What Customers Like — and Dislike — About Online Pharmacies?

As more and more people use online pharmacies, medical treatment and the way people find medication have undergone a huge sea change. With convenience becoming the pillar of modern living, ePharmacy services and online pharmacy application development are gaining ground at a gallop. However, just like any other digital service, trusts and disadvantages hold sway over customer experience and satisfaction.

In this blog, we go through what customers find praiseworthy about online pharmacy platforms and the worries that remain. Whether you’re a healthcare entrepreneur, tech innovator, or familiar old pharmacist shifting into the digital age, grasping customer sentiment is crucial for a successful experience when using an online pharmacy application development.

What Customers Like About Online Pharmacies?

  • Unmatched Convenience

Online pharmacies can obtain drugs at the push of a button. No longer do you have to stand in long queues or fight your way through traffic to the physical pharmacy. Customers can simply log onto an online pharmacy app, upload their prescription, and then wait for their medicine to be delivered right to their front door–sometimes even on the same day. For patients who have chronic diseases and need regular medication, this makes a big difference. Elderly users and carers also benefit greatly from this.

  • 24/7 Accessibility

Unlike conventional pharmacies, ePharmacy platforms never close. This is especially good for people with tight schedules or mobility problems, for anyone living far from healthcare facilities. Being able to place orders at midnight or on a festival gives peace of mind to users who need immediate support on non–life–threatening but urgent health questions.

  • Discreet Purchases

Online pharmacies offer a level of privacy that physical stores don’t always afford. When they buy medicine for potentially embarrassing problems such as mental health or sexual health, or chronic conditions which compromise their dignity, many customers enjoy using the more discreet online pharmacy. Plus, with a security pharmacy app, you have greater peace of mind in transactions; and you won’t have to see your GP about contraception or the condition of your bowels.

  • Detailed Product Information

The majority of online pharmacy platforms have comprehensive product descriptions such as dosage, usage instructions, side effects, and reviews. With this information, consumers can make decisions based on the facts, a great boon to all those who are managing multiple medicines. Patients can also compare generic alternatives, check for drug interactions with other drugs, and have access to educational materials that are not available from their local pharmacist.

  • Price Comparison & Discounts

One huge advantage for customers of ePharmacy platforms is that they can compare different brands and products. Many online pharmacies also provide unique offers, coupons, and subscription reductions — this function is rare in traditional brick-and-mortar stores. Some pharmacy apps even have a loyalty program or cash back incentives that boost customer retention and satisfaction.

  • Automated Refills & Reminders

A smart online pharmacy app will include features like refill reminders, medication planning, and automatic reordering. Such functionality can help users to keep a consistent routine with their medication, which is particularly beneficial for chronic conditions. When supplements are issued on time and there’s an auto-refill option, the odds of missing doses are greatly reduced. All of this ultimately augments patient response rates and quality of life.

  • Better Access to Specialised Products

Not all medications are available in local pharmacies, particularly those made by lesser-known brands or niche products. Therefore, consumers frequently turn to larger-scale ePharmacy platforms to find the products they need. This may include specialised drugs, nutritional supplements, or wellness items that are not available on-site at home. Through this expanded selection range for both prescription drugs and supplements, patients are ensured that they will receive the right treatment without any compromises whatsoever. This is why online pharmacy application development is blooming in this digital age.

  • Streamlined Customer Support

The development of modern pharmacy apps features integrated chatbots and customer service systems that allow users to get advice from pharmacists or healthcare professionals within the app itself. This direct line of communication enhances customer trust and experience. In-app support, FAQS, and 24/7 help—all serve to answer customer questions quickly and well, and wind up meaning callbacks with an increased sense of satisfaction.

What Customers Dislike About Online Pharmacies?

