How to Develop a Telemedicine App? Features, Benefits, and Cost

Telemedicine apps are mobile applications that are used to access healthcare consultations and services remotely. Telemedicine mobile applications are gaining popularity as nowadays most people have hectic schedules and do not have enough time to visit doctors. 

They use telemedicine applications to consult and seek medical assistance from the comfort of their place. It is projected that approximately 62% of Americans will use telemedicine services by 2024.  

By analyzing this report, it is evident that the demand for telemedicine apps will grow significantly. Hence, it will be a profitable business to develop a telemedicine mobile application to provide remote health consultations and medical assistance to users. 

In this blog, we have provided the completed guide for telemedicine app development. We have covered everything from the development process to top-notch features to enhance user experience. So without any more delay, let’s start! 

Latest Statistics for Telemedicine Mobile Applications 

Explore some of the current numbers related to telemedicine mobile apps. 

Source: Statista 

1. The global digital health market is expected to reach nearly $660 billion by 2025, with CAGR growing almost 25% from 2019 to 2025. 

2. The global telemedicine market is estimated to grow to $286.22 billion by 2030, with a CAGR of 17.2%. 

3. By 2030, the World Health Organization estimated a shortage of approximately ten million health workers. Telemedicine can play a vital role in addressing this challenge. 

4. North America had the biggest telemedicine app market share with a revenue share of 33.53% in 2023. 

5. In the USA, 76% of medical experts connect with patients using some kind of telemedicine. 

So, these are the latest statistics showing the current usage of telemedicine apps and their growth in the coming years. 

How Does the Telemedicine App Work?

Telemedicine apps follow strict and approved algorithms to accurately examine and evaluate a patient. 

First, users set up the account and log in using the password or biometric authentication. 

From the homepage, they choose the telemedicine services, such as consultations, diagnosis, booking lab tests, and more. 

Users pay for the consultation and other fees through a secured payment gateway in the telemedicine app. 

After payment, they access the services. Moreover, they can also check their past details from the “History” dashboard. A

Also, the telemedicine app allows users to store important information, such as prescriptions and lab reports, in a highly secured digital vault, ensuring privacy and accessibility whenever needed.

Now, let’s learn how to develop a telemedicine mobile application. 

Step-By-Step Guide for Telemedicine App Development 

The following is a step-by-step guide for developing a telemedicine app: 

Step#1. Market Research 

The first step is to research the market and analyze various telemedicine mobile apps to understand their working, unique selling points, and weak points. 

Also, understand necessary compliance and regulation requirements such as HIPPA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act). Market research will significantly help you with developing a custom telemedicine app. 

Step#2. Determine the Requirements 

The next step is to determine the requirements for the telemedicine app development. 

This includes the type of platform – Android, iOS, cross-platform. Also, you must decide the features and functionalities you want to integrate into the telemedicine mobile application. 

Step#3. Design the UI/UX 

Begin designing the user interface for the telemedicine application. Hiring a leading healthcare app development services provider is suggested to develop your application. 

It is crucial to create an intuitive user interface to engage and retain users. Use the right color, layouts, and fonts to develop the UI of the telemedicine mobile app. 

Step#4. Develop the Telemedicine Application 

After designing the UI, develop the telemedicine app by coding the backend. Integrate third-party APIs to empower the app with top-notch features. 

Also, Implement advanced security measures to protect sensitive user data from unauthorized access and potential hacking. 

Step#5. Testing and Quality Assurance 

Post development, test the telemedicine app to ensure it is working properly. Identify and fix the bugs if there are any. 

Use the app on various platforms and devices to ensure a uniform user experience. 

Step#6. Deploy the App 

Once testing is done, deploy the telemedicine app on Google Playstore and App Store. Market the app using various strategies, such as app store optimization, SEO, influencer marketing, collaboration, etc, to educate more people about the app and increase the overall user base. 

Thus, this is the development process to build a telemedicine mobile application. 

List of Crucial Features of a Telemedicine Mobile App 

Below are the crucial features to integrate into the telemedicine applications:

Features for Patients 

• Easy register and log-in process.
• User-friendly dashboard
• Easy access to telemedicine services 
• Scheduling appointments 
• Audio-video calls 
• Various secured payment options 
• Chatbot for customer support
• Ratings and reviews

Features for Healthcare Services Providers 

• Easy registration 
• Calendar for appointments 
• Access appointment lists 
• Audio and video call options 
• Access to past patient records
• Payment gateways to receive payments 

Features for Admin Panel 

• Manage patients and healthcare service providers
• Access and analyze sales reports
• Check appointments (completed, upcoming, and canceled) 

Therefore, these are the necessary features to integrate within a telemedicine mobile application. 

Technology Stack for Telemedicine App Development 

The following is the suggested technology stack for developing a telemedicine app. 

So, this is the recommended technology stack to develop a telemedicine mobile app. Please note that it is a recommendation, you can use other tech tools to develop the telemedicine app tailored to your specific needs.  

Emerging Technologies to Leverage in Telemedicine Apps

Here are the emerging technologies to use in telemedicine apps to empower them and enhance the user experience. 

1. Artificial Intelligence

The first advanced technology to be used in developing telemedicine apps to enhance the user experience. AI automates the functionality of the app, recommends services by analyzing the user’s requirements, and is used in chatbots (generative AI) to automate customer support. 

