Category: Telemedicine

Telehealth-and-Telemedicine-in-2023-and-Beyond

What to Expect From Telehealth and Telemedicine in 2023 and Beyond?

Posted on | by Ami Kothari

Telehealth and telemedicine have been growing in popularity in recent years, but the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the adoption of these technologies. With the ability to provide medical care remotely, telehealth services and telemedicine have become essential tools for maintaining access to healthcare during the pandemic and beyond.

With technology advancing rapidly, one can also expect this to be reflected in telehealth and telemedicine platforms in many ways. In this article, we will explore what to expect from telehealth and telemedicine in 2023 and beyond, including predictions for the future of the field and the value of virtual care beyond telehealth.

Telehealth and Telemedicine: The Journey So Far

The healthcare industry is constantly evolving, and telehealth and telemedicine are no exceptions. These technologies have grown exponentially in recent years, and this trend is expected to continue. From its inception to where it is today, there have been tremendous changes in telehealth and telemedicine, altering how we perceive healthcare services.

Where is it headed?

The healthcare industry saw an unprecedented surge in telehealth services during the pandemic period. Now that things are back to normal and the sense of urgency that ruled the time has died down, there has been a systematic and sure shift to virtual healthcare services. This aligns with various studies that predict the surge in the use of telehealth services. A study by McKinsey shows that almost $250 billion could be shifted in the US alone for virtual healthcare. A quick look at the current usage stats also confirms the inevitable rise of telehealth.

What are the Usage Stats of Telehealth?

A recent HIMSS report shows that more than 70% of Gen Z, millennials, and Gen X want the convenience of telehealth and go as far as to choose another provider if it is not an option. According to a September 2022 AMA study, there has been a significant increase in physicians using remote monitoring devices, as the percentage grew from 12% in 2016 to 30% in 2022. The main reasons for this adoption are improved clinical outcomes and efficiency. Find the top 10 reasons to build Telemedicine app. Improvement in usability and culture is also seen as a major factor that can raise it to a 50% to 70% rate in the next five years.

What are the components involved in Telemedicine?

One of the most crucial aspects enabling telemedicine is Remote patient monitoring (RPM) It uses connected medical devices and sensors, mobile devices, cloud platforms, and software to analyze and store data. While personal wearable devices such as Jawbone, Fitbit, and Apple Watches were popular a decade ago, they do not provide medical-grade information. Medical-grade devices are necessary for significant progress. As patients become accustomed to utilizing devices, sensors will become more compact and efficient.

Bringing a greater value beyond the obvious

Beyond the obvious benefits of telehealth and telemedicine, such as increased access to healthcare and reduced costs, virtual care can potentially improve patient care quality. Virtual care can also help to reduce the spread of infectious diseases, such as COVID-19, by reducing the number of in-person visits to healthcare facilities. Read more about 10 Benefits of Telemedicine Apps in Virtual Healthcare.

The Future of Telehealth and Telemedicine: 2023 in a Glance

Get Ready for Tech giant takeovers

Tech giants like Google and Amazon are taking notice of telehealth’s potential and making strategic acquisitions and investments to expand their offerings in the healthcare space. Google has made direct investments in telehealth providers, while Amazon has acquired One Medical, a telehealth-powered primary care provider, for close to $4 billion and launched Amazon Clinic, a marketplace for third-party telehealth providers. With the potential to apply new technologies in telehealth, we can expect to see more tech giant acquisitions in the coming years.

Bring Home the Hospital

During the pandemic, home healthcare saw a rapid scaling up due to the deployment of cutting-edge technologies. However, as things have normalized, the urgency to address healthcare challenges has decreased. Caregivers are now working to refine and expand subscription-based home healthcare services. We can expect a significant increase in subscription-based home healthcare services in the coming years, as corporate healthcare programs integrate preventive approaches to reduce healthcare expenditure.

Behavioral and holistic health

Integrating behavioral insights to create a holistic care environment that integrates physical, social, and mental health is a growing trend in healthcare. This approach, which tech giants are embracing, goes beyond monitoring patients’ vitals and providing remote diagnostics. It creates a sense of community and belonging for patients. This shift towards behavioral and holistic health promises to enhance patients’ overall well-being.

Better Usability

Telehealth technology is advancing rapidly, focusing on making it more user-friendly for patients and physicians. The usability of telehealth services will continue to improve to make them more accessible to everyone. This includes simplifying the process of accessing telehealth services, improving the user interface, and making it more intuitive. Additionally, the increasing demand for telehealth services will drive further technological developments to make it more convenient for patients and physicians to access and utilize these services.

Evolving into an All-in-one technology

The technology industry is moving towards a more consolidated approach with the development of all-in-one solutions. This means that instead of using multiple tools to achieve a certain task, users can access everything they need from a single platform. This will reflect in telemedicine in the form of technologies that will provide different services in a single platform.

Comprehensive changes in Chronic disease management

One advantage of telemedicine is how it will help in chronic disease management. It cuts down on hospital visits and helps healthcare providers give their services at home in a consistent manner. With video appointments, follow-ups, and therapy, patients can find relief within their homes.

Government funding and regulation for telehealth

With telehealth providing a more democratic approach to healthcare services, governments will receive greater funding to make it available to the general public at a subsidized cost. There will also be greater regulations in place to ensure there are no fraudulent practices.

More capital will flow to innovators in the digital healthcare arena.

Telehealth services will also attract many investors owing to their predicted growth and popular appeal. The involvement of tech giants is also proof that the future of telehealth will see a flurry of growth. Here is why Telemedicine/Telehealth is a must for digital healthcare.

 

Summing Up

Telehealth has seen one of the most astonishing growth in recent times, especially during the COVID pandemic. It brought about revolutionary new changes in the field of healthcare services. New technologies add to their facets, making it a constantly evolving field. All of the compasses point to great growth in the telehealth sector. It is wise to opt for digital healthcare options like a telemedicine app to give the best possible services for patients, especially the convenient ones they are looking for.

EMed HealthTech – a custom healthcare software development company is here for you if you need a reliable digital healthcare services provider. We provide custom telehealth software solutions and healthcare services that can be tweaked to fit your needs. With all the best telemedicine software options available, we help our healthcare industry clients gain a digital advantage in an era of evolution and growth. We can do the same for you. To know more, get in touch with us today!

 

 

Telemedicine-in-Virtual-Healthcare

10 Benefits of Telemedicine App in Virtual Healthcare

Posted on | by Ami Kothari

Telemedicine, telehealth, virtual care, and m-health are all similar terms used to denote medical care delivered from a distance. Doctors provide their medical services using technology like video conferencing and phone calls, compared to traditional face-to-face appointments. This is neither a new concept nor an unknown one. Telemedicine platform has been practiced since there was phone service, and doctors have been giving consultations via phone. It later developed into video conferencing as technology evolved, giving doctors more access to information to make better diagnoses and give better medical advice.

However, with the advent of mobile phones and the plethora of options, like tracking heartbeat, pressure, and other vitals via wearables, virtual care took a whole new turn, making it as efficient as traditional consultations, maybe even more efficient and accurate. While telehealth was an option people could choose, the COVID pandemic brought it to the forefront, forcing people to choose it and recognize its immense benefits. This article looks at the 10 various benefits telemedicine has in virtual healthcare.