  • Delayed Deliveries

One of the greatest pains of all for users is late or missed deliveries. Although most on-line pharmacy apps aim to ship quickly, logistical problems can screw things up–especially when the medicine comes weird. Any delay in supplying essential medication ends up turning into a game of cat and mouse. When patients miss doses, their health gets worse, and trust in the platform evaporates like moisture under a sunbeam, which can be mitigated with online pharmacy application development.

  • Concerns About Authenticity

This has meant some apprehension for users in buying online pharmaceuticals. People expect a particular guarantee that the medicines they get are not fakes, have been kept well, and are approved by the appropriate health authorities. The only way to gain users is through building trust in verified suppliers, certification operations, and a clear set of quality control standards. Efforts here are essential in landing users in the first place and keeping them.

  • Complicated Interfaces

Some pharmacy applications are too complex–this is bad UI/UX design that makes it hard for older users or those without much experience in tech to even negotiate the buying process. A cluttered interface or lack of logical navigation may result in frustration and uncompleted purchases. Users expect fully integrated registration, simple prescription uploads, and a pleasant, easy shopping experience.

  • Lack of Immediate Consultation

Although online platforms are improving their ability to recommend doctors’ apps, the immediacy of advice in person from a pharmacist is beyond them. For matters of urgent concern or complex prescriptions, users might want to talk face-to-face–this is a major deterrent to new arrivals who need expert guidance on understanding drug interactions or side effects.

  • Limited Payment Options

Different online drugstores don’t support all payment methods. The lack of options such as UPI, digital wallets, and COD (cash on delivery) may make it hard for some groups of customers to buy medicines through their system. Thus, if a pharmacy app is to maximise reach and user convenience, it should offer multiple payment gateways with seamless checkout functions.

  • Data Privacy Concerns

With the introduction and use of mobile devices that store an individual’s health records, customers are naturally concerned about what methods apps use to protect this information from theft or snooping. After all, nobody wants to risk sensitive medical information being leaked onto the internet-especially when you’re managing chronic disease daily!

  • Inadequate Customer Support

Sometimes customers may feel overlooked when there is no real-time customer support or the team does not reply quickly. Especially for orders that have gone wrong or which need to be corrected urgently. If a reliable service is available to help keep these things under control, they are essential, and an app should allow for wrong medications, refund requests, or prescription checks.

  • Prescription Upload Hassles

Though most platforms make it easy to upload prescriptions, sometimes these systems are erratic or require manual approval. This causes a delay that customers can not tolerate. A seamless system for managing prescriptions is critical to a smooth ordering process, particularly for your elderly or chronically ill users.

Key Takeaways for App Developers and ePharmacy Startups

Also, these professional conclusions can greatly inform the businesses that are currently developing online pharmacy apps. What can and can not work is to help the research process of features, design of interfaces, and backend procedures. Below are several functions that a customer-centric pharmacy app must provide:

  • Real-time order tracking
  • AI-based product recommendations
  • Secure payment and data encryption
  • Seamless prescription upload system
  • 24/7 virtual pharmacist consultation
  • Push notifications for refills and discounts
  • Personalised dashboards for health history and reminders
  • Multilingual support for regional accessibility
  • E-prescription integration with doctors and hospitals

A successful strategy for building pharmacy applications must combine technical excellence with empathy for the user. This means predicting your customers’ pain points while always giving them a consistently attractive, engaging, and safe user experience. The app’s ongoing status depends on this, as does any hope of success.

The Future of Online Pharmacies

With the development of the internet and integration of telemedicine platforms, the future of ePharmacy platforms is bright. Thanks to technologies like AI, blockchain, and machine learning, pharmacy app development will grow even more personal, secure and efficient soon. Features such as medicine image recognition, smart health monitoring and personalised notifications will mean better interface design for software.

Trust and compliance will be the key issues in attracting and holding customers, as ePharmacy platforms come under more stringent scrutiny by governments. Learning to keep tapped into these trends will give developers an edge in the increasingly competitive market. International projects in app development should pay particular attention to HIPAA, GDPR, and the regulations of local health authorities anywhere they operate.