2. Virtual Reality 

Virtual reality is another emerging technology to leverage while developing a telemedicine mobile application. 

VR-powered telemedicine apps enhance the consultation experience significantly and allow doctors to examine patients better. 

Users can also benefit from consultations in virtual reality, as it helps them tell their problems better unlike during an audio or a video call. 

3. Blockchain 

Blockchain is popular for the security and transparency it offers. Thus, leveraging blockchain technology while telemedicine app development can allow users to store their medical records securely. 

Also, authorized doctors and other healthcare medical service providers can access the healthcare records of patients easily, thanks to blockchain technology. 

Moreover, blockchain also provides users with an additional mode of payment, that is, cryptocurrencies, for the services they opt for in the telemedicine app. 

Therefore, these are the top emerging technologies that can enhance the functionalities of the telemedicine app. 

4. Internet of Things 

The Internet of Things can easily connect medical wearables with the telemedicine app. 

By integrating IoT technology into telemedicine apps, doctors can gather health data from the wearables worn by the patient, in real-time. Using this data, they can enhance patient care. 

So, these are the top emerging technologies to integrate during telemedicine app development. 

Benefits of Developing a Telemedicine Mobile Application  

There are numerous benefits of building a telemedicine mobile app. The top ones are mentioned below: 

1. Convenience 

The top benefit of developing a telemedicine app is the convenience it provides. Users can easily connect with leading doctors and healthcare professionals via telemedicine apps, from the comfort of their places. 

2. Access to the Best Healthcare Services 

Telemedicine mobile applications offer a range of healthcare services to users. Hence, by developing telemedicine apps, you can provide your users with access to the best healthcare services, remotely. 

3. Widen Reach 

With telemedicine apps, people who are living in remote areas or cannot reach out to hospitals can easily seek medical assistance from doctors beyond boundaries. 

A patient in a village in the USA can seek medical help from a top doctor living in Japan. 

4. Remote Monitoring

Telemedicine mobile apps help doctors and healthcare professionals to take care of their patients remotely. They can monitor patients 24/7 and can check vital health signs using the telemedicine app. 

5. Income Stream  

Developing a telemedicine app can create an income stream for you. If you are a doctor, you can render your services and generate income. 

If you are a third-party service provider, you can charge a commission from doctors you on-board in your telemedicine app. 

Therefore, these are the top benefits of developing a telemedicine mobile app.

Common Challenges that Arise During Telemedicine App Development 

The following are some common challenges that arise during developing the telemedicine app. 

1. Regulatory Compliance

The common challenge that arises during the development of telemedicine apps is regulatory compliance. 

The telemedicine app must adhere to various regulations and standards like HIPPA and GDPR, to ensure a high level of privacy and security for the patient data. 

2. Intuitive User Interface

Another challenge for developing a successful telemedicine app is creating intuitive user interfaces. 

The user interface must offer a uniform user experience on different devices, screen sizes, and platforms. Moreover, the UI must be well-organized to enhance the user experience of the telemedicine apps. 

3. Integration with Healthcare Systems

A major challenge of telemedicine app development is integration with the healthcare systems. 

Telemedicine apps must be compatible for integration with existing electronic health record (EHR) systems, databases, and other healthcare IT systems so that doctors and other medical experts can easily access patient data. 

4. User Authentication and Security

Healthcare data is highly vulnerable to cyber-attacks and hacking. Cyber threats are a major challenge for building a telemedicine app. 

Hence, you must implement cutting-edge and reliable security measures to enhance user authentication and health data security. 

5. Scalability and Performance Optimization

Last but not least, telemedicine app development also needs to deal with scalability and performance-related challenges. 

As your telemedicine gains more users, you need to build an infrastructure to o store more user information without compromising performance or reliability. 

Hence, these are some of the challenges that you may face while developing a telemedicine app. 

Top Telemedicine Mobile Applications 

The following are some of the top telemedicine mobile applications: 

1. Doctor on Demand 

The Doctor on Demand app is one of the popular telemedicine applications. The app offers healthcare experts 24/7, lab-related services, prescriptions for medications, treatment for acute and chronic diseases, and more.  

2. MDLive 

MDLive is another well-known telemedicine app with over 1 million downloads. The application offers services for online consultations, short-term prescription refills, treatment for 50+  nonemergency conditions, mental health-related treatments, and dermatology services. 

3. TelaDoc 

TelaDoc application is also a very popular telemedicine mobile app. It offers 24/7 online consultations, medicine delivery from nearby pharmacies, medical treatment services for acute issues, and more. The app has over 1M+ downloads. 

Concluding Thoughts 

Telemedicine apps are one of the innovations that are transforming the healthcare industry and enhancing patient care. These apps connect patients with doctors and allow them access to the best healthcare services from the comfort of their places. 

In recent years, the demand for telemedicine apps has been increasing. Therefore, it will be profitable to develop a telemedicine app that addresses patient’s issues. 

So, if you are interested in building a telemedicine app tailored to your unique requirements, contact our team today. We are the top healthcare app development services provider, developing healthcare apps and software for hospitals, clinics, medical facilities, and other businesses associated with the healthcare industry.