What is Telemedicine App & Virtual Healthcare?

Telemedicine and virtual healthcare are similar in that both involve imparting healthcare services without the doctor or patient being present at the same place. Let us take a look at both to understand how they differ.

Telemedicine means medical practitioners can provide medical advice without meeting the patient in person. They may examine medical reports transmitted electronically or visual aspects of the condition via video conferencing. Audio and messaging are also used in the process. Doctors can work from their offices, while patients can be in the comfort of their homes. It can be accessed through their mobile, tablet, or computer and is effective in managing chronic conditions, common illnesses, or even follow-up. There is a lot of telemedicine that can cover.

On the other hand, virtual care refers to a comprehensive concept that includes the way healthcare provides interaction with patients. It may be consultation with a doctor, follow-up calls from medical staff, post-operative guidance and monitoring, pharmaceutical services, laboratory services, etc. All of these are enabled by digital tools like apps developed by telemedicine app development services.

Top Ten Benefits of Telemedicine App

Telemedicine is software that functions as a platform to avail various healthcare services. Please find the top 10 benefits of the Telemedicine platform:

Ten Benefits of Telemedicine

 

1. No Need for Commutes and Long Waits

Traditional consultation with a doctor requires reaching the doctor’s office and waiting in line, among others, for your turn. Patients cannot easily commute to the doctor’s office with their discomfort. They may be physically unfit, and there are expenses involved. Waiting at the doctor’s office with others also poses the risk of communicable diseases spreading.

2. Save Expenses

With telemedicine, there are a lot of expenses saved for the patient as well as the doctor. As for the patient, the expenses of traveling from their home, taking leave from work, finding replacements or babysitters, and car parking. All these lead to additional expenses on top of the doctor’s fees. Unexpected delays may happen on the way or at the doctor’s office. All of these inconveniences and expenses are taken care of with telemedicine.

3. More Efficient Appointments

Telemedicine makes the whole deal of making appointments a lot more efficient than it was before. For instance, making an appointment with telemedicine means finding an open slot for the doctor you prefer from your telemedicine app. You can also cancel appointments within that time. There is also the means to keep the appointment even if you are too unwell, as you can consult from the comfort of your home. Hence, appointments are better kept and more efficient.

4. Account for the Physical Health of the Patient

One of the major aspects overlooked in traditional appointments is the patient’s physical health. They may be sick to the bone with a high fever and unable to afford to call a doctor home. Even in such uncomfortable cases, patients must drag themselves to the doctor’s office to get a medical consultation. With telemedicine, they can do this from home and keep the appointment even if they are too unwell.

5. Better Access to Healthcare

One of the stellar reasons why telemedicine is such a hit is that it makes healthcare accessible to people. Instances, where the doctor you wanted to meet was too far away, were no longer an issue. With telemedicine, you can see doctors miles apart, no matter how remote you are, making healthcare more accessible to all.

6. Maintain Social Distance

Social distance was crucial during the COVID pandemic and brought to our attention how important it was in every other setting. It helped reduce the spread of communicable diseases, the common cold, or COVID. Telemedicine ensures social distancing from other patients as well as the doctor.

7. Access to Specialised Care

With telemedicine, another major advantage is access to specialized doctors. There might not be a doctor with a particular specialization in your nearby hospitals. You can save traveling for a consultation and instead choose to do it virtually, saving you money and time.

8. Beat Social Stigma:

People may avoid seeking medical help due to fear of social stigma. For instance, mental illnesses are widespread, but getting medical attention is not as easy as many social obstacles are yet to change. Telemedicine gives you privacy and security in such instances.

9. Better Medical Adherence

Telemedicine allows doctors, healthcare providers, and patients to keep in touch more. Patients may fall back on medications and the treatment may not be successful. With telemedicine, healthcare providers can check up on patients, prompt them to adhere to their regimens, and take better care of themselves.

10. Shorter Hospital Stay

Patients need not stay longer at the hospital when they need rest. If the observation required is minimal, the patients can be discharged to their homes, and healthcare providers can monitor them from afar. This makes the healing process more comfortable.

The fundamental of telemedicine apps has been around for a long time. Find out the top 10 reasons – why you need to develop a Telemedicine app.

Telemedicine App is a Necessity, not an Option. Why?

Telemedicine has become so popular, especially during the COVID pandemic, that it can no longer be considered an option instead that doctors can consider, rather a necessity for every medical facility to keep up with the demands of the changing times as well as for the many benefits we have listed above.

The COVID pandemic saw a sharp rise in the usage of telemedicine services. McKinsey.com says the study proved the rise in usage up to a staggering 38 times that before in April 2020. This spike was up to 32%, stabilizing at 13-17%.

Hospitals and clinics actively opt for telehealth services using advanced technology and software. The quality and features of a telemedicine application depend entirely on the expertise of the telemedicine app developers. You must choose the best telemedicine app development company to build your custom telemedicine app. Their expertise, experience, and access to resources determine the success of your venture into virtual healthcare.

With the success of telemedicine services in the last two years, the Indian government is sparing no means to develop Telemedicine further. Here you can find what did the Union Budget say about Telemedicine and Digital Health?

Why Choose EMed HealhtTech as Your Telemedicine App Development Partner?

EMed HealthTech is a custom healthcare software development company, that has developed successful telemedicine apps and websites. With over 560+ satisfied clients, they have built an impressive portfolio that proves their merit. Choose EMed HealthTech to know excellence first-hand. Reach out today to get a free estimate.

 

Experts-Tips-and-Tricks-of-Doctor-Appointment-Booking-App-by-EMed-HealthTech

Experts Tips and Tricks of Doctor Appointment Booking App by EMed HealthTech

Posted on | by site_admin

The COVID pandemic was our first brush with being forced to stay indoors due to health hazards. As a response, the health tech industry pushed solutions like mHealth and online consultations to the forefront to improve people’s access to safe and effective medical care. And the result has been eye-opening in how investment in digital health and virtual healthcare business models has skyrocketed.

In this post-pandemic period, we see healthcare practitioners implementing virtual healthcare services, like mobile health apps for booking doctors’ appointments. Healthcare facilities have recognized the upward trend and are developing their apps like doctors’ appointment booking apps, hospital management apps, pharmacy apps, etc.

This article delves into how a doctor appointment booking app can be developed and what you need to keep in mind. We also share tips and tricks from our experts for developing your doctor’s appointment app.

 

Digital Healthcare Market & Trends

The pandemic saw a sharp spike in the utilization of telehealth services. It was reported to be 38 times higher than pre-pandemic times. The spike to 32% has stabilized at 13-17% across all specialties.

A significant factor driving the trend has been the increased confidence of patients in digital healthcare. According to McKinsey, nearly 40% of consumers in their survey said they “believe they will continue to use telehealth going forward—up from 11 percent of consumers using telehealth before COVID-19.”

The better prospects in digital health have also increased investment in digital health. Innovation picked up speed with venture capitalist digital health investment in June 2020 tripled by June 2021, according to rockehealth.com.

