Telehealth Apps Development: Types, Features, and Trends

In 2022, 25% of US patients had telehealth services used in the first year of the pandemic, according to the American Medical Association.

During the pandemic, telemedicine emerged as an important vehicle to access care, and that transition has continued to change the way healthcare is architected clearly into the year 2024.

This is because telehealth enables people to get medical guidance and prescription refills from the safety of their homes.

Is it worth building a telehealth app now? What features will help make yours a success and how much does it cost to develop a telehealth app?

Keep reading for the answers.

What is Telehealth?

Simply put, telehealth uses technology such as computers, smartphones, or the internet for the purposes of healthcare without actually going to the doctor’s office.

This makes it easy for patients to discuss with board-certified physicians, receive a diagnosis, and get treatment from the comfort of their homes.

There are many benefits of telehealth, the biggest of which is its accessibility for patients from anywhere, making it a useful tool for those who live in remote areas specifically.

It also saves patients time and money that would have otherwise been spent at the doctor’s office.

In addition, telehealth is affordable, typically cheaper than a physical visit and saves you the money on your cost of travel as well.

Who is Telehealth Best for?

So, how does one go about using a telehealth app?

First of all, it is best for the people who are living in rural, remote, and frontier areas. For those busy with work, finding enough time to get a doctor’s appointment can often seem like a chore, not to mention the hassle of potentially sick patients waiting in your doctor’s office

Simply put, telehealth apps are perfect for those living in remote rural areas or hoping to see a specialist who’s not local.

So whether you are just unable to travel due to mobility or transportation (maybe having no vehicle) or maybe due to being burdened with a chronic condition that limits you at large from moving around a lot anyway.

Besides, using telemedicine can be beneficial if you struggle to find time to go to appointments because of work or parenting responsibilities. Business Insider Intelligence reports that among respondents who had already used at least three telemedicine visits, 57% were very or completely satisfied with the technology.

Finally using telemedicine as an adjunct follow up to providers who have already seen you in person makes sense – these can be quick virtual “check-ins” to ensure problems are being managed properly and prevent the need for frequent in-person visits.

The Difference Between Telehealth and Telemedicine

Is there any difference between telehealth and telemedicine?

In general, telehealth and telemedicine both use technology to provide healthcare services from a distance.

However, there is a slight difference between them: telehealth includes a wide range of services like remote monitoring and health education, while telemedicine specifically focuses on clinical services such as diagnosing and treating patients remotely.

These terms are often used interchangeably but still it is important to know the difference. Especially if you are thinking about healthcare mobile application development.

Telehealth Apps Market Overview

Telehealth represents the future of telemedicine and already shows signs of dramatic growth, with more to tap into.

Although the telemedicine market looks promising with its steady growth, it has yet to reach its full potential.

Research predicts that the telehealth and telemedicine field will grow to a total of approximately $869.22 billion by 2033.

The driving force behind this market is technology advancement, with telemedicine platforms leading the market with a 45% share of investments in 2023.

North America has the largest telehealth market – 47.1% of the global telehealth market, to be precise.

Teletherapy and mental health have been the most invested sectors in digital health. According to the 2023 Digital Health report from Pitchbook, the most funded sectors in digital health were teletherapy, behavioral health, care coordination, and navigation.

There has been substantial growth in these sectors as the demand for efficiency increases. People are willing to pay for convenient services, and it allows organizations to work smarter through automating operations, amongst others.

For consultation for common ailments (66%) and follow-up visits (69%).

These programs must also increase access to care for Medicaid and rural patients, protect adequate reimbursement for service providers, and ensure telehealth solutions are implemented effectively. For instance, cancer patients can save between $147.40 and $186.10 per visit in indirect costs if they do an oncology visit through telehealth.

The telehealth market is booming right now, so it’s a great time to enter and evolve in it.

Must-Have Telehealth Apps Features

Before you start building a healthcare startup, you need to know what features will make your app successful. These features will meet user needs, provide a smooth experience, and stand out in the telehealth space.

Below are the features your telehealth app should have to satisfy users. Let’s check them out.

In general, the must-haves for telehealth apps are multi-platform, async chat, scheduling, and patient portals. These features provide reach, convenience and full care management for patients and healthcare providers.

Types of Telehealth Apps

When building a telehealth app, you should decide what type of telehealth you want to offer via your telemedicine app. There are several types of telemedicine applications to choose from.

For example, there are many types of telemedicine, each with different treatment options.

Take a look at some of the work you have to do:

Telehealth Apps for Mental Health Services

These apps offer remote mental health support, therapy and psychiatric consultations.

