Project Overview
Since 1999 the Better Health Channel has helped Australian’s achieve the best possible health and wellbeing through various stages of life. The website provides clinical quality assured health information and over the past 12 months has assisted over 40 million people on their health journey.
This success extends to the mobile domain, with previous iOS versions of the BHC app receiving great consumer and industry acclaim - including awards at the 2012 and 2013 mobies.
The V3 app extends health information access to Android users and provides an improved user experience for iOS users through a design and feature update.
Organisation
Victorian Department of Health
Team
Android app design and development - Outware Mobile and the Victorian Department of Health - Digital Strategy and Services Unit
iOS app design and development - Deloitte Digital and the Victorian Department of Health - Digital Strategy and Services Unit
Project Brief
Amongst the various determinants of health, a key input and enabler is access to timely and high quality health information and services - both of which are enhanced via mobility solutions.
Today, mobile visitation to the BHC website accounts for over 40% of traffic, placing even greater emphasis on dominant mobile platform compatibility and the need for a first class user experience.
To meet this need, a new version (V3) of the highly successful BHC app was launched in June 2014 which extends the availability of high quality health information to Android phone users. The launch also delivered functional and design enhancements for iOS users.
In addition to the full complement of healthy living articles, healthy recipes, personal health alerts and health services, key features and benefits of the new version (V3) include:
• Design and performance enhancements for iOS7+
• Improvements to after-hours health services to help users more easily locate GPs, late night pharmacies and other medical services when critical needs arise
• Social sharing for twitter, facebook and SMS integration to more easily share healthy living articles and delicious healthy recipes with friends and family, and
• Recipe shopping list sharing (email and SMS) to more easily gather and shop for ingredients for a healthy meal
Since the launch both apps have received 5 star ratings and positive reviews.
Project Need
Health and wellbeing are in?uenced by the places in which people live, learn, work and play. Delivering information to health consumers in these settings and via their channels of choice (mobile, desktop etc) is an effective way of assisting them to make decisions that improve their health status and reduce their risk of ill-health.
The mobile computing environment has important implications for access to health information in a range of contexts and settings. Access to BHC information via the dominant mobile platforms (Android and iOS - 55% and 35% Australian market share respectively) is critical to ensure more Australians receive the right information at the right time at the point of need.
Building on key features of the BHC V2 app such as healthy living articles, healthy recipes, personal health alerts and health services, the new V3 app broadens the availability of quality health information to more Australians through the Android mobile platform. In addition, design and feature enhancements ensure information is more easily discovered, actioned and shared which allows health consumers to take control of their health and wellbeing anytime, anywhere.
With an increasing proportion of the Australian population either overweight or obese (around 60%+), the BHC V3 app assists users to take positive action anytime, anywhere and establish healthy behaviours. This in turn contributes to reductions in costs to the health system.
User Experience
Central to the success of the V3 BHC app has been its utility, performance and intuitive ease of use. This has been achieved through:
• Learning’s and analysis from pervious app design and development
• rigorous use casing and attention to detail through the design process, and
• robust and seamless technical integration.
The app delivers a fast and functional flow of information which is reflected in glowing user endorsements and 5 star ratings, some of which include:
Amazing
This app is awesome if you wanna live a healthy life, get this app its actually amazing
Betterhealthchannel App
Greatest Health App for Men
After hours info - winning!
I love the new upgrade. The after-hours info is fantastic and I can see which medical services are open late in my area. Great look and feel - sleek and easy to read.
Project Marketing
Released in June 2014, the app update was promoted via a diverse range of no cost online and offline networks and channels including government department websites, health service communication channels, press and digital media.
Promotion also leveraged high visitation to the Better Health Channel website and included a specific landing page and links to promotional materials including news stories and images.
Currently the app has a 4-5 star rating and is consistently amongst the top free applications in the app store medical category.
Project Privacy
Consistent with Victorian Government policy and legislation, the Department of Health endorses fair information handling practices and uses of information in compliance with its obligations under the Information Privacy Act 2000 (Vic) and the Health Records Act 2001 (Vic).
2014 Australian Mobile & App Awards
Government Services
This category recognises applications developed for all levels of government services.
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