Why Telemedicine Has Become a Need?
Telemedicine is one of the best alternatives to in-person doctor visits. It is a remote clinical health service that helps people get healthcare anywhere at any time. Telemedicine applications allow patients to connect with a physician or health care professional via video, instant messaging, email, and phone calls.
- The total value of telemedicine market is anticipated to increase from 79.79 billion USD in 2020 to 396.76 billion USD in 2027.
- According to a study, female patients have a higher likelihood of scheduling a telemedicine appointment (63% in 2019 and 2020).
Telemedicine applications are typically used by patients who want to consult their doctors remotely. The primary objective of this telehealth service is to help people get healthcare from any place and at any time. It is a growing health trend in the United States and many other countries.
When compared to traditional in-person visits, telemedicine appointments save patients more than a hundred minutes of their time.
Patient's Need for Telemedicine
According to a survey carried out in 15 of the most significant cities in the United States, new patients have to wait an average of 24 days to be seen by a physician. Because of this, one in three patients chose to go to the ER instead of their doctor’s office to avoid long waits and the trouble of making an appointment.
- Nearly 82% of patients surveyed said that new technology should make getting medical care just as easy as getting an Uber or ordering takeout.
- 77% of patients would like text messaging to communicate with their doctors.
- · 69% of patients prefer mobile device-based virtual appointments to in-person consultations with their doctors.
Doctor's Need for Telemedicine
By using telemedicine apps, doctors can address the following challenges:
- The constant stress of reducing expenses
- Complying with legal requirements
- Maintaining a consistent schedule
- Their work-life balance is impacted by their inability to manage their time effectively
Benefits of Telemedicine Application
1. Receive Consultation in the Comfort of Your Home
Telemedicine allows patients to receive treatment without having to go through the hassle of scheduling appointments and waiting at their doctors’ offices. Instead, they can use their phone or computer while on the go. This allows them more time with their families, friends, and loved ones instead of sitting in an office waiting room for hours before seeing a doctor who may only spend five minutes with them at most before sending them home again.
2. Ease for People Living in Rural Areas
Telemedicine applications are especially useful for people living in rural areas where there aren’t any nearby medical facilities available like urban areas tend to have (like hospitals). Doctors will be able to consult patients remotely using video conferencing technology similar.
3. Convenience
4. Cost Effectiveness for Doctors
Using telemedicine, doctors can save between $19 and $121 per telemedicine consultation.
5. Flexible Timetable for Doctors
Limitations of Telemedicine Application
1. The Essence of Human Touch
2. Specialized Equipment
AI can identify brain chemistry-related mental health concerns. Dementia. Alzheimer’s inhibits thinking memory and communication. These diseases may develop for years undiagnosed. Early detection is one of the most successful dementia treatments.
3. Communication Issues
Telemedicine services may not always be available or reliable in remote areas with poor infrastructure or technical difficulties that make communication difficult between providers and patients.
Must-Have Features of a Telemedicine Application
Security
Ease of Use
Availability on Multiple Platforms
Tips to Follow for Building a Telemedicine Application
If you follow these tips, you can take advantage of telehealth technology effectively and also can outperform your competitors in this space.
- Hire skilled and experienced developers for your project.
- Have a clear idea about the services that you want to offer through your application.
- Consider the cost of developing an application before making any decision.
- Consider the time it will take to develop an application and its maintenance requirements in the future, as well as other factors like security, scalability, etc., while planning to build a telemedicine app.
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Planning Phase of Development
- Before selecting a programming language, you need to understand what type of services you want to offer through your app.
- Before you can start building a telemedicine application, you need to choose a programming language that is best suited for your app. You need to know the type of services you want to offer through your app and who you would like to attract to your app.
For example, suppose your application needs to be accessible to older adults who have not used technology much before. In that case, it makes sense for them to use a simple interface and an easy-to-use programming language such as Ruby on Rails or Python.
However, suppose most of your clients are tech-savvy millennials who are comfortable using smartphones as well as other gadgets like VR headsets or smartwatches. In that case, it would be more suitable for you to use something more advanced such as AngularJS or React Native.
Telemedicine Application development
1. Software Architecture and Business Analysis
2. User Interface
App designs are developed based on a backlog and the concept of a telemedicine app.
3. Coding
When it comes to the telemedicine application development, this step is when your preferred programming language comes into play. An app’s initial release may focus on fundamental functionality to get it into the hands of consumers as soon as possible and then iterate from there. Alternatively, a full-featured telemedicine platform can be implemented all at once.