Mental health apps connect patients with licensed mental health professionals via video calls, chat or phone. This makes it possible for people to access mental health care without visiting a clinic.

Examples are apps like Talkspace and BetterHelp which offer personalized therapy sessions. They also have tools for anxiety, depression and other mental health conditions.

These are important for mental health medication subscriptions and support especially in underserved areas.

One of the mental health care services in our portfolio is MedPortal.

This is a healthcare platform for doctors to track, analyze and predict their patients’ mental health.

We have a system for complex mental health testing and multiple graphs on one screen.

The app is HIPAA compliant, so doctors’ and patients’ data is safe, and the platform can scale as needed.

MedPortal is already in several top-rated hospitals.

If you are thinking of developing a mental health application, make sure you check out this mental health app development guide. We cover the market landscape, a comprehensive step-by-step guide, and app development costs.

Telemedicine Services

Telemedicine apps allow remote primary care consultations between doctors and patients.

They cover general consultations to specialist advice. Patients can get diagnosed, prescribed and treatment plans without visiting a doctor’s office.

Doctor on Demand and Amwell are examples of services offered via video calls. These are for non-emergency and routine check-ups. They reduce the need for in-person visits and save time and resources.

Another telemedicine services platform is DocKids. This is one of our projects.

The client wanted a new telemedicine app that’s better than what’s existing. Since there was no validated market demand we started with a discovery phase to research and understand customer needs before we began development.

We did customer interviews and market research. We found two main problems: customers wait in long queues even for short consultations, and they can’t find trusted doctors without recommendations from friends or family.

Our goals were to build the most convenient telemedicine app where users can find a trusted doctor in 3 clicks, make the app HIPAA compliant for data security, and get a large user base of both doctors and patients to scale.

We made it HIPAA compliant chat app and have three roles (Patient, Doctor, Administrator) in the app. The app has a secure chat, billing integration, calls, and video calls.

DocKids is now a very convenient telemedicine app that simplifies healthcare access, so users can find trusted doctors and get the care they need fast and secure.

Learn more about telemedicine app development in this guide.

Specialized Telehealth Apps

These are for specific medical fields like dermatology, cardiology or radiology.

They offer specialized consultations and services for specific health issues.

For example, dermatology apps allow users to send photos of skin conditions for expert evaluation. Cardiology apps allow remote monitoring of heart conditions using wearable devices.

Examples include DermatologistOnCall for skin conditions and AliveCor for heart monitoring. These specialized apps enhance the accessibility of expert medical care.

Telehealth for Chronic Conditions

Apps designed for chronic conditions help patients manage long-term health issues like diabetes, hypertension, or asthma.

They offer monitoring tools, medication reminders, and educational resources. Patients can track their health data and share it with their healthcare providers for better management.

Examples include MySugr for diabetes management and Propeller Health for asthma and COPD. These apps support continuous care and help patients stay on top of their conditions.

Platforms for Doctors and Clinics

These are for healthcare providers to offer telehealth services and improve their internal operations.

Gal Or X-Ray is an example of such a platform. This is a complex Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system for a small network of dental hospitals. It’s a custom solution that helps the business scale fast, reduce operational costs, and improve service quality.

A owner of 3 dental clinics needed a technical partner to build a custom CRM. The main problem was the paperwork, X-Ray images and operational costs. Managing documents was becoming unscalable and inefficient and they needed a digital solution.

During development, we built the platform using sprints. Key deliverables were:

• An advanced system to collect 3D X-ray images and scalable cloud storage.
• A custom admin panel to track core KPIs and sales funnels, including layouts for doctors, hospitals and the network.
• A doctor appointment app.
• Right-to-Left design for local usability.

Despite the functionality and type of the application you want to build, there are a few other important factors to consider.

Other Factors to Сonsider When Developing a Telehealth App

When developing a telehealth app, several key factors need to be considered to ensure its success and usability.

First, it’s crucial to focus on user experience.

The app should be easy to navigate, with a clean and intuitive interface that patients of all ages can use comfortably. According to a study by Deloitte, 64% of patients are more likely to use telehealth services if the technology is user-friendly.

Security and privacy are paramount.

The app must comply with regulations like HIPAA in the United States, which mandates strict guidelines for protecting patient information.

Integration with existing electronic health records (EHR) systems is another critical factor.

This allows for seamless access to patient records and facilitates better care coordination.

The app should also support various communication methods

such as video calls, chat, and asynchronous messaging. This flexibility caters to different patient needs and preferences. For example, a report by McKinsey shows that telehealth usage soared from 11% of consumers in 2019 to 46% in 2020, indicating a growing acceptance of different telehealth communication methods.

