Key Features and Considerations for Telehealth App Development

The telehealth industry is currently expanding at a steady pace and is projected to reach $513.80 billion by 2030. However, how can one enter this lucrative market? Everything you need to know about developing telehealth apps, including their features and best practices, will be covered in this article.

Telehealth app development services focus on creating secure and user-friendly platforms, enabling seamless virtual consultations and remote patient monitoring, revolutionizing healthcare accessibility and efficiency.

How to Begin Developing Telehealth Apps

Telehealth applications are systems that provide remote communication between patients and healthcare providers. This may occur via messaging or video calls, depending on the app.

The primary objective of telehealth solutions is to lower the operating expenses of clinics and increase access to healthcare. Since these applications target patients of all ages simultaneously, they are intentionally made to be as accessible and user-friendly as possible.

Instead of traveling to the clinic, patients may get all the treatments they need from the convenience of their homes. Doctors may also better plan their working hours and reach a wider audience since distance is no longer an issue.

In order to determine the direction of the wellness sector, we recently polled healthcare and wellness businesses.

As you can see, 75% of respondents said that more technological integration and digital health apps will be key to the wellness industry’s future.

Just 23% of respondents favor conventional marketing techniques, compared to 39% who think it’s critical to use sophisticated technology.

According to the findings, more companies believe that using technology solutions is the way of the future.

The Value of Applications for Telehealth

Covering critical gaps that expose flaws in the healthcare sector is what makes telehealth solutions so important. Among them are:

A patient cannot readily get healthcare treatments because they reside in a rural place;

Insufficient accessibility features for patients who are immobile;

Clinics that are overcrowded because of personnel shortages
the difficulty of handling paperwork.

All of these issues are readily mitigated by telehealth software. It gives individuals access to healthcare even if they are immobile or reside in rural places.

Important Features of Apps for Telehealth

There are a lot of helpful features in telehealth applications. However, it would be dull to just discuss them without really demonstrating how they operate.

The objective of one of our Central Asian customers was to develop automated software with a wide range of features for medical practitioners. The primary difficulties were:

To develop and maintain a healthcare data platform that is heavily loaded and has a large number of end users;
To align all platforms, including desktop, mobile, and online;
To assemble a group for the creation of unique healthcare software.

Registration of Users

The registration procedure is the first thing users encounter. All of a patient’s pertinent data is stored in their dedicated account, which also guarantees that physicians may safely access all of the patient’s information while maintaining data security.

The patient must complete a form at first registration that includes details about their medical history, including prior illnesses and operations. With this information at their disposal, the physicians will be able to provide the finest care possible.

Additionally, individuals who have previously registered must sign in to their account, which links each user to their profile. Since only the patient and their physicians will be able to see the information, the registration system blocks access to it by those with bad intent.

Video Consultation

Video consultation is another essential component of any telemedicine software program. It makes it possible for patients and physicians to converse as if they were in the same space. There are two primary factors that make it so crucial.

First, physicians are able to examine the patient visually. Since not all patients are aware of the possible meaning of that strange rash on their hand, this is necessary.

Second, diagnosing and talking about symptoms is similar to in-person meetings. The experience is further improved with high-quality video technology and minimalist UI.

The video consultation interface includes a chat window where the patient may share files and photographs with their physician to facilitate information sharing.

Integration of Payment Gateways

Physicians must get payment for their services. With a minimal charge from the platform, each patient may pay their providers thanks to payment gateway integration.

When the two most often used payment methods—credit or debit cards and digital wallets—are integrated, this function becomes even more helpful. This technology gives patients digital receipts and guarantees safe payment transfers.

Payment integration often gives consumers access to their past transaction history as well. It also promotes a flexible price structure according to the kinds of services that physicians provide. Patients would know precisely what they are paying for, and all doctors will be adequately rewarded for their services.

Chat and Calling in-app

Video calls are not required for every visit. For this reason, eHealth solutions let users contact physicians, make appointments for non-urgent phone calls, or have a conversation to get clarification on their therapy. The option to follow up asynchronously makes this particularly helpful for patients and physicians who encounter connection problems.

Scheduling is another way that video calls and chats vary. Since physicians respond to texts whenever it is convenient for them, patients do not need to plan messaging sessions with them.

This feature encourages physicians and patients to work together. Physicians may assist patients better grasp their illnesses by sharing articles or educational materials. Patients may simultaneously submit reports or pictures for physicians to examine and provide advice on.

Integration of Prescription and Pharmacy

Patients often anticipate that a doctor will prescribe medicine after a consultation. For this reason, another helpful element of telehealth software is the connection of prescription and pharmacy.

Prescription integration facilitates patients’ access to electronic drug information. It lowers the possibility of mistakes brought on by improper communication as compared to spoken prescriptions.

The patient receives their prescription instantly when physicians write a prescription using the app. Pharmacies may also be integrated with some eHealth technologies.

Setting Up Appointments

Physicians are interested in managing their working hours and tracking the number of patients they encounter throughout the day. Patients also want to know when times the doctor will be accessible so they can schedule their days appropriately.

The fact that arranging appointments is a lot simpler is its best feature. You may use the app on your phone to make an appointment rather than physically visiting the hospital to find out the doctor’s availability.

Making the procedure as simple as feasible helps accomplish this. The UI makes it easy to arrange an appointment and displays all of the available time slots. It is especially designed to be easy to use for patients of all ages.