Studies show that the global market for such healthcare apps is growing, with an estimated market value of USD 189 billion by 2025. Another study shows that 90% of physicians use smartphones for schedule management, EHR access, communication with the team, or reference information. From the patient’s perspective, there is high engagement with mobile health technology. A study by Boston Tech Corporation showed that 74% of patients use wearables and other mHealth tools to help them manage and cope with their health conditions. The recently presented Union Budget 2022-2023 strongly indicates that Telemedicine is a Must for Digital Health.

All studies and trends show positive growth for electronic health apps like those for booking doctor appointments. It also has many benefits that make patients want to have it. Let us take a quick look at the benefits of a doctor appointment booking app.

 

Challenges Faced Within the Industry

The healthcare industry faces certain challenges that stand in the way of providing proper healthcare. Doctors and healthcare providers are sometimes helpless due to barriers preventing patients from receiving timely attention and treatment. Here is a quick look at them.

Challenges-Faced-Within-the-Industry

1. Face-to-face meetings

Not every doctor’s consultation has to be faced with this. Certain illnesses and follow-up meetings could be done over the phone or virtually. With no such provision, the number of patients blocks up an entire day’s worth of appointments.

2. Time restraint

Doctors find it difficult to manage time if they have to attend to patients and clinics at different places. A lot of time is wasted traveling.

3. Access

Healthcare providers may find themselves wanted in places they may not have easy access. This may prevent timely healthcare from being provided.

4. Better appointment management

The lack of a proper system can make the consulting process tedious. Doctors’ offices are clogged with a lack of appointment booking systems.

 

Challenges Associated with Traditional Methods of Taking Doctor Appointments

The traditional mode of consulting a doctor is a long procedure. And we can all agree that many challenges in it make us begrudge the system. A doctor’s appointment app directly addresses these issues. Let us look at some of the challenges within the traditional method of taking appointments.

Challenges-Associated-with-Traditional-Methods-of-Taking-Appointments

 

  1. Long waiting periods: Say you are suffering from chronic joint pain. Only one ortho specialist in your nearby hospital is available for consultation only on certain days. These days will naturally have a lot of traffic too. Getting an appointment, braving the long queue, and finally seeing the doctor can be strenuous.
  2. Travel expenses: It is difficult to find doctors specializing in certain niches. You might have to travel long distances to get a consultation, which can be expensive, depending on the distance you have to cover.
  3. Skipped Appointments: There are several reasons one might skip an appointment with a doctor. Some patients may forget or skip appointments due to poor health or expenses.
  4. Safety from infectious pathogens: This is perhaps why telehealth solutions gained popularity during the pandemic. The need to be in a room full of ill people increases the chances of catching it.
    Consult from home for chronically ill: Patients who are not well enough to travel can find it even more challenging to make it to appointments. Without virtual consulting, they might choose to skip appointments.

 

Advantages of Developing a Doctor Appointment Booking App

A doctor appointment booking app has a lot of advantages, making it highly sought after by medical professionals for their clinics and healthcare facilities. Patients use it to get the best medical services, and there are plenty of options in the market. Healthcare facilities are competing to be the best on the scene.

Both healthcare providers and patients can benefit from a doctor consultation app.

Benefits to the hospital/clinic/healthcare provider include:

  1. Manage appointments via online channels.
  2. Avoid overbooking by accurately calculating and managing time slots.
  3. Lessen skipped appointments as the hassles and expenses of physical travel are some of the primary reasons patients skip.
  4. Streamline processes of the clinic/hospital, and increase efficiency.
  5. Automate administrative tasks and free up more time for staff for productive work.
  6. eHealthcare reports to analyze performance and make relevant adjustments to make improvements.
  7. Reduce chances of errors that may occur due to human causes.

Benefits to the patients include:

  1. Patient’s can book an appointment anytime from the comfort of their home.
  2. They can use the services of the app 24/7.
  3. Pay medical bills, and access medical records from a single app.
  4. Communicate with the healthcare providers in real time.

Three Tips for Successful Implementation of Doctors Appointment app

Now that you know the advantages of the doctor appointment app development, you may not have any doubt as to whether or not you need the app. As much as the app is helpful, it takes a careful approach to make it truly work. Many different apps launch and then fizzle out due to small mistakes or because they overlooked one or the other thing.
Here are some tips you can keep in mind, so you do not have to make the same mistakes as others.

Take Wearables into Account

Wearables have an immense market. People from all age groups increasingly use them. It is also easily accessible and affordable. The amount of data a wearable health tech generates is immense. It is also a great way to monitor patients who are under chronic illnesses.

Compliance and Regulations

This is perhaps the trickiest part of a doctor’s appointment app. Since it is relatively new, few users know the privacy policies, how the information is used, and more. Regulatory bodies also keep a tight leash on companies for collecting, storing, and processing patient data. These regulations change over time and may prove hard to keep up. You must make sure your app is compliant and follows all regulations.

Managing Doctors Listing

The doctor’s appointment app will require a doctor’s listing. You can manage the doctor listing on your own via an admin panel. Or you can use a second app for doctors where they can edit details on their own and manage their appointments.

When doctors have an app, they can manage it themselves, taking a load off your head. Patients can also get accurate data directly from doctors.

Development Tips: Features You’ll Find in a Great Doctor’s Appointment App

A well-developed on-demand doctor app is marked by the features it has. Here are some features you need to include in a doctor’s appointment app.

  1. Customization: Each healthcare facility has its own needs. A good app is marked by its ability to be customized to the client’s needs.
  2. Video consultation: A doctor appointment app has the primary facility to conduct a virtual consultation, which will significantly organize a doctor’s office.
  3. Multi-Language patient app: Considering the patients and doctors of various ethnicities using the app, the app should support English and other regional languages.
  4. Separate Mobile App for Patients and Doctors: Ideally, a doctor’s appointment app will have separate apps, one for the patient to make appointments, make virtual consolation, etc. The doctor’s app will have provisions to schedule visits, access EHR, organize consultations, etc.
  5. Own payment gateway: The app should provide the convenience of a payment gateway so that patients can make secure payments.
  6. Professional Profile: Doctors should be able to maintain a professional profile, which the patients can look up before choosing to consult them.
  7. Patient History and Electronic Medical Records: The app should integrate the patient history and previous medical records so that doctors and patients can easily access and manage them.
  8. Appointment Management: The star feature of an appointment management app is this feature. It enables patients to easily make appointments with the doctor they need according to their availability, and doctors can manage appointments and schedule their work around it.
  9. Digital Medicine order: Doctors can make digital medicine orders within the app so that the patient gets it on their profile. There is no mix-up or confusion, they simply have to show it to the pharmacy.
  10. Home Delivery of Medicines Based on Medicine order: Patients can also order medicines online, which will be delivered to their homes if they use the online pharmacy module.
  11. Peer-to-peer support: Patients can find support groups and communities to discuss their treatment journey. The feature to make communities makes the patients connect to the app intimately.
  12. 3rd Party software integrations: The app should be enabled with 3rd party software integration to enable different services. Accessing EHR, maps, calendars, etc., requires provisions to integrate.

Plan Your Budget: What Is The Cost To Make A Doctor’s Appointment App?

A doctor appointment app might cost between $40,000 and $50,000 to develop on average. The price range for adding sophisticated features like artificial intelligence is between $100,000 and $150,000.
Additional factors like the features and functionalities, app categories, UI and design, and development time also vary the cost of developing an app. The company you choose to develop your app also decides how much you will have to spend on the app.

