Telemedicine App Development: How to Create a Telemedicine App 

Healthcare is an important investment in every economy, and smartphones have revolutionized how people avail healthcare services. With telemedicine mobile apps, customers can take treatments for their health issues without even being physically present with the doctors.

This turns in an increase in the overall demand for telemedicine apps. Google trends deliberately noted 98 points in peak performance for the “Telemedicine apps” keyword in 2022.  Analyzing the increasing demand, entrepreneurs are highly interested in showing their interest in the M-healthcare sector.

If you are an entrepreneur or want to explore telemedicine mobile app development details, then you are at the right place. We are going to explore everything about telemedicine app development in one single blog. Below is our table of contents so you can jump onto any section you want.

Let’s explore the On-demand doctor’s app development in detail without any further ado.

What are telemedicine apps & how do they work?

Telemedicine is a process of offering care to patients remotely using digital devices. When we refer to mobile apps, we are pointing toward telemedicine through smartphone apps.

Using telemedicine apps, patients and doctors can communicate in real time on their smartphones. Thanks to high-quality video cameras on smartphones, the complete process feels close to reality, making the diagnosis and treatment convenient and easy without waiting physically in the hospital queues.

How does a telemedicine app work?

Regarding the working of doctor on-demand apps, there are a few steps common in every telemedicine mobile app.

• The patient logs into the telemedicine mobile app or creates a new account.
• Once logged into the app, they must describe their health symptoms, and the app actively fetches suitable specialists.

• Patients can choose from the list of specialists, text the selected on-demand doctors, or schedule an appointment and call.
• The doctor communicates and prescribes recommended treatment processes according to the health symptoms mentioned by the patient.
• The patient pays for the healthcare service through the app and gets the receipt.

Why do you need a telemedicine app?

You have gathered enough information about Telemedicine apps as terminology. Now we shall study the need for a telemedicine app so that you can make a stronger vision for your telemedicine mobile app development. Let us start by mentioning the stats in the M-healthcare industry and the Telemedicine app industry so that you can analyze if your idea will survive or not in the healthcare industry.

Stats in the M-healthcare and telemedicine industry

• In 2019 the M-healthcare market size was valued at $ 17.92 Billion (Source).
• M-health care was valued at $47.7 Billion in 2021.
• The predicted growth rate of the M-healthcare industry is expected at 45% per year till 2027 and $189 Billion by 2025 (Source).
• The telemedicine market grew by $41.63 Billion in 2019 and is projected to grow 25.8% by 2027 (Source).

• In 2021, the market size of the Telemedicine industry was valued at $70.4 Billion (Source).

The stats in the M-healthcare and Telemedicine industry strongly suggests the future endeavors of the digital healthcare industry.

Benefits that telemedicine apps offer to patients and doctors

Living in the digital age, watching and communicating with people through smartphones is most likely to be common. Telemedicine apps bring the same idea to patients and doctors.

Benefits to patient

• Reduced Time and cost: Seeing a doctor requires money, gas in a car or bike or public transportation, parking, waiting in traffic, and much more. Telemedicine apps let patients schedule everything right from their homes.
• No hindrances to work: Whether in the office or working from home, you just have to make a few taps in your telemedicine app, and your health care is secured.
• No need to hire babysitters: Patients with small kids do not have to hire babysitters while seeing a doctor.
• Faster and better health: Patients are exposed to faster and better healthcare opportunities.

Benefits to doctors

• Finally, WFH: Doctors can work from home, too, with the power of telemedicine apps.
• No setup cost: There is no need to open a physical hospital and attract customers. Doctors just have to create their profiles.
• Wider availability: When you are online, people can communicate with you overseas directly through the app.

What are modern telemedicine mobile app trends?

If you are looking forward to building a telemedicine app. In that case, you must know the modern trends in the Telemedicine industry and try to integrate them into your app to make it exceptional.

Artificial Intelligence

In the coming future, it is not possible to ignore Artificial intelligence. AI lets mobile apps intelligently learn the pattern of users and suggest the best choice to them in advance, reducing their steps and efforts. Patients should be able to give the least effort, and your app should give the best suggestions automatically for health symptoms. For the analysis, AI-driven tools like Google Health and InformAI can help in detailed diagnoses.

AR and VR

Augment reality and virtual reality will take the telemedicine industry in the future. Doctors and patients can experience each other in real time despite the distance. It will lead to better treatment.

IoT integration

The use of fitness bands and smartwatches would play a major role in the health industry. Doctors can watch detailed reports tracked by the IoT devices of patients. Smartwatches like Apple Watch are efficient enough to perform an ECG. And, recently Apple focused much more on the health segment of their users by making Apple watches a highly health-efficient device.

What are the essential features to add to the telemedicine mobile app?

Ensure that you add these features to your telemedicine mobile app’s POC, MVP, and final app. Also, ensure that end users get a smooth and flawless experience with the app.

Key Features of Telemedicine app for patients

• User login: Provide users with a faster way to log in using Gmail, Facebook, or other alternatives in one place.

• AI-rich suggestions: Make sure users have spent little effort in the app while choosing their health symptoms.
• A quick search for specialists: Do not let users wait to search for the specialist nearby them.
• Video appointment: Offer a quick video appointment option in your app.
• Payment gateways: You have to perform research on the regions you are targeting with your app and make sure that you add payment gateways efficiently.
• Doctor review: Let patients see the ratings for doctors’ services so that patients can carefully look for the most suitable doctor.

Key features of Telemedicine app for doctors

• Doctor Panel: Doctors have to manage diverse records of patients and a calendar where they can see their present and upcoming appointments.
• Manage calendar: With proper appointment management and time slots, doctors can easily manage their service stack.
• Messaging: Inside the app, allow doctors and patients to communicate with each other in a highly secure manner.

