Telemedicine Software

Implementation of healthcare IT has enabled today’s techno-savvy hospitals to provide healthcare at an unprecedented pace. One such promising premise is the Telemedicine technology that has provided immense relief and comfort to doctors and patients by allowing a virtual liaison between them through video and voice communication. Telemedicine technology utilizes cloud computing technology, medical device integrations, and telemedicine software platforms to provide virtual consultations, remote patient monitoring tools, remote diagnostics tools, and collaboration between healthcare providers and patients. 

Telemedicine software empowers patients to self-assess their medical situation, and quickly access their healthcare provider by booking a virtual video visit. It increases the reach of healthcare and equips hospitals to treat more patients virtually. For practicing telemedicine efficiently, hospitals need to deploy a telemedicine software platform that provides error-free services and meets the stringent medical standards and government regulations. 

Therefore to assist hospitals and clinics, this buyer's guide provides a detailed analysis of all factors such as price, features, functions, and requirements to consider before investing in a telemedicine software. 

Telemedicine: The Portmanteau word -"Tele" (meaning afar) and "Medicine," refers to diagnosing patients remotely. The concept of telemedicine isn't new. Even before the internet came into the picture, medical practitioners conveyed the diagnosis of a disease and the prescriptions verbally through the telegram or telephone. Since then, the telemedicine technology has evolved to an extent where patients can virtually set up a consultation with the doctors, irrespective of the time and hour of the day. Telemedicine technology has come a long way from telephonic consultations to face-to-face video diagnosis procedures.

High-speed and cheaper internet, along with higher computer literacy, has further enabled a more extensive reach of telemedicine technology among the masses, even in remote areas. It has helped to bridge the gap between medical health providers and patient communities. 

Telemedicine is a planned and highly regulated process with all aspects related to it, such as medical tasks, health care providers' roles, tools, procedures, protocols, and standards clearly defined and well-implemented.

The potential use of telemedicine is to provide immediate medical support to:

• Rural emergency departments
• Primary care clinics 
• Hospitals and Clinics
• Public health facilities
• Correctional institutions
• Home care programs
• Regular checkup facilities
• Primary Consultations
• Epidemic diagnosis centers

Running a hospital in the current environment amidst scarce resources, overburdened medical staff, limited resources, expensive utilities, and ever-changing regulations is not an easy task. A common scenario with many hospitals is a massive shortage of staff, medical supplies, personal protective equipment, etc.

Below are some of the most critical challenges faced by the hospitals:

Practicing telemedicine without technical disruptions

When doctors practice telemedicine, the video must run without hiccups.  When a doctor situated in a different location is guiding a doctor who is present with the patient to perform a complex procedure, it is essential that the video quality and streaming are in high-definition and without any distortions.

Providing medical assistance to patients in remote areas

Healthcare workers struggle to reach rural areas, and even today, in many parts of the world, the rural medical facilities are in pathetic conditions. Reaching out to these areas and extending medical facilities is a constant challenge for many healthcare providers.

Providing specialist opinion to patients

Sometimes, the local doctors and general practitioners are not able to diagnose an acute medical condition. An expert opinion of the specialist is required in such situations. But reaching out to the specialist is not an easy task. 

Ensuring regulatory compliance 

The medical world is a highly regulated field. Medical authorities, councils, and laws have stringent policies on how medical processes will be conducted. Ensuring compliance is crucial for avoiding any legal trouble.

Rising operational and maintenance costs

With the rise of technology, the operational costs of medical institutions have increased significantly. Saving costs and earning profit is not easy unless hospitals optimize their workflows and deploy innovative solutions. 

Shortage of medical staff

A major reason for the shortage of medical staff in many places, especially the rural regions, is because medical professionals are unevenly distributed around the world. Ensuring that everyone gets medical support even if they are situated in very distant locations is a challenge faced by the healthcare industry.

Getting timely medicare reimbursement from the insurance companies

Hospitals need timely funds to maintain their operations. It is a field where the delayed supply of surgical instruments, medicines, and medical devices can cost lives and also harm the reputation of the healthcare provider beyond repair. Not being able to get quick reimbursements from insurance companies can put the hospital in great difficulty. 

Other challenges:

• Managing and organizing health records of patients 
• Maintaining the safety of the patient's medical records.
• Managing time, making and implementing the schedule
• Data security and fighting cyber attacks
• Shortage of medical supplies and maintaining the supply chain
• Reducing errors in medication, lab reports, and diagnostic test

Telemedicine software is a medical information and communication technology that provides healthcare support to patients with virtual assistance from the doctor. It is an application tool that has all features to manage telemedicine delivery effectively. 