Instead of spending money on developing a highly advanced full-fledged doctor appointment booking app, we advise starting with an MVP to gauge market acceptance before expanding to include other healthcare app features. By doing this, you could avoid giving users everything upfront and having the same medical app features for all time, ensuring that you are constantly adding value to their lives.

Our Top Tech Tricks to Remember While Developing the Doctor Consultation App

There are several ways in which you can make your doctor app or Telemedicine app development process easier. Since other products are already on the market, you can thoroughly research and find the shortcuts and tricks to improve your app.

There are several APIs that are extremely useful. You can use them to make your app much more polished and feature-rich. Here is a quick look at some of them.

  1. Manage and maintain booking via 10to8’s API. It is a great tool that saves you a lot of time developing from scratch.
  2. Symptom Checker API has a repository of symptoms by which the patients can be allocated to the doctor most apt to treat those symptoms.
  3. BetterDoctor API shows data about doctors, helping you find the best doctor for your needs.
  4. SimplyBook.me API can be used to schedule appointments with the doctor of your choice.
  5. Doctoralia API has a detailed listing of doctors with reviews from other patients so that patients can make better bookings.
  6. Payment portals like Stripe and Braintree SDKs are a necessity for managing payments.
  7. Third-party integrations to make your app packed with features like Twilio for video calling, Tawk.to for chatting, etc. Payment integration for national and international payments like Paytm, PayPal, and Razorpay.

The Perfect Monetisation Strategy for your App

There are many ways to monetize an app and create a paying customer out of your users. Some of these strategies offer the user to experience your services, evaluate them, and then buy a paid service. Others utilize traditional methods of monetization, like advertisements. Let us look into it.

  1. Freemium: This strategy utilizes two versions of the same app. A free version of the app has limited functionalities, while the premium version requires you to pay an amount to unlock all the services. Your users will likely shift to premium to enjoy the advanced functions.
  2. Commission-based model: This model is where you provide a platform for the doctors and patients to interact to make appointments. You can get a fee from the doctors to display their availability.
  3. Local Ads: Healthcare brands often show interest in placing advertisements in your apps. Keeping the relevant ads adds value to your customer’s experience.
  4. Paid Listing: This is another way to earn revenue from doctors. In this way, you offer the doctors more visibility and patients by placing them higher on the list of doctors for a fee.
  5. In-app purchases: This offers the patients to buy services through your app. The app is free, but you earn a commission when the patient pays for medicines, services, and visits through your app.

Building the App with Experts

A doctor consultation app is a great way to improve the patient inflow for hospitals and clinics. Its features and advantages give apps an upper hand over traditional methods. Ultimately it comes down to the quality of your app and how well it is built. A doctor appointment booking app development can be the most crucial step in your journey.

You should hire experts like EMed HealthTech for your app development. EMed HealthTech offers custom healthcare software development services at affordable prices. We use emerging technologies to make sure you get only the best. Our software is richly featured with a robust UI. We also have a healthcare-integrated platform for pharmacy, telemedicine, and lab. Reach out to us today to get an estimate. Our experts are happy to help you.

 

Medical-Care-Can-Be-Valuable

Medical Care Can Be Valuable: Why Healthcare Needs Telemedicine Technology?

Posted on | by Ami Kothari

Technology has enabled medical care to easily find a niche online. With platforms like the Telemedicine app, there is ease in conducting medical services that were not available before. Thanks to COVID, the masses have opened up to the possibility of digital healthcare services exponentially, thus making apparent its benefits. Let us take a detailed look at telemedicine and how it reshapes how we perceive medical care.

What is Telemedicine App Development?

Telemedicine, simply put, is the platform where a medical health care provider is connected to their patient via technology. It has been around since there were advanced means of communication. What started as medical advice via the radio evolved in time to become the full-fledged service portals we now know as telemedicine. Today’s technology has enabled a holistic approach to providing medical services. Its benefits are immense, and it is enjoyed by both the patient and the healthcare provider.

Despite its benefits, telemedicine did not enjoy the acceptance it has today as it did before the COVID pandemic. According to McKinsey.com, the onset of COVID saw a spike in telemedicine usage as high as 32%, which quickly stabilized to be at a rate that is 38 times higher than the pre-COVID period.

How is Telemedicine Used?

The telemedicine app offers a plethora of opportunities for medical staff as well as patients. For patients, the obvious advantage of telemedicine is medical help would be available even if it is remote. This allows a patient to save the resources used to reach the medical facility, and it gives the patient the option of discretion. Medicines could be prescribed online, and medicines can reach one’s home even by simply opting for delivery.

For medical care providers, telemedicine provides access to chronically ill or critically ill patients from their homes, access to more patients from remote areas, lower exposure to pathogens, consultation from home, etc.
Hospitals and clinics are increasingly adopting telemedicine technology and strategies to include virtual medical care in their services. The immense benefits it provides to the medical care facility regarding business cannot be ignored.

Let us now look at the benefits of telemedicine and what makes it an indispensable aspect of modern medicine.

The Benefits of Telemedicine

benefits-telemedicine

Low Cost

One of the biggest advantages of telemedicine is that it allows the patient to consult the doctor without spending the money and time to travel to the healthcare center. The patient will only have to remit the consultation charges.

Data Management Tools

Telemedicine app allows medical care providers and patients to update their data on a single platform. Medical facilities can store this data to maintain a comprehensive medical history of the patient. This will help provide treatment strategies and analytical insights from large amounts of data.

Remote Access

This is a matter of both access and comfort. Patients who do not have easy access to medical facilities as they live in remote areas can avail of telemedicine to meet their medical consultations. In other cases, patients might prefer the comfort of their homes to meeting the doctor online. This would give them the privacy a public place might not offer.

Access to Specialist Doctors

A patient seeking a specialist doctor may have to travel great distances to meet them. Since specialist doctors, especially those specializing in rare fields, are hard to come by. It can also be difficult to get appointments with them. With a doctor appointment booking app, all of it gets easier. Be it the distance, scheduling an appointment, or the cost of travel.

No More Queues

Another outstanding advantage of telemedicine is the dreaded wait in the waiting room. It is daunting enough to drag oneself out to meet a doctor but to wait in line till one’s turn can prove a little too much for a patient. With telemedicine, there is no need to wait in line and bear the discomfort. With telemedicine, one has to meet the doctor at the appointed time online, without the wait and queue.

Safety from Infectious Pathogens

This is another obvious benefit for both the doctor and the patient. Patients can save themselves from being in crowded rooms with many other sick patients, and the doctor need not meet every infected patient. This way, a lot of unnecessary exposure and risk can be minimized.

Scheduling Appointments and Follow Ups.

With telemedicine apps, making an appointment with a doctor is easy. One simply has to find the doctor, check their availability and make a booking. Telemedicine also enables easy follow-up for patients as they can talk to their doctor via video or call to give updates.

Flexibility

Working individuals and students need not take days off to consult a doctor. With telehealth facilities, they can simply schedule an appointment according to their convenience. This flexibility benefits the doctor too. Scheduling appointments via telemedicine allows the doctor to easily book and cancel appointments and even provide extended service hours.

