This guest blog was written by Julie Misson, a Syncfusion customer who is the founder of Make it APPen, a team that designs and creates mobile apps to improve patient care.
I would like to share with you my journey into app development and how Syncfusion ended up being an integral part in this journey.
First, a bit about me. I am a nurse by trade but a nerd by nature. I am 56 years old and a grandmother to three beautiful girls. My interest in app development evolved by having worked in hospitals for over 30 years both as a nurse and in the quality and data fields. During that time, I uncovered four consistent frustrations healthcare professionals have. These frustrations occur thousands of times across Australia every day:
- Lack of resources: time, staff, and money.
- Out of date and incorrect information.
- Delayed treatment.
- Disengaged consumers.
The ultimate pain for healthcare professionals is the pervasive feeling that they are not providing the best care for their patients. As late as the 2000s, there was no realistic solution to these frustrations other than more manpower. But with my experience in both technology and health, I saw that an app could go some way to resolve every one of these frustrations—an app that provided correct information, real-time feedback, video education, emergency help buttons, and clear lines of communication.
Four years ago, my journey into app development began. It was not my first coding experience, having produced hundreds of software applications for small businesses, so I had a bit of an idea of what I was getting into.
I spent most of the next three years trying different platforms and types of apps. I originally headed down the purely Apple route, but did not want to limit myself just to Apple. I then investigated various web apps, of which I developed a few. In the end, I decided to go with Xamarin, a Microsoft product. This meant learning two new languages, C# and XAML, but it also meant I could produce native code apps for the three main platforms: Apple, Android, and Windows.
My first major app on the Xamarin platform was beatpain, an app that enables people with chronic pain to rehabilitate themselves. In2ot paid me to build the app, and the content was written by an occupational therapist from in2OT with input from other health experts. This app is now available on Google Play and is waiting for approval from Apple.
Beatpain App
This app really pushed my limits, as it required a graph, a sliding scale, and a carousel, among other things. I needed a product that would make developing these objects easier. These objects also had to be professional looking and easy to format.
Luckily, I discovered Syncfusion, which had products built specifically for Xamarin.
I found Syncfusion easy to install and to use. A couple of times I was stuck on a piece of coding, but I found their help desk amazing. They sent back sample bits of code that I could incorporate into my project. I ended up with an app that met all the needs of my client.