With telemedicine software, hospitals and health care providers can develop a strategic plan for implementing cost-effective telemedicine setup. It optimizes HD video for online video consultation and enhances patient experience. It meets all regulatory and reimbursement compliance required to practice telemedicine. With robust features and capabilities,  it mitigates most of the challenges mentioned above in the article. 

Desktop-based/On-Premise

These types of telemedicine software are licensed and can be installed within the IT infrastructure of hospitals. On-Premise telemedicine systems are easily customizable. Hospitals who want to store their data on their own servers can opt for on-premise telemedicine software.

Web-based

Third-party telemedicine system providers offer online telemedicine software. Web-based telemedicine software can be accessed from anywhere with internet connectivity. 

Cloud-based

The cloud-based te software is popular with healthcare providers owing to its massive data storage capabilities and high-speed technology. The cloud-based telemedicine software hosted through a third-party cloud service provider is a SaaS (Software as a Service) based solution. 

Open Source

The open-source telemedicine software allows users to customize software codes, and modify default settings to enhance the core working functionalities. External plugins can be added to open source telemedicine systems to increase its utility. Hospitals requiring customized telemedicine solutions can opt for open source telemedicine software. 

Video Platform

Geographic boundaries may separate the doctor and the patient, but telemedicine allows the doctors to treat patients remotely with the help of video consultation components of telemedicine applications. According to research by the American Hospital Association, 70% of patients are comfortable communicating with their health care providers via text, e-mail, or a video. The use of high-resolution cameras in telemedicine video conferencing software enables doctors to assess the patient's condition and prescribe the required medical procedures.

EHR integration

Doctors can access the electronic health records of the patients through inbuilt EHR integration. Some telemedicine software has its own EHR component, and some integrate with third-party EHR installed by the hospitals.

Mobile App for Patients

The goal of telemedicine software is to provide easy access to medical care facilities to patients from anywhere. With a mobile app, patients connect with doctors easily. 

Reimbursement Verification

This component works as a rules engine to check the eligibility of the video visit for insurance reimbursement when the appointment is booked. 

Monitoring Tools

Telemedicine software can integrate with hardware devices such as video conferencing units, tele imaging equipment, wearables, pathological equipment, etc. for self-assessment by patients and remote monitoring by the doctors. It can also serve as a great monitoring tool in ICU wards of hospitals.

Compliance 

This component of the telemedicine software takes care of the regulatory compliance and data security requirements. (For example, HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act).   Not all video connections are HIPPA compliant. 

Telemedicine software can be used to its maximum potential if doctors and patients know thoroughly about the kind of services it can deliver. 

Telemedicine software primarily works by providing:

• Real-time synchronization: Using digital mediums, doctors can treat patients in real-time. Even robotic technology can be integrated into complex surgery. 
• Asynchronous forwards and storage: This includes the transmission of patients statistics, lab reports, bills, etc. to the doctor and the patients on a requirement basis. This need not always be in real-time.
• Virtual medication: This denotes the use of the telemedicine application to provide prescriptions and home care.

Telemedicine can be primarily used for the below-mentioned services:

• Pediatrics: Kids can catch infections easily, and the hospital environment is hazardous for them. Telemedicine offers remote treatment to eliminate unnecessary hospital visits.
• Oncology: The patients with weak immune systems can avoid hospital visits and get themselves treated from the comfort of their own with telehealth technology. 
• Chronic Patients: Self-assessment is critical for chronic patients to monitor their daily health conditions and assess body vitals like blood pressure, heart rate, glucose level through effective communication between devices. Such patients can use telehealth tools integrated with wearable technology to continually manage and monitor their health conditions. 
• Behavioural Health: There is perceived social stigma attached to mental diseases, and therefore many people suffering from psychological issues avoid hospital visits due to the fear of social scorn. Mental health is a significant concern, especially in today's youth. A telemedicine software detects mental health issues and provides timely delivery of counseling services and supports them to get treated without the need to leave home.
• Specialty Consultation: During health emergencies, timely access to appropriate diagnosis and treatment can save lives. Emergency consultations with specialists via virtual technology can offer the patient the greatest chance of survival in the 'golden hour.' It can also help the doctors get expert advice in treating complicated cases. Telemedicine can provide access to specialists such as neurologists, cardiologists, etc. via video conferencing. 
• Pandemic Situations: Telemedicine halts the spread of pandemic by ensuring zero physical contact virtual consultations. Telemedicine prevents burden on hospitals by treating people with other ailments remotely.  It helps in containing the pandemic. Telemedicine helps make care accessible and affordable. 
• Other services:

1. Online Weight-loss consultations
2. Medication management  (medication prescription and changes without the need to visit a doctor in person)
3. Treat minor urgent care needs such as allergies and sinus infections.
4. Treat cold and flu-like symptoms
5. Perform routine follow-up care
6. Routine follow-up after the discharge of a previously admitted patient

A telemedicine software has many benefits:

Reduces the need for unnecessary visits to the hospital:

The use of a virtual tool reduces the need to go to the hospital for cases where only spot-check examination (Ex: skin-related or ortho related) is required. It saves significant time and is especially beneficial for the elderly or sick people who are required to avoid travel whenever possible. 

