promote growth and care primarily.