Moreover, the integration of ePharmacies with broader health tech ecosystems — such as diagnostic labs, teleconsultation platforms, and insurance providers — is set to redefine digital healthcare delivery.

Conclusion

Customers are taken with the convenience and accessibility of online pharmacies, but in the end, what they depend on for satisfaction is app performance that is always available, safe, and reliable, and an online pharmacy service they can trust. Get started, bring in high-quality, user-focused applications to market today, and thrive in this evolving era.

To truly make a mark, it’s important to choose a tech partner with proven experience in building healthcare-specific platforms that are scalable, user-centric, and compliant.

Build Your Online Pharmacy With EMed HealthTech

Aimed at pharmaceutical distributors or suppliers, EMed excels in crafting online pharmacy app development to create an enterprise plan and business growth goals to set around it. Whether it is an intuitive UI/UX design or a HIPAA-compliant back-end system, we enable you to churn out safe, scalable, and full-featured pharmacy software that your end-users will love.

Let’s revolutionise healthcare together with online pharmacy application development! Why not contact EMed today and get a head start?

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

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

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!

 

 

Doctor-On-Demand-App-Development

How Will Doctor On-Demand Apps Revolutionize the Healthcare Industry?

There are amazing ways in which technology has seeped into our daily lives to make them more convenient. One such way is how we perceive healthcare today. Get prescriptions without hospital visits and medicines without pharmacy visits, and keep better track of your illnesses without leaving your home. All of this is possible thanks to technology.

One such way we are benefited from technology is the doctor-on-demand app. It is increasingly popular with features that let you call a doctor on demand and get the medical advice you want. If you are a doctor or healthcare provider who wishes to enter this market segment, this article talks about what a doctor on-demand app development is and how it will help to revolutionize the healthcare industry.

Doctor On-Demand Apps: What are They and Why are they So Popular?

A doctor on-demand app is an app that facilitates virtual consultations with doctors via video conferencing. It can be done from anywhere, even at home, as all it takes is a stable internet connection and the doctor’s availability. Doctor-on-demand apps are becoming virally popular due to many reasons.

Advantages for patients

Advantages-for-patients

– Remote access: Seeing a doctor when one is not well is not a pleasant experience. Especially if the doctor in concern is in a far-off city. With a doctor on-demand app, this is made possible.

– Affordable services: With a doctor’s on-demand app, there is no need to travel distances, waste time in queues, and take leaves at work, leading to lower expenses.

– Better medical adherence: With better and regular follow-ups and easier interaction with medical professionals, the outcomes of the treatments are also better.

– Less paperwork: With appointments and registration all made online, there is very little paperwork involved, only electronic records.

Advantages for Practitioners

Advantages-for-Practitioners

– Better work-life balance: Doctors can have better access to their work without having to travel distances between the offices and patients’ homes.

– More business than peers: Cutting-edge technology like a doctor’s on-demand app is much better than traditional visits. Customers would prefer it over the hassles of going physically to a clinic, giving you an advantage in competition.

– Higher returns: with a doctor on-demand app, the expenses spent on staff, equipment, and infrastructure are considerably lower, while the inflow of patients is higher.

How Does a Doctor On-Demand App Work?

Using a doctor on-demand app is as easy as using any other app with GPS. Here is the average user journey:

  1. Download the app, set up a profile, and submit a description of illnesses and problems.
  2. Specialists related to the problems are listed from the area detected via GPS.
  3. The patient picks a doctor, the date and time from the doctor’s calendar according to availability.
  4. The consultation takes place, e-prescription is provided along with the required course of medical action.
  5. The payment is made through a secure payment portal.

Questions to Ask Yourself Before Investing in On-Demand App Development

Before creating an on-demand doctors app, there are certain things you need to ask yourself. These questions can be used as a checklist to ensure you are on the right path. Here they are:

–  Who is my target audience?
Once you know the kind of users who will be using your app, you can consider how it can fit their needs and make it more user-friendly.

