WhatsApp or a dedicated app? What patients really need!

Using established communication channels in patient communication is often more worthwhile than developing new apps.

In many digital projects in the healthcare sector, the fundamental question arises: Do we need a dedicated app for our patient service, or is the intelligent use of existing channels like WhatsApp sufficient?

The answer lies less in technical features than in the actual usage situation of patients. What appears attractive on paper often fails in practice due to the barriers of everyday life.

Health apps offer many possibilities, but they also demand a lot from users.
The app needs to be found, downloaded, installed, understood, and opened regularly. Each of these steps can lead to a break in contact, especially for target groups with limited digital experience or for patients who are already under considerable strain in their daily lives.

WhatsApp, on the other hand, is installed on almost every smartphone and used daily. There are no additional hurdles, no new interface, and above all: high acceptance.

Comviira® enables the use of WhatsApp as a professional, structured communication channel in the healthcare sector. The platform allows medical information to be provided directly within the user's chat history.

Comviira® offers two key functions that go far beyond classic chat:

• Broadcast messages: All patients receive relevant content regularly and automatically.
• On-demand content: Patients can access specific information whenever they need it. This creates a flexible self-service channel without waiting times or hotlines.

Further advantages at a glance

• No installation required: WhatsApp is already installed and can be used via a familiar interface.
• Low barriers to entry: No additional login or password management required.
• High usage frequency: WhatsApp is already part of everyday life – information reaches patients where they are already active.
• One-to-one communication is possible: questions can be asked directly and documented.

Conclusion: Patients don't want a new app – they want functioning communication.

Experience shows that a familiar channel with an intelligent structure beats a new application with high hurdles.
Comviira® uses WhatsApp precisely for this purpose: as a secure, interactive and practical service channel for patient programs, therapy support and information services.

Through automated broadcasts and flexibly accessible content, the channel becomes not only efficient but also individually customizable, around the clock if desired.

Note: WhatsApp is a registered trademark of Meta Platforms, Inc. Comviira® has no commercial or technical affiliation with Meta..