Emergency Services

A significant benefit of telehealth is access to quality healthcare in cases of emergency. If a patient can access emergency doctors in the middle of the night or from a remote area for an emergency, they can provide valuable medical help to avoid bigger problems.

Overall Better Health

The biggest benefit and outcome of telemedicine is that it provides access to overall better health. When a person has access to quality healthcare services at any given time, with proper follow-up, at affordable rates, the chances of being healthy are higher.

Conclusion

The benefits of telemedicine are immense. It is no wonder that healthcare IT services are increasingly being adopted by hospitals and clinics. Be it a facility of any size, there is a telemedicine application that is built to suit its needs. Telemedicine apps may be custom-made for healthcare facilities with unique features that cater to the facility’s specific needs. It may also be generic and readymade software solutions that can cater to broad categories of healthcare facilities. Choosing one according to one’s needs and budget is what matters.

Also, check out The Seven Challenges of Telemental Health and How to Overcome Them.

However, the harder part is choosing the company for your telemedicine app development when they are available a dime a dozen, it is safe to stick to the well-established names in the industry. EMed HealthTech is a leading provider of healthcare IT solutions and services to leading healthcare facilities worldwide. With almost a decade of experience, we have a team of seasoned designers and developers who create applications that are a perfect fit for you. Reach out to EMed HealthTech today to get a free estimate for Telemedicine app!

Common-Challenges-of-Telemental-Health

The Seven Challenges of Telemental Health and How to Overcome Them?

Posted on | by Ami Kothari

The mental health scenario in India is a bleak one, with one in every seven people suffering from a clinically diagnosable mental disorder, according to a study by Lancet Psychiatry. There is also a huge disparity in the doctor-patient ratio. The required ratio, according to WHO, stands at 3 psychiatrists per 100,000 population, but India has only 0.75 psychiatrists per 100,000. This ratio is made taking into consideration that India is a low-income country.

However, with the entry of telemedicine into the mainstream, things are starting to look different. A virtual care system nullifies a lot of the geographical and physical barriers that keep a person from mental health services. With more access and awareness, the social stigma surrounding mental health issues also disperse. However, implementing a telemental health service has its challenges. We discuss some of the major challenges faced by Telemental Health and Telemedicine app development and how to overcome them.

 

Telemental Health Landscape in India

The telemental health landscape got a boost this year with the central government launching its National Tele-Mental Health Program (NTMPH).

The launch comes as a welcome change in the wake of the COVID pandemic. Having to withdraw from social circles, being forced into isolation, loss of loved ones, and threatened job security are post-COVID factors that have left a debilitating impact on mental health.

However, mental health issues are not just personal struggles. Studies show a deep connection between mental health crises and the economy of a nation. A simple explanation could be that poor mental health causes a loss of productivity, negatively affecting businesses and by extension, the whole economy. Not surprisingly, poor mental health is believed to have cost the world economy a whopping $2·5 trillion on average in 2010 — a number that’s about to rise to an unbelievable $6 trillion by 2030. India, alone, is estimated to face an economic loss of US$ 1.03 trillion due to mental health problems, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

While the new action plans and studies shed a ray of hope on the telemental health care scenario, it is not without its own set of challenges.

Challenges of Telemental Health

challenges

Privacy

One of the major challenges in making use of the telemental health care system would be privacy. While privacy is a must in every medical consultation, in the case of mental health issues, there is the weight of social stigma attached to it. If a person decides to reach out to a mental health professional for help, this is often done discreetly. The lack of a private space is also a concern given that most Indian households have joint family systems. A space that is private and safe is a must to ensure that patients can fully avail of telemental health services.

Preference for in-person care

Despite the availability of virtual care, some people prefer in-person care. This is because mental health issues are more sensitive. Being able to confide in the presence of another person provides the warmth of human contact while a virtual consultation might seem cold and distant. It is also important to consider that most people would be forced to stay in an environment that might be conducive to their mental health deterioration. In-person, care ensures that the patient is part of a support group and in an environment that acknowledges their issues.

This preference gets in the way of patients accessing mental health services as well as telemental health providers.

Digital Literacy and Networking Issues

Using telemental health applications means that the patient requires a certain amount of know-how about technology. India particularly faces a large demographic of digitally challenged people, which amounts to 80% of 1.4 billion people. Digital literacy gets in the way of the proper implementation of telemental health programs.

Another glaring issue is connectivity. While there is an equivalent of 81.3% of the total population, the internet penetration rate in India is still at 47% as of 2021. This means that more than half of the population does not have access to the Internet. Because most telemental health services take place over the internet, a large portion of the people is not able to access this due to low connectivity.

Strategies to Overcome the Challenges

The challenges faced by the telemedicine industry in implementing its services are often broad. Here are a few strategies we can adopt to battle the challenges.

Awareness and Education on mental health

A developing country like India has its own set of social stigmas when it comes to dealing with mental health issues. Myths and superstitions get in the way of proper diagnosis and treatment. Creating awareness through campaigns to all people of all ages, introducing mental health issue awareness in school curriculums, and breaking the myths surrounding mental health treatment can help tackle this challenge to a large extent.

Better connectivity

India is a developing country and is only slowly pacing towards a fully networked society. Creating better connections is a slow process, but one that can create significant changes. With better connectivity, mental health services can reach remote areas and persons with restrictions on mobility.

Digital literacy

India’s statistics on digital literacy, as mentioned above, are bleak. While there are a lot of mobile phone users as per the statistics, not many may be literate on anything beyond the basic functionalities. Inculcating proper digital literacy into the school curriculum, and through social channels to reach the older crowd can help better the digital literacy rate. Updating to smartphones is also important to avail advanced services of telemental health.

Telemedicine App Development for Telemental Health

Telemedicine applications are software built especially for dispersing virtual medical care. It is a multifaceted application that is intended for multiple types of users. It has particular interfaces for patients, doctors, healthcare staff, pharmaceuticals, and administrative staff. Each interface has its functionalities, all of which when working in tandem provide a seamless user experience.

The telemedicine app or doctor appointment booking app has features like AI-powered automation which enables chatbots and other day-to-day activities. Data analytics and business intelligence provide valuable insights that can help make informed decisions. ERP capabilities in the telemedicine app help with management and business activities. When built to the specific need of a healthcare facility, a telemedicine app can become a powerful platform for virtual medical care.

Final Words

Building a telemedicine app is a significant business step. The ideal telemedicine app development company will provide the necessary features for your specific need, 24*7 SLA customer support, and will have experience and proven mettle with a seasoned team of experts.

EMed HealthTech is a leading name in providing scalable, cost-effective, and customized telemedicine app development services for healthcare facilities of all sizes. Our healthcare apps have a proven track record of optimizing operations. Talk to us today about your telemedicine app development needs.

Top-5-Reasons-to-Develop-A-Telemedicine-App

Top 10 Reasons to Develop a Telemedicine App

Posted on | by Ami Kothari

The concept of telemedicine apps has been around for a long time. The COVID pandemic forced us to resort to telemedicine out of the restrictions imposed on movement. It has highlighted the need to integrate a functional telemedicine system that runs alongside regular healthcare.