Another important factor is ensuring the app can handle a high volume of users without crashing.

Reliability is key, especially during peak times.

Finally, the app should include features that enhance patient engagement.

These are reminders for appointments and medication, educational resources, and easy access to follow-up care. A study by the Journal of Medical Internet Research found that patient engagement tools can improve health outcomes by 26%.

Summing up, developing a telehealth app requires careful consideration of user experience, security, integration with EHR Software Development Services, communication flexibility, reliability, and patient engagement features.

These elements are crucial for creating a successful and widely accepted telehealth platform.

Understanding the Cost of Telehealth App Development

Are you thinking of developing a healthcare application? Great, let’s see how much it can cost you.

First, we need to highlight that the development price will depend on several factors. These are the features included, as well as the region where the development takes place.

Here’s a table with shortened descriptions for understanding the cost of telehealth app development:

The annual cost of software maintenance is typically 10% to 15% of the initial development cost.

Although it takes longer for healthcare companies to achieve significant ROI compared to other companies offering SaaS products, HealthTech companies show strong public and private market performance and can scale with profit.

Healthcare SaaS product companies have seen 3.1× ROI on average over the last decade, while healthcare services businesses attain 2.6× ROI on average.

The Future of Telehealth: Trends and Predictions

Telehealth is transforming how we receive healthcare, tackling some of the biggest problems we face today.

Long waits for appointments, limited access to specialists, and the challenges of managing chronic conditions are becoming easier to handle.

New trends in telehealth, like AI, remote patient monitoring, and smart medical devices, are making healthcare more accessible, efficient, and personalized. These innovations not only improve patient care but also help healthcare providers work more smoothly, leading to a more connected and effective healthcare system.

Let’s explore these trends further.

Generative AI

Generative AI is a growing trend in telemedicine.

It helps healthcare professionals organize and summarize data, provide notes and instructions, and create checklists, all in natural language.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there will be a shortage of 10 million healthcare workers by 2030. This shortage is expected to increase the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in treating and diagnosing patients.

Telehealth allows healthcare services to be delivered digitally and virtually to patients in remote areas.

Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM)

RPM allows patients to manage acute and chronic conditions from home, saving money on hospital visits.

Clinics benefit by reducing administrative tasks and no-show rates while efficiently monitoring patients.

Current trends in RPM include integrating telehealth software with monitoring systems, using predictive analytics to foresee health issues, and making healthcare more accessible to everyone.

Universal Care

Telehealth coverage is improving, allowing more patients to access these services.

Policies are evolving to make telehealth more flexible, and now many institutions can bill Medicare for telehealth services. Private health insurance plans are also starting to cover telehealth, making it more widely available.

Data Security

With the rise of telehealth, data security is more important than ever.

Medical devices collect sensitive information, and a single data breach can be very costly, averaging $10.93 million in 2023.

Protecting this data is challenging because cybercriminals target telehealth systems. Manufacturers and developers must ensure high security while keeping the system user-friendly. Healthcare providers also need to teach staff and patients how to handle medical devices safely.

IoT and IoMT

The Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) includes devices and software that connect healthcare infrastructure.

These devices can be used at home, on the body, in the community, and in hospitals.

IoMT offers significant benefits, potentially saving healthcare providers up to $300 billion annually by reducing adverse events, optimizing service costs, improving productivity, and increasing healthcare capacity.

AR and VR

Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) technologies enhance medical training and patient care.

AR helps doctors and nurses learn more effectively and can be used by therapists to explain medical conditions to patients.

VR is used for treating mental trauma and can hold medical consultations with remote patients. Active VR is also being explored for physical rehabilitation.

Mobile Health (mHealth)

Mobile health, or mHealth, is another important trend.

This involves using mobile devices like smartphones and tablets to deliver health services and information. According to a report by the World Health Organization, mHealth has the potential to improve healthcare delivery and outcomes, especially in remote and underserved areas.

Apps can provide a range of services, from health monitoring to patient education and appointment reminders, making healthcare more accessible and efficient.

Next Steps

Interest in the telemedicine market is high, but that doesn’t mean every startup will succeed.

The competition is tough, and startups need to adapt fast to changing trends and user needs.

To thrive, you must meet user expectations, get funded, and be profitable and resilient.

Without these timely adjustments, success in the competitive telemedicine space is hard but possible if you dedicate the development process to a good team.

Need an experienced partner to help build an intuitive and user-friendly telehealth app? We’re here to help.

We bring together our expertise, research, and best healthcare app development practices to build telehealth platforms that solve patient and provider problems at every touchpoint.

Get in touch, and let’s talk!