Extra Features

Some healthcare applications go beyond these features:

Group calls: Occasionally, more than one person has to be connected to a single call. In this manner, experts may discuss the patient’s condition with one another in real time;

Integration with electronic health records (EHRs): A telehealth app may incorporate a patient’s EHR in addition to the form they must complete upon registration. This will provide physicians with more thorough information on the medical histories of their patients.


Integration with wearable technology: This may enable real-time vitals analysis by physicians. The wearable technology allows the doctor to access the patient’s heart rate and other data with a single click;

Chatbots driven by AI: This functionality is becoming more and more common across several sectors. Such chatbots may help patients with appointment scheduling and round-the-clock assistance in eHealth solutions.

Telehealth applications come with a large number of capabilities. However, how can you create one for your company?

The Ten Steps in the Development of eHealth Software

eHealth solutions need extensive preparation before they are implemented, just like any other software development project. The main distinction is that you will have to take extra measures to adhere to healthcare sector rules.

Step 1: Establish your goal

As with any program, having a clear understanding of your objectives is essential to success. Consider the product’s target market, function, and capabilities. Fortunately, we have already discussed every possible feature you would find interesting above.

Step 2: Plan your job and do research

It’s time to do research when you have jotted down all of your thoughts. Start by determining the requirements of the user and investigating existing solutions. You may better explain how the software you are developing will aid patients and physicians by outlining a product roadmap that is based on your research.

Step 3: Verify adherence to regulations

Working with an eHealth app differs from using other applications because of this phase. Every nation has its own set of laws and guidelines pertaining to the healthcare sector that you must follow. You must learn and comprehend them. This is done in order to provide a product that complies with existing rules to the end customers.

Step 4: Select the appropriate technology stack

You must first choose which technological stack to use. The skill of the development team, money, and scalability needs all influence the tech stack selection. The components of a typical technological stack are as follows:

Programming language and front-end framework;
Programming language and backend framework;
Database
Infrastructure for Hosting;
Additional instruments.

Create the user interface (UI) in step five.

An effective user interface is essential. However, what does “good” mean, and where should one concentrate? Let’s discuss a few points:

The app’s color palette need to complement your picture and branding;
Keep in mind who your intended audience is. The design of your healthcare mobile app should be user-friendly.

Your chosen typefaces should be viewable on a mobile device;
There should be uniform design guidelines for the user interface. For instance, all of the cancel buttons must be red if one is.

Step 6: Put important features into practice

It’s time to put the product’s essential features into action now that we have the UI design. Prioritize offering top-notch audio and video to your end consumers, and make sure security is maintained by implementing encryption and an authentication mechanism.

Step 7: Integrate third-party services

The development is almost complete. The last step is to include your preferred third-party services. These kinds of services will offer new features to your program. Here are a few instances:

Systems for payments;
Tools for analytics;
Services for translating languages;
Electronic medical records.

Step 8: Test your app

It is crucial to test your program. No one will use the program if it has serious flaws. Let’s discuss what you should concentrate on:

Verify that the software satisfies quality requirements;
Verify that every functionality functions as intended;
Verify that the connected systems react appropriately.
Keep an eye on the security measures’ status.

You may go on to the next round of development after the app’s testing are complete.

Step 9: Take the deployment action.

The culmination of the development phase is deployment. The point at which you make your software accessible to end users is called deployment, often referred to as product launch. The main phases in this procedure are as follows:

Before launching the app, make sure everything works properly;
Make the application accessible to users;
Track the real-world performance of the product and fix any serious issues consumers may run across.

Step 10: Offer upkeep and updates

Maintaining your app is essential if you want it to continue adding value to your business. This involves a few crucial points:

Repairing issues that users run across;
Keeping an eye on the functioning of the software;
Keeping security measures up to date with the most recent requirements;
Modifying the quality of life or adding new features in response to user input.

To give you an idea of what to anticipate, we have provided a draft guide for creating virtual health apps. Since every development team handles this process differently, you should discuss the project workflow and the approximate duration of each stage with your vendor.

That’s almost it! Security is the last topic to be discussed.

Top Techniques for Developing Secure Telemedicine Apps

It is impossible to overestimate the significance of implementing appropriate security measures while discussing eHealth software development. You must acknowledge that you handle sensitive patient data and take appropriate precautions to safeguard it. We have included a few useful resources and methods here.

User authentication system: A robust system that connects users to their pre-existing profiles is required. Consider using biometric or two-factor authentication to reduce the possibility of unwanted access to the data.

Safe data storage: All private information need to be kept in a database that is encrypted and has access restrictions. By doing this, unwanted server-side access will be avoided.

Frequent security audits: It’s best to examine your data’s security every few months. This will enable you to identify and address any security flaws.

Secure APIs: The APIs you use should also be taken into consideration. To have an uncompromised system, you must verify that they adhere to the finest data protection procedures.

Secure communication channels: Use secure communication channels for transmitting data since they may be intercepted by hostile parties.

Maintain a current database backup at all times, and make a strategy for data recovery in the event of a security breach or data loss.

Employee education: The simplest method for hackers to get your data is via social engineering. To stop phishing efforts, you must educate your employees on this topic.

Last Remarks

Apps for telehealth are an excellent resource for both patients and physicians. At Linkitsoft, We have covered their significance, the features they provide, and how to create such software for your company in this post.

Despite their potential for great financial gain, eHealth products are difficult to produce. You should go for someone with more experience in the sector if you lack it.