Connecting patients and healthcare providers via technology are being increasingly implemented worldwide post COVID. The onset of COVID also warmed up the users to the benefits of telemedicine. Post-COVID, there has been a stark increase in the number of virtual consultations via doctor appointment booking apps. Studies show that there has been a triple increase in the investment made to telemedicine in 2020 than it had in 2017.

It is an area that has the potential to change the way we see medical care. Here is all you need to know about telemedicine, its implementation via telemedicine app, why you should invest in it, and the challenges faced in the process.

What is a Telemedicine App?

telemedicine

A telemedicine app is a software that functions as a platform to avail various healthcare services. It serves the patients to determine the nature of their ailment, find the apt healthcare provider, and provide virtual consultation, and follow-ups. It is also an avenue to cater to pharmaceutical needs, and avail services of testing and lab facilities.

Telemedicine apps also provide the platform for healthcare providers to connect to patients, organize data and schedules, manage visits, and more.

It is a holistic platform that has a wide range of functions. When developed properly, telemedicine software can create the ideal network of healthcare providers and patients. The healthcare industry is adopting this technology to enmesh its services with the needs of the day.

If COVID showed us telemedicine was indispensable, we are making a stronger case for it. Here are some very compelling reasons why you should be investing in a telemedicine app today

1. Better access to healthcare: Healthcare has often been inaccessible to people who live in rural areas. Sometimes a specialist we need is not available in a country. This challenge of distance and access is neutralized when there is a virtual set-up that enables the meeting of people from whichever corner of the world.

2. Maintain social distance: This is the first and foremost reason telemedicine was popular during the COVID pandemic. It serves the purpose later too, as contagious diseases will spread less when more and more people opt for virtual consultations.

3. Steady care for chronic health issues: Patients who battle chronic illnesses like diabetes, heart diseases, or lifestyle diseases need not travel to the doctor for every consultation. A virtual care system enables the patient to stay in the comfort of their home.

4. Reduces patient waiting time: Access to healthcare is hindered majorly by waiting time. The availability of doctors in a particular area, the number of patients seeking the same doctor, and the lack of a proper system in place contribute to the cause of the patient.

5. Lower treatment costs: The cost of the treatment is seen to be significantly lower when it comes to virtual care. This applies to both the hospital and the patient. The hospital could save up to $24 per patient and the patient saved an average of $50 in travel expenses, a study showed.

6. Gain an edge over competitors: The telemedicine system allows healthcare providers to have an advantage over their competitors who have not adopted the technology. It also gives them access to patients who would choose a remote consultation over being physically present for one.

7. Save infrastructure costs: The first advantage of a virtual care system is to be free of infrastructure costs. Compared to the hefty architectural investment required, a telemedicine app development costs significantly less. This automatically makes healthcare more affordable.

8. Balances the doctor-patient ratio: One of the biggest advantages of telemedicine is how it negates geographical barriers to bringing services to customers. While a particular place may be constrained due to the lack of doctors in proportion to patients, another place may have an abundance.

9. Access to healthcare during epidemics/disasters: Telemedicine proved to be the best option to cater to the healthcare industry during the COVID pandemic. If this proves anything, it is that telemedicine is the most effective form of providing medical service during times of such crisis.

10. The advantage of technology: A telemedicine system puts the doctor and patient in a position where they can use technology to their benefit. For example, the doctor can refer to biometric readings taken from wearable techs to monitor the health of the patient.

To know more about how to develop telemedicine apps check out this link.

Telemedicine App Development Challenges

The world of telemedicine is a sophisticated one that focuses on making accessibility easier. However, it is not one without challenges. It has its unique challenges. Here are some of them.

features-telemedicine

1. Glitch-free UI/UX: The healthcare industry has no room for error as it could prove even fatal. A telemedicine app has to remain glitch-free and very user-friendly. The patient and the doctor must be able to navigate the app with the least difficulty.

2. Two separate apps: A telemedicine app has two significant users – the doctors and the patients. Both users have different apps. These call for two separate fronts that are integrated seamlessly.

3. iOS and Android Native Apps: Telemedicine apps must be designed to be compatible with iOS and Android OSes. This requires a larger development team.

4. Data Security: The data shared via a telemedicine app is sensitive and confidential. It requires high-level security from being leaked by hackers.

Take Advantage of High-Quality Telemedicine App Development

Creating a telemedicine app has its benefits and small challenges. But in the end, it benefits all. It creates a world of equal access and opportunity. If you are convinced that you need to create an impeccably designed telemedicine app, look no further than EMed HealthTech.

At EMed HealthTech, we deliver quality healthcare software services and solutions to all your needs, garnering the trust of the healthcare industry. Choose EMed HealthTech for your telemedicine app development services. Reach out to us today for a custom quote.

 

Telemedicine App Development: How To Develop A Telemedicine App?

Telemedicine App Development: How To Develop A Telemedicine App?

Posted on | by Ami Kothari

The outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic in early 2020 and the resulting lockdowns and restrictions brought in a new set of challenges for the healthcare sector. While several hospitals closed down altogether, in-person consultations became greatly restricted in others to prevent the spread of the virus. 

Many rightly termed telemedicine as the “silver lining of the pandemic” owing to its widespread acceptance as a means to continue the delivery of essential healthcare services around the globe. While digital health technologies have been gaining momentum over the past few years, they have become mainstream, with Telemedicine app development emerging as lifesavers to thousands of patients worldwide. Nowadays Telemedicine becomes a must for the digital healthcare ecosystem.

What is a Telemedicine App?

Telemedicine apps help patients to connect with healthcare professionals remotely with the help of advanced digital technologies. While you might think that these are useful only for remote consultations between a patient and their doctor, in reality, these applications can do a lot more. The wide range of services accessible from telemedicine apps includes virtual care and treatment, patient monitoring, remote counseling and therapy, follow-up, medicine order renewals, and so on.

Besides being more convenient for patients, health consultations done via telemedicine apps are much quicker. Patients do not have to travel long distances or wait for hours to meet their doctor — they can get expert medical advice and treatment right from the comfort of their homes.

 

Who Can Benefit from Telemedicine Apps?

Before you dive into Telemedicine application development, you need to first identify the different user categories of the application. With the adoption of Telemedicine applications, every healthcare user can have benefits. Within the telemedicine app platform, you have the following users:

Telemedicine for Patients – They are users with permission to book online consultations with a doctor.

Telemedicine for Doctors – Doctors should have the features available to view patients’ profiles, conduct online consultations with patients, schedule appointments, and request diagnostic reports.

Telemedicine for Lab Technicians – These users need permission to view and process lab test requests and share lab reports with doctors and patients. 

Telemedicine for Admin – These are users with permission to assign sub-admin roles, and security levels, and perform other administrative tasks within the app.

 

Types of Telemedicine Apps

Telemedicine apps can be of multiple types, each offering a select range of services. The major types of telemedicine apps offered by Telemedicine app developers include the following:

Remote monitoring Telemedicine apps: Remote monitoring telehealth apps are used to monitor the health of patients suffering from chronic diseases remotely. These have attained popularity due to several benefits like lower costs, continuous and efficient monitoring, and high patient satisfaction. Patient monitoring is usually done using smart devices such as health sensors and wearables.

Store-and-forward Telemedicine apps: Store-and-forward telemedicine apps deal with collecting and forwarding patient information to the required specialists. These apps enable medical practitioners to store patient data, including medical history, test reports, imagery, etc., and share them with other experts. Medical fields like radiology, pathology, dermatology, etc., usually engage in this practice.

