Reasons to build a Telemedicine App is Covid-19 pandemic, when people were advised not to be in the same room with the patient, telemedicine and web conferences became the backbone of doctor consultations and treatments.
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Telemedicine App Development: Step By Step Guide
1. Telemedicine App Development: Step
By Step Guide
The recent advancements in technology and easier availability of smartphones have
made almost all services available online. Nowadays, there is an application for all the
tasks you can imagine. From food delivery to healthcare, there has been a boom in
the mobile app development industry.
The recent Covid-19 pandemic has significantly contributed to the growth of
telemedicine and telehealth applications. The use of telehealth applications has
increased so much that after the pandemic, it has stabilized at about thirty-eight times
the pre-Covid value. The telemedicine market size is expected to rise at a CAGR of
about 25.8%. It is expected to reach approximately $396 billion by 2027.
Developments in this industry have led to cheaper and easier solutions for everyone.
During the pandemic, remote treatment of patients has been a life-saver for millions.
Day by day, more and more healthcare companies are making their way into the
telemedicine business, investing more every day in acquiring the services of an app
development company to create an easy-to-use application.
If you are looking for a comprehensive guide on telemedicine app development, you
have landed on the right page. We have designed a step-by-step guide that provides
you with the necessary steps to create the best telemedicine application.
Reasons to Build a Telemedicine App
2. As mentioned above, the Telemedicine industry is on a growth curve, and it is yet to
see a massive surge in market size. Thus, 2022 is the perfect time to create your
telemedicine app. Here are a few reasons that second the same.
• The Covid-19 Pandemic
During the devastating Covid-19 pandemic, when people were advised not to be in the
same room with the patient, telemedicine and web conferences became the backbone
of doctor consultations and treatments.
Because of the fear and danger of contracting the virus, many general physicians
shifted their OPDs online. Doctors from more prominent hospitals were given the
facilities of a telemedicine application to continue their treatments. For over a year,
the world saw the power of telemedicine and started believing in it.
• Reduction in Healthcare Costs
Since telemedicine provides doctors and healthcare workers the liberty to work from
anywhere, the cost of running giant offices and clinics has decreased significantly.
Also, doctors can check on a larger number of patients daily, increasing their income.
Thus, telemedicine apps are a win-win for everyone.
• Better Facilities for Patients
Since patients do not have to travel all the way to the clinic or hospital for minor issues,
they get the facility of sitting at their home and consulting a doctor. This is beneficial,
especially for older people who have difficulty moving.
Their records are maintained electronically. Thus, they do not have to keep hard copies
and files of their prescriptions. The patient’s medical history will be known to the
doctor they are consulting. It will always be a click away.
• Better Management
Since a machine will handle and manage appointments, there will be no chance of
error. The overall management of a clinic will be significantly enhanced. Keeping a
stock of the available medicines, equipment, and instruments would be easier.
3. Because everything will be online, there will be better transparency in the resources
used.
On the patient side, there will be automatic alerts. Patients who have to go for a check-
up regularly won’t miss them. Thus, both doctors and patients would benefit from
telemedicine apps.
• Better Secrecy
Many problems are associated with some social norms. Patients facing these
difficulties are often looked down upon or laughed at by society. Thus, many patients
with depression, piles, or some sex-related issues usually refrain from going to doctors
because of the fear of infamy.
With things shifting online, no one has to know which problem you are facing. You get
complete anonymity while treatment, and good telemedicine app companies ensure
your details are safe.
Salient Features of a Telemedicine App
While creating a Telemedicine app, it is essential to know the services you are
providing so that you can add relevant features to your application. Here is a list of
some of the most prominent features you can add to your telemedicine app.
Onboarding
Onboarding creates the first impression on the user. This is where the user lands on
your app. Thus, onboarding must be done carefully, mentioning adequate details. You
can include short and crisp text details or a 30- to 60-second video to demonstrate
some features of your app.
Sign Up and Log In
Since we are creating a telemedicine app, asking the users to sign up is essential. We
must ask for all important details such as Name, Address, Contact Number, E-mail ID,
medical history, etc.
Also, there shall be an easy log-in for patients. Trying to keep this process simple and
hassle-free is highly recommended.