Lowers the chances of communicating viral diseases: 

Going online and opening a virtual OPD would lessen the patients waiting in the waiting rooms of hospitals. This reduces the crowd, which can, in turn, reduce the chances of spreading easily communicable diseases. 

Avoid unnecessary readmission rates:

One of the challenges faced by hospitals is the high readmission rates, most of which can be avoided with proper follow-up and assessment of red flags at the right time. This is possible through an on-demand service like telemedicine software. Studies have shown that the readmission rates have reduced for hospitals who deployed this software.

Get specialized doctors on board for critical cases:

In critical cases, hospitals may require an expert consultant from another city, state, or country. For diagnosis, which does not require any physical touch to examine the patient, bringing a consultant adds to the hospital's operational cost.  This can be avoided by the use of HD cameras and a video conferencing tool provided by telemedicine software solutions. 

Remote Monitoring:

It can integrate with medical devices to monitor patient health and gather health data.   It provides better insight into their patient's health and habits.

Access to first-hand medical care in times of emergencies:

Having telemedicine software solutions on hand means no more waiting for medical consultation until the patient reaches the hospital. In an emergency, the available paramedic staff can administer the first aid procedures to the patient through a virtual session with a medical practitioner. Many people are unable to visit hospitals due to poor health conditions, distance issues, rural location, unavailability of transport channels (during strikes, lockdowns, riots, etc.). Telemedicine mitigates all the above problems by enabling at-home virtual medical consultation.  

Clinical Facilities:

Most of this software is easy to use and provides a virtual yet real-life like clinic experience for the patient and the provider. For healthcare providers, this software helps them to set up their own virtual clinic online. 

Non-clinical services: 

The telemedicine software provides non-clinical services like training, administrative services, etc.

Increased business for hospitals:

Internet-enabled medical devices accompanied by a fast delivering telemedicine software can scale up your healthcare business and boost your revenue. 

Peer discussions

The software also allows physicians to take consultations from each other by sending these reports over their secure platform and conduct video conference calls to discuss the cases that require special care. 

Other benefits

• See more patients during the day
• Boost patient satisfaction
• Offer more convenient healthcare to patients
• Easy registration process
• No delay in accessing medical records  
• Saves time 
• Increased flexibility to see patients
• Save traveling costs for patients and therefore makes healthcare more affordable.
• Better customer experience with ease of treatment 
• Makes healthcare accessible and efficient
• Full implementation of compliance policies

Telemedicine came as a blessing in the COVID 19  period. It helped hospitals to flatten the demand curve for health care requirements. Even the world health organization (WHO) has recognized telemedicine as a powerful model to boost health care performance. Telemedicine technology serves as a crucial strategy to combat the COVID-19 pandemic crisis. The use of telemedicine systems by hospitals reduces person-to-person contact, allows people with other mild diseases to be treated from home, and keeps the hospital beds from being overwhelmed with patients. 

Safeguarding all patient data, lab reports, and prescription data are challenging during the pressing pandemic times. Hospitals are over-busy in such times, and therefore there is an increased chance that reports may get mixed or misplaced. 

Telemedicine software solutions have features to organize and store crucial data efficiently. Telemedicine systems also provide greater capabilities to accommodate the increased demand and reduce hospital crowds by letting doctors treat patients remotely.

A lot of medical staff falls victim to infectious diseases and harmful viruses while treating patients. A telemedicine system integrates with robotics, wearable devices, online consultation portals, self-assessment mobile apps to ensure minimum physical contact between patients and doctors. With such features, medical practitioners can deal with high contagion scenarios without risking their lives.

Increased demand 

Telemedicine technology is witnessing a massive surge in demand. Even patients who were once reluctant to use televisions for their treatment are now more open to accept this technology. A prominent healthcare service provider in the US saw a 683% surge in its urgent virtual care visit during the COVID 19 period. 