Real-time Interaction Telemedicine apps: These telehealth apps enable patients and doctors to interact in real-time from remote locations. This can be achieved by functions like phone consultations or video calling facilities. Like face-to-face appointments, patients can inform the doctor about their medical history and symptoms, based on which the medical professional can guide them with the right advice.

 

Why Would You Want to Build a Telemedicine App? 

The adoption of telemedicine in India has exploded over the last two years of the pandemic. Telemedicine apps have seen a giant leap of 35% in monthly active users from 2019 to 2020. The telemedicine market is booming, and this trend is likely to continue. The global telemedicine market is expected to reach a value of 460 billion U.S. dollars by 2030. Also, the government of India makes efforts in promoting Telemedicine and set out the budget for Telemedicine in 2022-2023

If you run a healthcare business and aren’t using a telehealth app, you could be missing out on opportunities. Here are a few reasons you should opt for telemedicine application development:

It is convenient: Using a telemedicine app makes it easier for patients to schedule an appointment with a doctor without going through the hassle of visiting faraway hospitals and waiting long hours for their turn. Remote consultations are also quicker and, in most cases, just as effective as in-person consultations.

Saves time: Delays are inevitable when it comes to in-person appointments – the patient can get stuck in traffic, or the doctor may have an emergency case. Remote consulting via telemedicine apps save you from such unforeseen situations, thereby saving time on both ends.

Easier to maintain patient records: With telehealth apps, storing and viewing the medical records of patients becomes much easier. Doctors across different departments can quickly access the necessary documents and paperwork from the app, saving time and ensuring a better treatment process. Moreover, the app makes it easier for patients to upload and share their medical documents with their doctors without leaving their homes for an online doctor consultation app.

More economical: Telemedicine apps enable patients to avail treatment while avoiding transport and other associated costs. This makes remote consultations more cost-effective. Hospitals and independent medical professionals can also benefit by saving on service and maintenance costs.

 

Steps to Build a Telemedicine App

If you want to build a healthcare app, it’s best to reach out to a Telemedicine app development company with proven expertise. But before that, there are some steps you need to follow:

Step 1: Identify the target audience for your app

Step 2: Determine the type and purpose of the app

Step 3: Decide on the essential features and functionalities

Step 4: Calculate an estimated budget for your app

Step 5: Get the app developed by a team of professionals

The final development process is crucial — you need to have proper planning when it comes to the development platform, UX/UI design, programming language, etc. This will ensure you have a high-quality application.

 

Key Features That Your Telemedicine App Should Have 

All telemedicine apps need to have dedicated patient, doctor, and admin panels. Below are some standard features that you need to include to make your app successful.

User dashboard: Patients and doctors can view and update information and access all other features through the dashboard.

Instant notifications: Real-time notifications to inform users about upcoming appointments, as well as rescheduling and cancellations.

Video, chat, and voice communication: Multiple modes of communication, including voice, video, and chat, help make the consultation and follow-up process more efficient.

Appointment history: Users can view their appointment history as and when needed.

Electronic health records: This feature keeps all patient data organized, helping faster retrieval during treatment.

End-to-end encryption: End-to-end encryption ensures the safety of confidential patient records.

 

Final Words

A telemedicine app can make high-quality healthcare services accessible to patients residing in far-off locations. And for healthcare organizations, this can bring in better profits. But, as the success of your app depends on its quality, make sure you go for only the best Telemedicine app development services.

At EMed HealthTech, we provide best-in-class telemedicine app development solutions to healthcare businesses around the world. With a strong focus on quality, we design effective telehealth apps customized to your specific requirements. Want to build an efficient app to boost your healthcare business? Get in touch with us today!

How to Build the Best Healthcare App for Online Doctor Consultation?

How to Build the Best Healthcare App for Online Doctor Consultation?

Posted on | by Ami Kothari

The healthcare sector has lately experienced rapid developments, thanks to the recent pandemic. With this boost, patients from all demographics have begun adopting digital technologies for personal healthcare. This evolution in the market has revealed the power of Telemedicine and online doctor consultation apps to the masses. After all, when apparel, groceries, and household items can be viewed or ordered online, why not healthcare services?

However, like most other rapidly growing digital industries, only the best would survive in healthcare as well. In this piece, we explain how you can get the best digital application for doctor appointment booking built for your healthcare business and solidify your space in the market!

Understanding the Need for Online Doctor Consultation App

Online consultations are not a recent phenomenon – businesses have been taking advantage of the internet for decades. However, healthcare was a sector that lagged behind. The average consumer is used to one-click services and doorstep delivery these days. 

While most, if not all healthcare businesses are online, the ones winning the game focus on the quality of user experience! Realizing that people value easy access to timely and high-quality consultations is the key to success in the digital healthcare space. 

Doctor Appointment Booking App For Patients 

The foremost feature that an online doctor consultation app/Telemedicine app requires is peer-to-peer video calling, regardless of the device. This is especially beneficial for the elderly and patients suffering from critical conditions. If the patient can set and engage in a video consultation with ease, there is nothing like it. 

With a smooth-flowing interface on a doctor consultation app, patients would not just be able to book an appointment, but also follow up and see their medicine orders on their smartphones, laptops, or tablets. 

Doctor App For Healthcare Professionals

Features like group calls, screen sharing, and real-time chat let doctors connect with each other for virtual discussions. Group calls are a great way to hold online meetings with stakeholders and peers. Text chats, on the other hand, let doctors talk to their patients one on one for better clarity on both sides. Secure lines of chat communication instill confidence in the patients’ minds and help doctors do their job better. 

An additional screen-sharing feature would help doctors connect with pharma representatives from their devices and see their offerings on new medications. 

Doctor App For Healthcare Companies

Besides the usual data-sharing routine, in-house applications can do a lot for your business. If you are a doctor, hospital, or pharmacy, doctor consultation app development can be a complete game-changer for your enterprise. Bespoke development would allow multiple features integrated into the app according to your preference. 

Share your files with the group or even third parties directly through the app – no need for other file-sharing applications. Say goodbye to the risk of data theft or unauthorized access! 

 

How Does the Telemedicine/Doctor Consultation App Work? 

Pandemic or not, digital healthcare is the need of the hour! Digital healthcare is beneficial to every healthcare user. As more and more people interact with this technology, they would no longer feel the need to go back to the traditional ways. With a heightened level of interaction between doctors, patients, and stakeholders, these applications are paving the way for exciting opportunities for growth in the sector. 

Friendly User-Interface

Patients can get in touch with their preferred doctors in no time – all they need is a device and the internet! The application can be designed for personalized updates, tracking, and record-keeping, helping patients achieve their healthcare goals with ease. 

Increased Awareness and Retention

Companies that deploy cutting-edge applications into their healthcare business are reporting improved brand awareness that goes a long way. Add to that great service, and you have a winning formula for the retention of existing customers. The internet-based calling feature eliminates the need for cellular calling or text messaging. Why would patients go anywhere else when they have everything they need in one familiar place?

