A telemedicine app allows both patients and doctors to stay in touch easily but also delivers another level of healthcare that really helps during this pandemic. We’ve already seen how technology can help in the hospitals themselves. It’s been used to help doctors manage patients in the office or help connect devices throughout the hospital for better patient care. When it comes to telemedicine app features, the camera, microphone, and chatting are just a few that make this a great option for doctor/patient relationships. The Benefits of Telemedicine App Patients have easy access to their doctors with a faster, more convenient way to get a hold of them. The same goes for doctors. They can connect and answer patient questions quickly. Prescription renewals are also very convenient to do through the app rather than calling and/or going to the pharmacy. Video calls are a fantastic way to meet with your doctor and for doctors to help with diagnosis and just get medical advice without having to actually go and sit in the doctor’s office. Let’s face it, no one is thrilled with having to do it. By building a telehealth app you can also provide patients access to an entire system of questions and answers that they can look through. There is so much information all over the internet it can be overwhelming for people to find the right answer or to know what they are reading is in fact correct. Having it accessible in the app assures them it is a proper place for solid medical information. For medical practices, there are advantages in terms of revenue as well. Telemedicine has earned billions of dollars in revenue making it a very good investment. If you decide you want to build a telemedicine system then you have the chance to earn some serious income. You can provide a feature that allows any physician to join the app and manage their own patients. The physicians pay a fee to be on there. Some say if you create telemedicine software you don’t necessarily need to have a physical building. This really depends on the type of practice you have. At the end of the day, there will still be a need for in-person visits and large hospitals can’t solely rely on a telemedicine app. However, a smaller more independent practice could switch over and in the case of more serious cases at home, consultations could be the way to go. This can lead to lower costs as you are not paying for an actual building and as many staff members. Again, this may not be the solution for everyone as it is up to each individual clinic and doctor to decide this. Scheduling becomes much simpler in a telemedicine app. Patients know exactly what doctor’s available times are and can book an appointment within seconds. No more waiting on the phone for someone else to schedule you. Doctors can quickly and easily set their availability and see their appointments. It really does save a lot of time and manpower as the app does it for you. This works great for small clinics as well as large hospitals. Doctors can access patient files within seconds making it very easy to know what is going on right before they meet.It can often take time and other people to find and manage these files which is a waste of time and effort. There are serious safety elements that do need to be understood when it comes to storing health records (HIPAA Compliance) which we will get into shortly. Telemedicine App Features When it comes to telemedicine app development having the right features for your patients and doctors is what will make a successful telehealth app. Here are some key elements you should think about including to ensure it’s a successful app. 1. Registration – both parties need to register themselves in order to even use the app. 2. Profile – details that show doctor and patient information. 3. Video chat – one of the most important elements is being able to see and speak to one another through the app. Choosing a high-quality video program is very important. 4. Texting and emailing – both parties need a simple way to communicate outside of a video appointment. Texting and emailing are great options for this. 5. Scheduler – Doctors can set up their availability and patients can make appointments in a very quick and easy way. Both should have the option to reschedule appointments and be able to sync to their calendars. 6. Medical information – access to all types of medical information so they can get medical advice even without an actual consultation. 7. Doctor finder and ratings – Patients can find a doctor through a list which they can filter and find one that matches them. They can also look at details and ratings from other patients. This helps people determine if that doctor is right for them. 8. Payment gateway – A proper secure payment system needs to be included so that patients can pay for their appointments and doctors can also pay their fees. However, you decide to use it you need a high-quality third-party payment gateway. 9. Notifications – Reminders are a necessary part of any app but also in terms of doctor on-demand app development not only reminders but notifications about updates in exams, health details, pill shipments, and more. HIPAA COMPLIANCE Earlier we talked briefly about being HIPAA compliant. This is incredibly important especially to patients because their privacy should be the most important part of the app. You must be HIPAA compliant in order to even use this app. The whole reason HIPAA was created was to protect personal data from unauthorized access. If you do not create your app with this in mind fines can be above $1,000,000. The security you choose to use is important in order to be HIPAA compliant. Your healthcare app developers should be able to guide you on exactly what you will need for this. That is why it is best to hire a company like SDI who understands HIPAA certifications. This is where you don’t want to go cheap because in order to have a strong security system you do have to invest quite a bit. Telemedicine App Development Cost Telemedicine startup costs can vary quite a bit depending on what features you want to include. The first step is looking for a proper healthcare app development company that is familiar with exactly what is needed to create a telemedicine app. The first step in the app development process is wireframing, then design, development, testing, and finally maintenance. Each step is part of the cost to build an app. Also, keep in mind that these are really 2 apps. One for the patients and one for the doctors. You will also need a CMS to manage all of the data and app elements. The price will range from $20,000 to $100,000 depending on what you want to include and what you decide you want to be done. This price range is for both apps together. If we keep it very basic, simple design, minimal elements, then we’re looking at $20,000. If you want a higher-end design with all the functions necessary then it will average about $70,000. Again, each element has its own hourly cost and price. For example, if you decide you don’t want to include the ability to order prescriptions then it would be about $3000 cheaper. If you want to know the exact cost to build an app like this you need to contact SDI and discuss all the details and they will provide you with an exact fixed price. Developing a telemedicine app and software isn’t a simple inexpensive project but at the end of the day, it’s worth it. People have become dependent on telecommunication more than ever before. Even after Covid, we will see people continue to prefer the digital route versus face to face. This route just makes things more efficient and allows people to get care during easy and difficult times. It’s a great investment and will provide its own income. If you are ready to learn more about how to get this built then contact team@sdi.la or call us at 408.821.8481 now.