4. Patient and Doctor Profile
Maintaining every patient’s profile is extremely necessary. The profile section will
store all the information required by the doctor and the patient. The patients’ medical
history and previous treatments will be in the profile section.
All details in the profile section must never be made public. Patients and doctors trust
you with their data, and your responsibility is to ensure its security.
Video Consulting
It is a waste if your telemedicine app does not feature a video consulting or
conferencing option. People trust telemedicine because they get to see and talk to the
doctor. Thus, keeping an in-app video calling feature is essential.
Medicine Delivery and Home Testing
Though medicine delivery and home testing are not as essential as the features
mentioned above, it develops a sense of trust in the patients. Also, it simplifies things
for them as they do not have to go to other places in search of these features.
You can partner with a delivery service, a medical stockist, and testing labs in various
cities. You can also provide these services on your end rather than partnering with a
third party.
Virtual Assistant
Again, not an essential feature but having a virtual assistant helps the patients navigate
through the app easily. Besides simplifying the app, a virtual assistant saves time as it
takes you straight to the page you want to reach.
Reminders and Push Notifications
Reminders and notifications become extremely necessary for a telemedicine app. The
patient can set reminders if they have to go for a regular check-up but often forgets
about it. This feature also reminds the patient about their upcoming appointments.
Payment
A payment feature is necessary because this is how the doctors working with you will
receive their fees. There is no way you can forget this feature.
5. In-App Calendar
Patients will need an in-app calendar to schedule their appointments. It should also
provide the status of the current and future appointments.
Finally, coming to the step-by-step guide to Telemedicine App Development.
Step-by-Step Guide to Telemedicine App Development
Healthcare app development is easy as long as you know precisely what you are
planning. Designing an app sounds like a big deal, but breaking down the cycle can
easily simplify the process.
Step 1: Documentation
Preparing a document containing your planning and your app’s basic idea greatly helps
you. Things become easy when you have a plan. Notifying what is to be done in what
order simplifies any process, let alone mobile app development.
It is evident that you will perform market research and analysis for creating a service-
based product. Record your observations and identify your target audience
accordingly. Devise a strategy on how your telemedicine app will facilitate
communication between patients and doctors.
Step 2: List the features you will be including.
Features define your app’s functionality. Thus, having a solid feature list is essential
for your app. We have mentioned quite a few features above for you to identify the
best and most crucial features for your application.
Step 3: Estimate the cost of your project.
After finalizing the features you want to include in your telemedicine app, you must
identify a healthcare app development company that can code the application for
you. One such company is AppIncubator. They provide app development services in
many different fields, including healthcare.
6. Step 4: UX/UI design
It would be best if you had an idea of what your app would look like. Therefore, you
should pick your user interface design. First, your app development company will
prepare mock designs to give you an idea of the app’s look. Then, you will be given a
few templates based upon which you can make a decision.
While the company should keep in touch with you during the app creation, you should
also ask them about the progress of the application timely. The template decided by
you will be the template of the app.
Step 5: Testing and Debugging
Once the app is built, it must be tested thoroughly for bugs. The testing team must
ensure that all features work as you desire. Once all the bugs are removed and other
loopholes are fixed, your telemedicine app is ready to be deployed on the Play Store
and the App Store.
The stores must approve the app to be available for public launch. Once the app fulfills
all the requirements, your app will be ready for launch.
Step 6: Deployment and Launch
These are two separate processes, but they go hand-in-hand. The app developer first
deploys the app on the respective app store (App Store or Google Play Store). Only the
developer can test the app there.
Once they are satisfied with the app and it meets all the app store requirements, it is
time to launch the app.
Step 7: Launch
The last step on this journey is to launch your telemedicine app for public use. Once
the app is launched, you must indulge in promoting your app and ask for helpful
feedback from its users.
Conclusion
Telemedicine app development might seem challenging, but if you put in hard work
and time and follow the steps mentioned above, you will be able to roll out the best
telemedicine app in the market.
7. If you can make a practical application that solves people’s problems, your app will
undoubtedly be a success. It is not always about the number of features but the quality
of the features you provide that matters the most. Since the app deals with people’s
health, winning your customers’ trust is essential.