The healthcare industry is going through a tough patch with the current pandemic; however, it also opens up tons of opportunities for pharmacy companies, healthcare firms, doctors, and other stakeholders. Especially when people have restrictive permissions to go out, it is the right time for healthcare firms to scale up the digital services including Telemedicine services that enable a virtual interaction between patients and doctors with ease.
A statistic from MarketWatch listed that the Telemedicine industry in the US saw revenue of around $ 13 billion in 2019 while it is expected that the global Telemedicine market will be as big as $266 billion by 2026.
Telemedicine services are those that facilitate remote monitoring and digital diagnosis through various communication mediums. Considering the present conditions, healthcare Telemedicine solutions are the need of the hour. Telemedicine Solutions in the form of mobile applications and software integrated into business applications can bring enhanced convenience and fast service delivery.
What is a Telehealth App and How it Solves the Major Challenges?
A Telemedicine application allows communication between patients and doctors remotely without having to set up a necessary 1-on-1 meeting unless there is an emergency. There are various Telemedicine app for doctors and patients communication already developed including Amwell, MDLIVE to list a few. These apps enable audio/video communication, real-time consultation and allow patients to share their medical records/reports/medicine prescriptions for better treatment.
Healthcare Telemedicine solutions solve major challenges. Some of them include:
1. Promoting healthcare services in remote areas
The rural and remote areas are often deprived of efficient healthcare services. In the absence of medical clinics and hospitals, patients have to go too far off places which is both costly and inconvenient. With healthcare Telemedicine application patients can do virtual interactions with physicians of their choice making it a convenient mode of healthcare.
2. Patient Monitoring
Monitoring patients in real-time is not possible unless a monitoring application or feature is integrated into business applications. The Telemedicine software for doctors enables real-time monitoring using a patient's medical record. The software is based on EHR (electronic medical records) that tracks vitals and gives signals in case any vital goes down.
3. Long Waits for Appointments
With Telemedicine solutions, patients need not wait for long hours in physical queues and as the same is managed by virtual waiting rooms. Patients can schedule appointments with physicians through Telemedicine Platform for Doctors enabling faster and efficient service delivery.
Features to Have in a Telemedicine App for Patients
The Telemedicine App for patients enables them to hire doctors at ease. A patient can search for doctors available, make appointments, make a payment, and get started with treatment. Here are the features that to include in such an app:
● Patient’s profile
The patients should be able to create profiles entering their name, age, medical conditions, symptoms, preferred language for communication, notes from previous treatment, etc to get started with treatment.
● Search
Allows patients to search for the available doctors listed in the application with the help of filters based on location, language, gender, and more. Thus, patients can choose a medical professional based on their needs and criticality.
● Appointment Booking
Patients should be able to browse doctor’s profiles, contact numbers and book appointments with them as per doctor’s availability. One can also add a calendar feature to make it look more convenient for patients.
● Communication
The patient’s app enables them to connect with doctors of their choice post-appointment booking and can select the preferred communication methods. Methods including voice, text, or video-based communication will allow remote diagnosis and proactive consultation for patients.
● Payments
Ensure that the patients are well aware of the fees/price charts of doctors. Allow multiple payment options so that users can choose the most convenient method of payment.
● Reminders
The user application must have a reminder feature that alerts/notifies users of their appointment or doctor’s home visits. Also, notifications for appointment approval, timings, payments etc should be automatically delivered.
Features to Have in Telemedicine Software for Doctors
The Telemedicine Software for Doctors enables them to accept/reject appointment booking requests. With the app, doctors can prescribe medicine, suggest diagnosis or set up meetings for the examination of patients.
Some features to be included in the doctor's application/software are:
● Profile Management
The doctors should be able to create their portfolio on the application enabling patients to check their certifications, backgrounds, affiliations and expertise areas.
● Schedule Management
Healthcare experts must be able to make changes in their schedules and manage their availability as per their desired time.
● Appointment Management
The doctors can manage appointment requests and accept or reject them as per their convenience and availability.
● Electronic Medical Records
Healthcare firms can integrate EMR system in their business applications giving real-time information about lab results and patient records
Pulling Up All Together
Telemedicine solutions enable patients to interact with doctors in real-time, send reports, take consultation, book appointments, take prescriptions, make advance payments, and more. Moreover, the doctors can prescribe medicine, set rates, manage their schedules, and consult patients as per their convenience.
Before developing a digital Telemedicine platform for doctors and patients, healthcare firms should keep possible challenges into consideration and make note of the diverse needs of patients. By integrating Telemedicine Solutions, healthcare institutions and firms would be able to connect patients and doctors in a digital space minimizing the need for a physical consultation.
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