–  Do I have a good network of doctors, to begin with?
You must certify doctors from different streams to be part of your telemedicine app.

–  What features should I include?
You need to be certain about the features you will include in the app. Some non-negotiable features are a camera, map, payment portal, etc.

–  What are the compliances I need to be aware of?
You must be aware of the different app integrations, certifications, and medical acts you must follow.

–  What technology stack should I use?
The kind of technology you use reflects on the end-user experience. Without the best-suited tech stack, your app cannot be smooth and easy to use.

–  What is my budget?
Without knowledge of the kind of budget you have, you cannot make viable plans.

Technologies and Tech Stack for Your Doctor On-Demand App

Let us take a quick look at the kind of tech stack required to make a doctor on-demand app.

Frontend                                          

  1. CSS
  2. Java
  3. React

Backend

  1. Laravel
  2. Node.js

Platform

  1. Android
  2. iOS
  3. Web App

Payment

  1. Paytm API
  2. PayPal API
  3. Razorpay API

Location

  1. GoogleMapsSDK (Android)

Social Login

  1. Google
  2. Facebook

SMS/Messages/Notification

  1. Twilio
  2. Push.io
  3. Batch

Database

  1. MySQL
  2. MongoDB

The different technologies used in a doctor on-demand app include:

– AI and ML: Artificial intelligence and machine learning are an integral part of apps these days to ensure better user experience

– Blockchain: Blockchain has found wide implementation in telemedicine apps to ensure the security of sensitive data as well as easy access to records

– Virtual Reality & Augmented Reality: The use of VR and VR on telemedicine apps helps make interactions more effective as doctors can better inform patients about their conditions with such technology

– 5G: With 5G, the connectivity speed becomes manifold, making the whole process more effective and seamless.

– Voice Search: with voice search, users can use their voice to make it more convenient and user-friendly.

– Third-party integration: The app can use third-party integrations for features like ERP, shipping & logistics, Chatbots, email, Payment gateways, analytics, etc.

How to Choose the Right On-Demand App Development Partner?

Making an on-demand doctor app is not easy. There are a lot of complicated things that come together to make the app possible. Finding the right developers, tech stack, designers, budget, time frame, and so much more affect the output. One way would be to do it with an in-house team. However, we focus only on an external option for obvious reasons like expenses and time.

A doctor appointment booking app development partner would ideally have the following:

– A rich experience.

– A good client list.

– Impressive portfolio.

– Willing to work within your parameters.

– Flexibility to work with your ideas.

Also, Read the Experts Tips and Tricks of Doctor Appointment Booking App by EMed HealthTech.

If you are looking for one such development team, you need not look any further.

Why Trust EMed HealthTech With Your Doctor App?

EMed HealthTech is a leading custom software development company for the healthcare industry. We have been providing comprehensive healthcare IT consultation focusing on technology, healthcare, and marketing. We empower our clients to improve customer experience and engagement. Without tech products, we ensure healthcare practitioners improve their health outcomes and increase revenue generation.

Our prestigious client list and the long list of previous projects speak volumes about our experience. Contact us today to make an appointment and start your app development journey.

FAQs About Doctor On-Demand App

1. What is a doctor on-demand app?

A doctor on-demand app provides a virtual consultation platform with doctors. Patients can now consult doctors from the comfort of their homes.

2. How much does the doctor on-demand app development cost?

The cost varies according to the app’s size and complexity it has. There is no fixed price as such

3. How to know if you should invest in a doctor on-demand app?

If you are a healthcare practitioner willing to take the leap into the technology of the future and be on the side of industry leaders, then this investment suits your journey.

 

 

 

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

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

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.

 

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

Top 10 Reasons to Develop a Telemedicine App

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.

 

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

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

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!