Dive Brief:

• Patients have repeatedly told researchers that they want their healthcare providers to allow them to set appointments, pay bills, look at records and consult with a doctor online. Sutter Health has packed those features into its new free iPhone app, according to a company press release.
• The new app includes access to a "Symptom Checker" that patients can use to educate themselves before seeking treatment, as well as access to "My Health Online," a secure connection where they can look at their medical records, email their doctors, request appointments, view test results, pay bills and look at account balances. The crown jewel of the app is the ability to consult with physicians via phone or video through MDLIVE, an independent telehealth provider.
• "The Sutter Health app is the latest example in our long history of embracing hi-tech innovations to improve clinical care," said Sutter Health president and CEO Pat Fry. "With this newest technological investment in our patients, we’re working to make care more convenient and accessible."

Dive Insight:

The Sutter app is a step in the right direction, but there are a few stumbling blocks to success hidden between the lines of the press release.

First, this is for iPhones only, and there is no Android availability date included in the press release, so it looks like this will be an Apple-only dance. 

Second, there is little mention of security, other than to say that the app has a "secure" connection to the network. After the Anthem hack, patients want a little more than a passing mention of the level of security connected to the app. In fact, they prefer security over convenience, in some cases. Considering that smartphones are an easy and preferred target for hackers, Sutter really needs to address data security here.

The addition of MDLIVE is a great advantage for the app, though it's unclear how much access comes with it, as we are pretty sure that Sutter doesn't intend to pay MDLIVE for all the patient calls it will get through the app. Will users get a discount for using MDLIVE through the app? And does Sutter share in that revenue?

Meanwhile, execs should keep their eye on their app's customer feedback page. To date, just one user has weighed in on the app's iTunes page, but the verdict isn't flattering: "Lame. This app lists outpatient labs that were shut down long ago. Does not list lab hours."

Sutter had best respond quickly to complaints like these. In the ruthlessly Darwinian world of app distribution, a slow start can be no start at all.