Telemedicine App Development: How to Build a Doctor On Demand

Today, you can order anything on demand, from food to taxis to personal trainers and even doctors. While the first three on-demand services have been popular for some time, on-demand consultations with doctors became a thing not so long ago. Telemedicine has attracted lots of interest from clinics, doctors, and patients. In 2020, the global telemedicine market saw revenue of $55.9 billion according to Grand View Research.

We’re going to talk about how remote care can address problems of access, quality, and cost in delivering healthcare services. We’ll also give an overview of the telemedicine market and share the ins and outs ofdoctor on demand app development.

What is a telehealth app and what problems does it solve?

A telemedicine app lets patients consult with doctors remotely. Take MDLIVE as an example. This telehealth mobile app works 24/7, letting patients choose doctors and talk to them by phone or video. Another great example is Amwell, a healthcare app that allows users to choose a doctor and have a video visit with them. Doctors can then send prescriptions right to the patient’s pharmacy.

SOURCE: DRIBBBLE.COM BY BRIAN TURLEY

Why is telemedicine so important? Because it fills the gaps in healthcare.

1. Barriers to health services in rural and remote areas

People living in rural and remote areas experience poor access to a variety of medical services. According to a report on healthcare in Australia by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, a major barrier to seeing a specialist is not having one nearby. With telemedicine, rural patients don’t need to travel long distances to access health care, instead having virtual visits with doctors.

2. Limited access to healthcare for elderly and disabled patients

Elderly patients and those with disabilities may have difficulties accessing hospitals. With telemedicine, anyone can access care from the comfort of their home. All patients need to do is choose a healthcare provider and book an appointment for a suitable time.

3. Problems with patient monitoring

If integrated with an EMR (electronic medical records) system, a telemedicine app offers healthcare providers real-time access to patients’ health data. Thanks to this, doctors can monitor patients on the go and provide advice when health indicators worsen. This is particularly important for patients with chronic diseases.

4. Long waits for appointments and long travel times

Patients no longer have to travel long distances to access medical care and wait at a doctor’s office. With telehealth technologies, patients can meet with a doctor right away or schedule an appointment for a precise time.

A snapshot of telemedicine in 2019–2021

Before we go into detail about must-have features of a doctor on demand app, let’s look at the telemedicine market to understand what attracts patients and doctors to telehealth technologies and see the current state of virtual care.

Physicians who have used telehealth say they have seen:

• better patient access to healthcare (93%)
• increased productivity (77%)
• cost reductions (71%)
• better patient–doctor communication (71%)
• improved relationships with patients (60%)

According to American Well’s Telehealth Index: 2019 Physician Survey, the willingness of physicians in the US to have a video visit increased from 57% in 2015 to 69% in 2019, and the number of physicians feeling unsure about telehealth decreased from 31% to 20%.

Among the major reasons why physicians are willing to use direct-to-consumer (DTC) telemedicine are to:

• improve patient access to healthcare services
• have a better work-life balance
• attract and retain patients
• improve patient outcomes
• be at the forefront of medicine

SOURCE: STATIC.AMERICANWELL.COM

Yet there’s a big gap between willingness to use and actual use. As statistics show, only 22% of physicians used virtual visits to connect with their patients in 2019.

SOURCE: STATIC.AMERICANWELL.COM

Among the top barriers to telehealth are:

• Uncertainty about reimbursement. To address this concern, the US Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) have suggested that Medicare Advantage plans cover telemedicine services. Additionally, 48 states provide doctors with reimbursement for telemedicine services via the Medicaid fee-for-service model. Lots of states also require insurers to provide telehealth.
• Clinical appropriateness. Some doctors are worried that clinics aren’t equipped for telemedicine. Therefore, some medical establishments take actions to ensure clinical quality is upheld during telehealth visits. Take the Cleveland Clinic as an example. They reviewed the quality of virtual visits, developed templates so physicians can fully document their virtual visits, and established guidelines on antibiotic appropriateness to ensure that quality standards are maintained when providing remote care.
• Concerns about quality of care. Medical practices need to ensure that healthcare quality is maintained throughout telehealth visits.
• Poor buy-in. Some doctors believe telemedicine visits will replace face-to-face visits and will provide poor quality of health services. Avera Health, a regional health system in South Dakota, deals with doctors’ resistance to adopting telemedicine through informative write-ups and in-person meetings.
• Lack of support from hospital leadership. Leaders can contribute to successful telehealth adoption by physicians. When leaders show support, physicians are motivated and are quicker to adopt telemedicine visits. American Well saw this problem and started working with clinical leadership to develop strong support for telemedicine services.

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