Telehealth software solutions are revolutionizing the way doctors work. Technology has enabled patients to get healthcare delivered at their doorstep, allowing for a seamless care process. The healthcare sector has taken a while to change and adapt to the changes technology wants to set in, but trends are gearing up for faster transformation over the next few years.
Telehealth software development is one area where healthcare institutions and care providers are focused these days. Owing to the need to make healthcare accessible to each and everyone, healthcare providers are opting for telemedicine software that help them connect with patients in remote, otherwise non-accessible locations.
However, healthcare app development comes with its own challenges. Developing a telehealth software solution that complies with government healthcare policies is in itself a humongous challenge. Add to that the cost of healthcare app development.
Before looking at the factors that affect the cost of telehealth software development, let’s look at the features a robust telehealth app should have.
9 Features That Make Any Telehealth App Stand Out
Telemedicine app development, when undertaken by proficient designers and developers, can change the game for any healthcare institution. Telemedicine applications have already become all the rage in exclusive healthcare provider institutions and are slowly spreading all over the world.
Look out for the following features in your next telemedicine app or software solution.
- mHealth capabilities – Telemedicine is changing the way doctors address patients and treat them. Mobile capabilities in your solution mean your users can access services from the comfort of their homes, as and when they need to. Mobile messaging apps are making healthcare reachable and affordable to everyone, enhancing the quality of services. Mobile health features for leading mobile platforms are a great add-on to any telehealth software.
- Secure video conferencing – In cases where patients need to interact with their care providers face-to-face, a video conferencing feature becomes vital. Features such as file sharing, screen sharing, and secure video calls can vastly enhance the quality and reach of care through mobile devices. Although, security needs to be a priority with such implementations.
- EMR/EHR – Electronic medical or health records have now become the new norm for healthcare solutions. Telemedicine software without these integrations would seem incomplete. EHRs allow patients to automate the information gathering process, thereby eliminating manual errors in data or absence of crucial records. This information then becomes critical for care providers in planning and executing customer care plan.
- Appointment scheduling – Online appointments are a great way to bridge the communication gap between a doctor and their patient by bringing both together on one platform. Through an online appointment scheduling platform, a doctor can mark their available slots on a calendar. A patient can see and book these slots as per their convenience. This removes the hassles of calling up and syncing times with a receptionist. A robust telemedicine software solution should also fire alerts when an appointment nears.
- Consolidated dashboard – Patients can use a unified panel that allows them to view their medical history, appointments, medication schedules, and so on, in a single go. This puts all key information in one place, reducing the issue of searching for data in several tabs.
- Export information – When patients switch care providers, it is important for them to export all their previous data in a PDF format so their new doctor can access and learn from it. An export feature in your telehealth software solution can help patients seamlessly download their data for future use, via a secure channel.
- Reports and analytics – All telehealth apps can use some or the other form of analytics. Reports can be generated for the doctor to view the progress of each patient, allowing them to course-correct when necessary. Reports can capture data such as the number of visits, their purpose, medication history, feedback from patients and so on. Metrics for tracking may change as per various use cases, but reporting capabilities are a great feature for any telemedicine software solution.
- CMS integration – Patients these days are willing to learn about their conditions and educate themselves. Therefore, a CMS system that makes verified information available to patients is a useful addition to a telemedicine application.
- Store and forward data – In cases where medical imagery needs to be forwarded to specialist doctors residing at remote locations, store and forward capabilities allow for a secure and safe exchange of data. This feature would allow doctors to share medical images as they are, without any change in picture resolution.
Telehealth software and apps improve the accessibility of healthcare in remote areas, increase the quality of service, decrease the cost of healthcare by eliminating the need for travel, and result in satisfied customers.
What Factors Affect the Cost of Telehealth Software and App Development
When you choose the right development partner for your telemedicine app development, every cost addition becomes an investment you later reap out of in terms of user satisfaction and other important ROIs.
However, it is still crucial to form a budget and have a number in mind when it comes to telemedicine application development. Here are some factors that affect how much you shell out for a telehealth application.
- Features – We encourage you to study your target market and analyze what features are the most important to your users. It is extremely important to know the pulse of your audience- what they’d like in their healthcare solution and what not.
- Additional features – Is there anything a section of your audience would appreciate, but something that cannot be left out? Consider these additional features as they affect the cost of development, too.
- Development team size – The number of heads you want to assign to your project would determine the cost of development. The size of the development team is often determined by the timeline of the project. However, the scope of the app is another decisive factor in the size of the team.
- Third-party integrations – Does your app need external integrations and APIs? Consider which features are crucial for your users and whether or not they can be affordably rolled out without APIs.
- Compliances – Healthcare software applications need certifications and proofs of compliance. These are additional costs of development.
Another factor that largely determines the cost-effectiveness of your solution is the team working on your project. These are the people who can make each investment quantify over time, or not.
Pick a Proficient Healthcare App Development Team
Telehealth software development demands specialized skills from developers and designers. Design and usability trends that work for other industries don’t work the same way for healthcare. Therefore, it is always advisable to choose a development partner with experience in the healthcare sector.
CDN Solutions Group is one such offshore development company that specializes in healthcare application and software development. With a team of over 270 designers and coders, CDN Solutions Group houses specialist talent in all areas of development.
We have been serving offshore and onshore businesses with mobile apps, wearable apps, web apps, and software solutions for over 18 years. With a wealth of experience in consumer, retail, and other verticals, we have also polished our expertise in developing compliant software solutions for the healthcare space.
Telemedicine app development needs you to be in constant connect with the development team. We make it happen. We ensure transparent communication between our team and our clients from the beginning to the end.
We believe in complete customer satisfaction. We aim for your ecstasy. Therefore, we go the extra mile in all phases of software app development. Consult a team of proficient app developers at CDN Software Solutions.
Check out our other Healthcare software development blog post
A Guide To User-Centered Healthcare Software Design And Development