What Tech Stack to choose for Telemedicine app development?

Without the right choice of tech stack, it is tough to build a successful telemedicine mobile app. To build the app, you must be sure about the programming languages, frameworks, third-party tools, databases, and other elements. Here are some top tech stack choices for Telemedicine mobile app development.

• Programming language and Framework: Kotlin and Java are the two most popular programming languages for Native Android app development. If you want to build the app for iOS, then you can choose the Swift programming language. For cross-platform app development, ReactNative and Flutter (frameworks using different languages) would be your ideal choice.
• Back-end: For back-end development, you can use Node.js.
• Database: MySQL is one of the most famous databases. You can also choose MongoDB if you are opting for a NoSQL database. Or you can read the list of top databases to choose from.
• Miscellaneous: For chat, you can use Socket.io. for video conferencing, you can use WebRTC and Twilio.

Note: The tech stack mentioned above is prepared with a general point of view. The choice of the right tech stack highly depends upon your telemedicine app requirements. Discuss the features and tech stack with your selected mobile app development company.

 

What are the Top telemedicine apps worldwide?

Below are a few of the top telemedicine apps you can use for reference. You can download these apps from the link in the text, analyze their features & functions, and make your idea better than the competition.

MDLIVE

MDLive app lets adults and doctors connect on the mobile app platform. It is a fast, easy and convenient app, especially for non-emergency cases.

Lemonaid

Lemonaid offers doctor services with a medicine home delivery option. When you close the call with your doctor, you can order the prescribed meds directly from the app.

LiveHealth

LiveHealth brings highly skilled and qualified doctors on the app for patients looking for treatment. The doctors are available 24×7 on the app.

PlushCare

PlushCare is a popular telemedicine app connecting doctors to patients. And the app also has the option to avail of health insurance which is rare in the telemedicine industry.

What are the steps involved in telemedicine app development?

Building a telemedicine app is not a quick task that requires just a few people. Rather app development processes are generally complex and demand highly trained professionals with diverse skill sets.

Here are the multiple steps involved in telemedicine app development

• Business analysis: Performing an analysis of your idea is the very first step. Ensure that you are clear about the idea and have performed enough analysis on your targeted audience.
• Market research: The ones who do not have their competition face complexities in surviving for the long term in the market. You must provide all the key features that your competitors offer. Then you have to add unique features that your competitors lack to offer.

• Prepare blueprints: Make a rough idea of what your app will look like and what features it will contain.
• Consulting partner: It’s Time to take your idea to an app development agency and consult further with them.
• Choosing platform: Decide if you are targeting iOS or Android or a Hybrid platform with your mobile app since you have to choose the tech stack accordingly.
• UI/UX: User experience is one of the first things that users notice and experience. So your app must deliver. Smooth and flawless User experience and User interface.
• Development: It’s a crucial phase where your mobile app installs features and functionalities. Ensure that you stay in touch with your app development partner regularly.

• Quality assurance: Your app is tested by a team of testers trying to find shortcomings in the development process.
• Deployment: Now, it’s time for the Google play store and app store so users can download it from anywhere. Although there are several guidelines for publishing an app.
• Maintenance: You have to plan and consult the update and upgrade cycle.

How to monetize telemedicine apps?

Monetizing the Telehealth app requires a smart strategy since there are multiple ways to do so.

Here is how you can monetize your app

Premium holders

Although you can keep your app free, you can implement additional premium services. The users buying premium services will get to connect to doctors faster and at a discounted rate.

Subscription

You can cut the idea of offering a free mobile app by adding the cost of buying the app from the Apple app store and Google play store directly.

Fees

Your app can add the final fees as a service charge to the doctor’s bill. When a customer pays for the service they took, you can add your fee amount in the end.

How much does a telemedicine app development cost?

If you have reached this point in the article, we are sure you have seen diverse elements involved in telemedicine app development. Each element affects the cost, so it is impossible to define the fixed cost in the first place. The best solution for the same is that once you prepare your blueprints, you can consult an app development company and ask for an MVP. With MVP, you can have a very clear idea of the cost of your app development project.

Ending words

The above telemedicine app development guide is enough for anyone who wants to explore the idea of telemedicine app development in detail. It is no doubt true that the m-healthcare industry will bring success to the early adopters who will implement their telemedicine idea as early as possible.

Why choose RipenApps for your telemedicine app development?

Recognized by multiple global agencies, we are a leading mobile app development service provider. Our client testimonial in diverse industries speaks about our 100% satisfaction rate with the clients. In the Rooms- is one of our healthcare industry products delivering a digital rehab for all addiction recoveries. From conceptualizing to deploying your telemedicine product and its maintenance, we have helped businesses to sail their ideas into products and become industry leaders. Why not book a consultation call with us? We are just a click away from you.

Now is the perfect time to initiate your actions & consult RipenApps to build your telemedicine app and lead the coming competition in m-healthcare.

FAQs

Q1: Which is a key AI to add to m-health care apps?

A virtual health assistant can be your best choice if you are looking for the best AI to integrate into your app.

Q2: Is the telemedicine mobile app profitable?

Yes, the market for telemedicine apps will grow because the telemedicine industry is expected to grow 25% by 2027.

Q3: What is the cost of telemedicine app development?

There is no fixed variable for the cost of a telemedicine app since it depends upon your requirements and complexities.

Q4: What should I do if I want to build a telemedicine app?

Start by preparing blueprints of your idea, refine it by researching the competition, and finally consult an app development company.

Q5: Can I monetize my Telemedicine app?

Off course, you can monetize it with the use of the in-app subscription, fees, and premium package offerings.

Q6: Why does my healthcare app need payment gateways?

Once doctors and patients have completed the consultation process, patients pay the fees. Providing payment options directly into the app will be convenient for users.