“It is an extraordinary challenge. There isn’t really an infrastructure,” says Dr Sally Aiken, the president of the National Association of Medical Examiners (NAME), when asked about how to tackle the coronavirus situation. The coronavirus pandemic has left the healthcare industry clueless. People cannot access hospitals or clinics for consultation. The situation is gloomy. The total number of cases currently stands at 3.22 million, with death count amounting to almost 230,000 people. In situations like these, patients need to consult their doctors, don’t they? But they cannot reach hospitals since there are high chances of contracting the disease. 

This has resulted in an on-demand telemedicine app. Doctor appointment booking apps have already ventured into the market long before the pandemic. But these apps are merely used to book appointments with doctors. However, there has been a paradigm shift in people’s approach to these apps. People need a virtual platform to connect with their respective doctors.  Apps like Doctor On Demand, AmWell, etc., are gaining increased popularity among people. Entrepreneurs all across the world are beginning to venture into the vastly expanding market with an on-demand doctor app development. In this blog, let’s take a look at the workflow of the telemedicine app, the features worth considering in the app and their enticing benefits.

‘Telemedicine apps have spiked since the pandemic’ 

Let’s take a look at the growth of the online healthcare market in this quarantine situation, 

• Telehealth app solutions have seen a 340% increase in demand since January owing to the coronavirus pandemic. 
• 79% of people prefer online consultations over in-person consultations. 
• The telehealth market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 24.7% between 2018 and 2027. 
• Doctor on Demand, an online telemedicine platform, recently received $74 million funding to promote their sales. 
• Amwell, a popular healthcare platform, saw app usage increase by 158% in the US since January. 

These facts clearly suggest that people have shifted their attention towards these platforms to instant consultations. 

‘Smooth and Seamless workflow can attract people’ 

Patients in need expect a user-friendly app, providing the best services. The app should bridge the gap between users and doctors. Let’s discuss the workflow here, 

• Users download the app and specify basic details for registering. They can sign up via different social media handles as well. 
• Users can search for doctors of different specialities based on their needs. They can filter out doctors based on experience, ratings, etc. 
• Upon identifying their respective doctors, users can schedule an appointment with them in the future. 
• The respective doctors get instant notifications regarding the users’ bookings. They can accept/reject the requests according to their interests. 
• Upon successful confirmation, users receive their appointment details, and doctors get the medical history of patients, preferably through EHR. 
• At the specified time of appointment, users get consultations with their doctors via video calls.
• Doctors provide suitable remedies and online prescriptions to users. 
• Users pay for the consultation through multiple payment options available in the app. 

This is how a basic telehealth app works and helps people to get instant doctor consultations. 

‘Your telemedicine app needs to have these features’ 

A complete on-demand doctor app solution comes with, 

• Patient app
• Doctor app
• Admin panel 

Features of the patient app: 

• User registration
• Search for doctors
• Schedule appointments
• In-app chat/call facilities
• Payment options
• Push notifications
• Health articles

Features of the Doctor app: 

• Availability toggle
• Accept/Reject requests
• Patient’s EHR
• Digital prescriptions
• Ratings and Reviews

Features of Admin panel: 

• Maintaining doctors profile 
• Maintaining patients profile
• God’s eye view
• Ad management

‘Telemedicine apps come with enticing benefits’ 

Both users and doctors enjoy excessive benefits upon using digital healthcare apps. Let’s discuss certain key benefits here, 

• Easy accessibility: Patients get easier access to doctors eliminating the fear of contracting the disease. With just a few taps on their smartphones, they can schedule their appointments with doctors and get consultations. 
• Increase in quality: Doctors needn’t rush through their schedule with this feature. They can provide consultations at the time specified, leading to increased quality and betterment of results. According to a recent study, these apps lead to 38% fewer admissions of patients to hospitals. 
• Improves patient engagement: Patients find these platforms safe and secure. They get to better interact with their doctors regarding their condition owing to improved results. Thus these apps lead to increased patient engagement. 
• An easier way to maintain health records: Patients find it difficult to carry their health records to different doctors. By using these apps, their medical records are encrypted safely in the form of EHR (Electronic Health Records). This provides them with easier access to their records. Moreover, doctors find it easy to share patients’ EHR with fellow doctors for suggestions. 

Concluding, 

People need online consultations with their respective doctors. An on-demand telemedicine app is providing them with the same. Entrepreneurs have already begun to gain revenue through this exponential growth market. A simple, user-friendly app can lead to multiple patient engagements. Features determine the longevity of the app in the market. With so many benefits to offer, an Uber for doctors app can be an instant hit in the market. So, what are you waiting for? We are offering you a Practo clone that is completely customizable according to your needs. You can launch the app instantly and serve millions of patients in need.