Improved Revenue

Increase your revenue with the inherent qualities of time management in the doctor consultation app. The application fosters anytime, anywhere communication between doctors and patients, saving time for both parties. With in-built medicine order ordering options, patients can order their medication in no time. All this inevitably leads to more revenue streams and hence, improved numbers for your business

Building the Doctor Appointment Booking App/Telemedicine

Building the right doctor appointment booking app requires a holistic approach that covers the requirements of both patients and doctors. Professional healthcare application development utilizes a well-calculated and step-by-step development methodology that keeps your business needs in mind. With an experienced app development company, you get a world-class application within a short duration. 

Online Doctor Consultation

It all starts with a detailed consultation that brings you and the development team on the same page about your goals, budgets, and timelines. Based on these factors, standard app features can be built along with additionally requested ones. 

The Interface of the Doctor Consultation App

Programmers code and bridge multiple app features like VoIP calling, file-sharing, and progress tracking in a synchronous application that works without flaws. Rigorous testing for bugs and incompatible features ensures a smooth user experience. 

Compliance

Professional application development also takes care of legal compliances that protect patient data. Patients are more likely to install trustworthy software which is compliant with the required regulatory guidelines. 

EMed HealthTech is a renowned doctor appointment app development company that specializes in developing customized healthcare applications such as Telemedicine apps, and doctor apps,  for all devices. We are proud to have worked with all kinds of healthcare businesses, right from local pharmacies to some of the largest corporations in the healthcare sector. Click here to contact us and get started on your journey to online success!

Telemedicine is a Must for Digital Health Ecosystem: Union Budget 2022-23 Spotlight

Telemedicine is a Must for Digital Health Ecosystem: Union Budget 2022-23 Spotlight

Posted on | by Ami Kothari

Technological innovations have brought in far-reaching transformations in almost every field we know of. And at present, one of the most promising developments is in the field of healthcare: The implementation of the Telemedicine app.

India, like the rest of the world, has witnessed a peak in telemedicine services lately. COVID-19 has fast-tracked telemedicine into mainstream healthcare and it is here to stay. The recently presented Union Budget 2022-2023 is a strong indication of this.  

 

What the Union Budget Says About Telemedicine and Digital Health

With the success of telemedicine services in the last two years, the Indian government is sparing no means to develop it further. A glimpse of this effort can be seen in the expenditure allocation for healthcare in the Union Budget 2022-2023. In a welcome move, the budget has taken some high-priority steps towards digitalization of healthcare services and the use of telemedicine as a tool to combat the ongoing mental health crisis.

The government has stressed the importance of digital healthcare by announcing the rollout of an open platform for the National Digital Health Ecosystem (now called Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission or ABDM). This would consist of the formation of digital registries for health providers and facilities, the creation of unique health identities for all Indians, as well as ensuring universal access to health services.

In addition, the government also announced the launch of a National Tele Mental Health Programme to strengthen mental health support services for people of all ages. This 24/7 telemedicine-based mental health program will be supported by a network of 23 tele-mental health centers, with the Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS) serving as the main hub.

The launch of the National Tele Mental Health Program is being hailed as a positive step towards recognizing and addressing mental health issues. The program is aimed at providing counseling and care to people in need. This is especially laudable given the emotional and mental burdens that a huge section of the population is carrying post-COVID.

What’s truly encouraging is the government’s recognition of the fact that the telecommunication infrastructure needs to improve to ensure that the aforementioned benefits reach across the country and are accessible by one and all. From this perspective, the budget lays the ground for 5G rollout and deployment of optical fibers in rural and remote areas of the country under the ‘Bharat Net project’.

These steps reflect the government’s focus on building a strong and holistic health system and steering the country towards a truly digital ecosystem.

Now that we have seen the government’s progressive stance on telemedicine, let’s see why it is so important after all.

 

Why is Telemedicine So Important?

The introduction of telemedicine in India dates back to the early 2000s, with ISRO playing a vital role in implementing the pilot project. After that, the joint efforts of ISRO, Ministry of External Affairs, Department of Information Technology (DIT), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, etc., helped expand the telemedicine network further.

Being the second most populated country globally, the doctor-to-patient ratio in India is far lower than the standard ratio recommended by the WHO. The growth of telemedicine services in different parts of the country made it up to some extent, although it remained relatively unknown in several regions. Moreover, the lack of guidelines on the same often thwarted attempts of large-scale implementation.

However, the popularity of telemedicine received a big boost during the pandemic, when the Indian government imposed a nationwide lockdown to curb the spread of the disease. With outpatient departments shutting down in several hospitals across the country and safety concerns prohibiting people from opting for face-to-face consultations with medical professionals, the government needed to develop an effective solution.

During this time, digital health services, including telemedicine, came to the rescue. Digital healthcare services, including telemedicine, were encouraged by the government to deal with the problems in mobility brought on by the pandemic. As per a 2020 report by Practo, there was a 500% growth in online consultations, with around five crore Indians choosing to access healthcare services online. And approximately 80% of the people mentioned above consisted of first-time telemedicine users in the country.

The benefits and convenience offered by telemedicine and its growing popularity among a large section of Indians have prompted more and more healthcare providers to embrace this technology. Moreover, it has also promoted the development of advanced digital healthcare equipment that aids remote monitoring, diagnosis, and treatment. As a result, healthcare IT companies have also started focusing more on developing practical telehealth apps that allow patients to opt for consultations from the safety of their homes.

 

Government’s Efforts in Promoting Telemedicine 

 The government of India played a prominent role in popularising telemedicine in the country during the pandemic. The government deployed a national telemedicine system on 9th August 2020 as part of the Digital India mission. Known as eSanjeevani, this service enabled patients to seek medical help from professionals without leaving the safety of their homes. This was the first time a large-scale telemedicine service was implemented in India.

Further developments in this regard came from the National Digital Health Mission (NDHM) announcement on 15th August 2020. The objective of this mission was to build a robust digital infrastructure to provide country-wide healthcare services. 

The NDHM infrastructure includes the implementation of several digital systems across the country, such as Health ID, Digi Doctor, Health Facility Register (HFR), Personal Health Records (PHR), and Electronic Medical Records (EMR). In addition, it also aims to incorporate telemedicine services and an e-pharmacy system within its ambit.

The main goal behind the launch of this mission is to create a national digital health ecosystem that would function as a comprehensive solution for all healthcare-related needs of every Indian citizen.

In short, with government support, the future of telemedicine in India seems bright. Effective healthcare digital marketing strategies will further help to promote the adoption of telemedicine and revolutionize the arena of healthcare in India.

 

Summing Up

 India is on the cusp of a massive digital health transformation. The push towards more accessible digital healthcare, especially telemedicine services, is at the core of this transformation.  

The telemedicine industry in India is growing steadily with the union budget and other government attempts slowly but surely removing the obstacles that have limited its growth so far. While hurdles like lack of adequate infrastructure, proper training of medical staff, connectivity issues, data protection concerns, as well as public awareness still exist, they are being addressed.

All of this makes one thing clear — telemedicine isn’t a temporary trend that will fall into oblivion in the post-pandemic era. It is here to stay and will help transform the field of healthcare for the better in the long run.

Are you thinking of developing an effective telemedicine app to boost your healthcare business and how to build your own telemedicine app? EMed Healthtech can help you transform your business with customized software solutions. Reach out to us today!