Telemedicine App Development Guide 2023

Here are some interesting facts to support the above statement:

• 
  Mckinsey reported that the number of telemedicine users, patients, and medical professionals increased by 38 times during the pandemic.
  
• 
  As per Statista, 60 to 75% of US adults are inclined to use a telemedicine app even after the effects of Covid-19 wean off.
  
• 83% of healthcare companies are planning to invest in the telehealth or telemedicine sector.

All the above 3 facts indicate that the Covid-19 pandemic has created massive awareness for the telemedicine market. Venture investments are showing interest in telemedicine software development.

We hope that the above statistics will encourage you to launch your startup in the telemedicine segment.

Now, let’s see how a telemedicine app can benefit patients and physicians:-

Benefits For Patients

• Convenient and fast

  Patients can quickly connect with physicians and doctors, without worrying about traveling from one location to another.

• Better healthcare outcomes

  Patients can reduce their costs and avoid hospital readmissions. For common symptoms like cold and fever, a physician can connect with a patient through a video call interface available in a telemedicine app and instantly issue prescriptions or prescribe tests. Instead of waiting in line at the hospital, patients have access 24/7 to physicians from the comfort of their homes.

• 360-degree service experience

  You do not have to visit a faraway hospital for getting treatment for a particular disease. Patients can connect with a doctor or specialist from anywhere in the world using the search and sort feature available in a telemedicine app. You can also ask questions on the telemedicine app and get an answer instantly or within 24 hours.

Benefits For Physicians

• Saves time

  Physicians can save time on basic queries like the patient history, previous conditions and symptoms because a telemedicine app will collect all this information using automated chat and send it to the physician before a consultation.

• Attend more patients

  The app stores all the patient details (EMR/EHR records) in one place and a physician can attend to more patients based on their calendar. You do not have to worry about physician commutation as it is a virtual interaction.

• Easy follow-up

  App will record the complete history of patient records, their interactions, and prescription and will automatically create follow-ups with the patients.

Knovator Technologies is an experienced telemedicine solution provider and has built platforms that benefit both patients and physicians by addressing the above points.

So, how much does telemedicine app development cost?

There are many factors involved in the development of a telemedicine app.

5 Step process to develop a telemedicine app

Healthcare IT solutions providers like Knovator Technologies follow a 5 step process to ensure you get a great app.

Step 1 – Requirement understanding and analysis

In the first call, a company and client will discuss the requirements, ask initial questions, and understand the team size, experts required to develop an app. During this stage, a document is prepared and sent to summarize the understanding. In case a clickable prototype is required, the company will also design and provide a working link to help the client visualize a screen.

In the next call, requirements are finalized and a decision is taken to develop a Minimum Viable Product [MVP] and launch it. Post customers’ feedback and app traction, you can decide to add more features and launch a real-time interactive application.

The end goal of this phase is to plan the project in terms of MVP product development and milestones and develop a comprehensive Software Requirement Specification [SRS] that covers all the business requirements and technical requirements. It also covers the details of the technology stack, database, cost of servers, risk and challenges, prototype, milestones and more to ensure that both client and a telemedicine software development company like Knovator are fully aware of the project plan and deadlines along with budget and team decomposition.

Step 2 – User experience design phase

During this phase, all the pages are designed keeping the latest web and app development trends and user experience in mind. The concept of “less is more” is widely used in the UX design phase. Every app page layout is designed in such a way that the purpose of the interaction and call to action is visible and consumable.

Step 3 – Development and healthcare compliance phase

During the development phase, the first step is to choose a reliable database platform like Oracle, Hbase, MongoDB and technologies like React Native, Laravel, AWS with Twillio, PayPal, and Stripe integration. A telemedicine app needs a vast and secure database to store patient prescriptions, medical history, and reports. You need SSL certificates, protocols, and a custom healthcare security interface to protect your app from any HIPAA/GDPR compliance violation. Knovator’s telemedicine healthcare IT solutions utilize industry-standard techniques like Laravel encryption to keep your app safe from a potential data breach.

To add on, automatic scalability tools help to handle peak user load and ensure there are no app crashes.

Step 4 – Quality auditing

Once the development is completed, the app will go through manual, regression, and automation testing to ensure all the screens of the app behave as per user interactions and any search feature generate the correct search results.

Step 5 – After launch care and support

Every custom telemedicine solution provider like Knovator will offer a support and maintenance package with ticketing, helpdesk, and regular maintenance features to ensure your app is working fine and adhering to the changing healthcare, GDPR and technology trends.

As we come to the end of the technical walkthrough to develop a telemedicine app, we also need to know 4 major challenges. Many are covered during the above discussion. However, it is important to summarize them below so that you are aware of them.

4 Major challenges in telemedicine app development

Great! You have reached a stage where you know the benefits, risks, challenges, cost, technical walkthrough related to telemedicine app development. So, what features do you expect in an app?

Telemedicine solution providers: Key Features For Patients

• Profile managementPatients can register using their phone number or social media accounts. With OTP verification, the sign-in process is secure. Patients can upload their health records and update their profiles. Enabling notifications will ensure they never miss a doctor appointment, important healthcare updates, and more
• Search and book a physician easilyWith the help of search features like search by specialty, proximity, time, and fees, patients can quickly find a doctor, view their calendar, and book a consultation.
• Text and video chatPatients can book a video consultation and connect with a doctor in virtual face-to-face interaction. Behind the scenes, providers like Knovator develop technology to avoid buffering. For minor issues, it is possible to send text chats to doctors and take consultations.

Telemedicine solution providers: Key Features For Physicians and admins

• Accept appointments per conveniencePhysicians can create their schedule or sync their appointments from GMAIL to track their appointments easily. On their behalf, an admin can also create and accept appointments and generate payment invoices.
• Digital prescriptions and trackingPost consultation, doctors can send a legal digital prescription to a patient. The healthcare pp will keep a track of all the prescriptions to ensure there are no miscommunications between patients and physicians.

Now, we all know you must be all set to hire a telemedicine software development company. Before you do that, you must know 3 important tips or factors to consider.