Features You Need in Your Custom Telemedicine Software

If you’ve visited a healthcare practice recently, then you must have probably encountered a healthcare professional, telling you the benefits of telemedicine or healthcare via video conferencing, right?

If not that, at least they would have given you the option of choosing a virtual consultation using a telemedicine platform. If you’ve not encountered either of these scenarios then probably the practice is planning to initiate that in their process of care delivery.

Being one of the most trending aspects of care delivery in healthcare, telemedicine software, especially custom telemedicine software, are on the rise, and for good reasons. For instance, almost 80% of the patients have used telemedicine platforms and out of which the satisfaction rate of using telehealth stands at a staggering 87.9%.

Being a healthcare provider, you must also be excited about telehealth and the potential it has to completely transform the practice, don’t you?

The best telemedicine software features have indeed got a lot of attention and given the rising trend in the healthcare industry, providers are actively choosing custom telemedicine software. However, without knowing the essential features for telemedicine, healthcare providers are failing to build the ideal telemedicine platform.

But worry not! We’ve got you covered!

In this blog, let’s have a look at some of the best telemedicine software features that you must have and also how to choose telemedicine software that suits your needs and requirements.

Core Communication Features

If you’re trying to enter the space of virtual care delivery with telemedicine software, then there are some core features that enable you to provide care virtually. So, here are the core communication features that you must have in your custom telemedicine software:

1. Secure Video Conferencing: Telehealth or telemedicine is basically the use of telecommunication technology to provide care virtually from anywhere and at any time. Here, video conferencing is crucially important. That is why this is one of the core features of any telemedicine software. Furthermore, video conferencing should be of high quality and be conducted in a secure environment. This will enable providers to consult patients in real time, which will actually fulfill the purpose of virtual care delivery with your custom telemedicine software.

2. Audio Conferencing and Chat Functionality: Along with the features of video conferencing, audio conferencing, and two-way messaging are also extremely important. This way, you will cover all the important modes of communication. This will not only give the patient the freedom to choose their mode of consultation but also make the care delivery process more holistic. Apart from that, the chat functionality is important as a part of pre- and post-consultation communication, and it also plays a crucial role in virtual care delivery, especially when you’re taking a holistic approach to care delivery.

3. Integration with Communication Tools: The last feature that enables seamless communication in telemedicine software is its integration with existing communication platforms. For instance, its integration with secure messaging apps for appointment scheduling, appointment reminders, and even follow-up communication can go a long way, resulting in better patient engagement and streamlining workflows.

Seamless Appointment Management

When you are building a custom telemedicine software, it will be the face of your practice, where you will get most of your appointments. Now, wouldn’t it be logical to make the software capable of managing appointments as well?

Well, here are some of the appointment management features that you must try to include in your telemedicine software:

1. Online Appointment Scheduling and Booking: Include a patient portal & practice website in the telemedicine software with a user-friendly interface, which will enable both patients and providers to schedule and manage appointments conveniently. Along with that, it also includes the option of appointment cancellation with integration with patient calendars. This will add to the convenience of receiving care. Furthermore, with calendar integration, the feature of appointment reminders will also decrease the chances of no-shows, leading to better patient engagement. Here AI-modules can also be integrated to make the process much easier and sophisticated while removing a lot of burden from the healthcare staff.

2. Flexible Appointment Types: Another personalized feature that you can add to appointments is the type of appointments. For instance, if the patient is booking an appointment as a follow-up to their previous appointment, then it can help the provider to be better prepared for the appointment and deliver optimum care.

3. Integration with Existing Scheduling Systems: There are chances of multiple patients choosing a single slot for an appointment, right? Well, to avoid that, integration of the telemedicine software with the existing appointment scheduling system can avoid any such conflicts and double-booking, making appointment management much easier for both parties. Apart from that, it will also streamline the process and reduce the administrative burden on healthcare providers.

Enhanced Patient Engagement Tools

Irrespective of what type of healthcare delivery system you choose, patient engagement is a crucial part of it, which can contribute to improving patient health outcomes. Some of the patient engagement features or tools that you can include in your custom telemedicine software are:

1. Secure Patient Portal: A secure patient portal with EHR integration will act as a point of contact for both patients and providers during virtual care delivery. It will not only make accessing medical records easier but also keep a record of appointment history and laboratory results. Along with that, the secure patient portal should also include secure messaging features, which will enable patients to have a complete healthcare experience, just like in a traditional set-up with medication refill requests and access to educational resources.

2. Self-assessment Tools and Triage Protocols: Holistic healthcare practices require patients to take action with respect to their health condition and care journey. To allow them this, the integration of self-assessment tools with triage protocols, which will allow them to take data-backed access, will guide patients to take appropriate action with respect to their care. This will not only improve the efficiency of the healthcare providers but also reduce unnecessary consultations, saving both time and money for providers and patients.

3. Educational Content Library: The most important aspect of patient engagement that you can include as a telemedicine feature is the educational content library. Access to condition-specific educational material can empower patients to take action on their health and promote self-care practices. This will enable them to make the necessary lifestyle changes to improve their health outcomes and also have a psychological impact, leading to better medication adherence.

Streamlined Clinical Workflow Features

Apart from the features that contribute to patient care delivery, your telemedicine software needs to have some features that will streamline the clinical workflow of your practice. Here are some of the essential features for telemedicine that will enable you to streamline your clinical workflow:

1. Electronic Health Records (EHR) Integration: EHR integration with your telemedicine software will allow patients, providers, and care team members to access patients’ medical records. One of the major reasons for EHR integration in telemedicine software is that it will make consultation more personalized as providers can access patients’ records in real time.

2. E-prescribing and Medication Management: Another integration that is essential for complete virtual care delivery is e-prescribing and medication management. Including these features in the custom telemedicine software enhances your practice completely. With e-prescribing, the providers can directly send medication prescriptions to the patients and get them delivered to their homes without the need to go to pharmacies. Along with that, it also includes additional features of medication management, such as medication refill requests and medication adherence tracking. These features will actually streamline the workflow and help improve practice management.

3. Secure Telehealth Documentation Tools: Since you’re offering a complete virtual care experience to patients with telemedicine software, it is important for you to include the documentation features in the software itself. For instance, secure tools for note-taking, diagnosis recording, and treatment planning can facilitate the documentation process and keep the records in one place for future reference.

Security and Compliance Considerations

Telemedicine software enables virtual care delivery through telecommunication channels and other digital means. Being in the digital landscape of the healthcare ecosystem, you have to understand that the healthcare industry is prone to cyber threats. That is why having security and compliance features in place is important. Here are some considerations that you must not ignore:

1. HIPAA-Compliant Data Security: To secure your healthcare data, it is important to implement robust data security features that comply with HIPAA and other regulations such as the HITECH Act, GDPR, etc. To give you a heads up for such robust security features, you must have data encryption measures with secure login protocols and user-based access controls.

2. Patient Privacy Protections: The data your custom telemedicine software will be dealing with will be very private, and compromising its security will violate the patients’ fundamental rights. Along with that, failing to safeguard patient data privacy can lead to heavy fines and other legal troubles with reputation damage. It is because of this reason that you need to implement strong patient protection measures for your custom software.

Frequently Asked Questions