The major growth drivers for the telemedicine system are : 

• the increasing crowd in the hospitals 
• the rising cost of health care 
• increase in chronic diseases that require regular visits  
• increasing infections around the globe
• increase in the number of aging people
• advancements in mobile and internet technology 
• increased demand for health care in rural areas 

Ease of telemedicine  regulations owing to the recent pandemics

The adoption of IT in health care has a history of slow growth pace owing to regulatory barriers, but recently, its implementation has been fast due to change in Government policies.  Governments around the world have eased the regulations governing telemedicine. 

Rapid Technological advancements 

With technologies such as artificial intelligence and augmented reality gaining popularity, their integrations with telemedicine software will surely turn out to be an efficient tool for the doctors. Growth in the below Technologies also act as a catalyst for telemedicine software:

• Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM)
• Wearables (fitness trackers, smartwatches, smart apparels) for low-cost health monitoring
• AI and machine learning
• Precision Medicine (personalized treatment approach) 
• Voice Assistants (Alexa) can take down notes for the doctors
• IoT enabled devices to send real-time data to doctors
• Blockchain in Medicare
• Robotics 

• Patient Portal: Patients' personal information, doctors' information, patients' medical history, prescriptions, etc. is accessible to the patient in this portal.
• Doctor’s portal: This feature of telehealth software maintains a profile of all doctors working with your hospital. In this module, complete professional information of doctors, their specialty, number of patients treated, critical incidents, are recorded.
• Prescription management: This section of the telehealth system is integrated with the prescription module. Hospitals can track the most prescribed drugs, categories of medicines, etc.
• Appointment Booking: patients can book appointments from the free slots available as per the telemedicine software.
• Appointment Reminder: This feature sends automated SMS, E-mails, notifications for reminding the patient about upcoming virtual appointments with the doctor. 
• High Connection Rate: The software should respond to internet servers with a high connectivity rate via a stable internet connection.
• Integration- the telemedicine software should integrate with EHR (electronic health record system) seamlessly. 
• High Definition Video: High-quality video experience of a telemedicine system proves to be very effective.
• Data Security: As with any online platform, the telemedicine software also comes with the data security risk. Therefore it should have a robust encryption system to secure data.
• Support for all devices: It supports laptops, mobile phones, and tablets
• Screen sharing: It helps patients and doctors to share and discuss medical records on their screens. 
• Multi-User: TeleHealth sessions allow more than one patient representative to participate in the video call.
• Compliance: The US health department has laid down some ground rules in the HIPAA to ensure the standardization of patient data protection protocols. Telemedicine software must follow the HIPAA guidelines to conduct real-time video conference calls and consultations.  Telemedicine software should also be meeting other security compliance requirements such as GDPR, HITECH, PHIPA, etc.  
• Administrative Module: Telemedicine can reduce the administrative workload for hospitals and prevent the medical staff's burnout if appropriately implemented.
• Custom branding: Customize themes of the interface to showcase your brand.
• Text Chat: Patients can ask health questions, and doctors have options to include attachments like reports, images to explain the patients in detail. 
• Billing: Online billing option with a secure transaction portal: It supports multiple payment options and credit and debit card support.
• Digital form: Patients can complete registration forms digitally from any device.

Buyers should carefully consider the following information about the Telemedicine software they are planning to deploy before making an actual purchase: 

• Can telemedicine software integrate with other software solutions related to healthcare or not?
• Whether the telehealth platform has a secure environment for all transactions and patient billing?
• Is the software scalable to assimilate features when your patient base grows?
• Is telehealth solution accessible on all devices such as desktops, laptops, tablets, mobile phones?
• Is the software user-friendly and easy to navigate?
• Does the telemedicine software company ensure regulatory compliance (HIPAA/ CDC/ USFDA, etc.)? 
• Does it provide all features and settings for your needs? 
• Can you ask your vendor for customization to add more functions?
• Does the software deploy high-end security features and a secure encryption system for all transactions and patient communications? 
• Can it work hassle-free with low bandwidth internet connectivity?
• Does the telemedicine vendor provide a free trial/free demo of its services?
• Does the telemedicine software solution support multiple languages, currencies, etc.?
• Does the telemedicine solution vendor provide a reliable 24/7 user support?
• Does the telehealth solution provider meet your objectives?
• Does the software meet medical insurance compliance?
• Whether it is a standalone solution or an integrated one?
• Does it provide free implementation and training?
• What are the hardware requirements? Which medical devices can connect and collect data?

The costs of telehealth platforms depend on a large number of factors such as:

• Number of users, doctors, and patients it allows as admins
• Features it offers
• Type of installation:  Cloud-based, Web-based, on-premise software, open-source
• Privacy and data integrity it provides
• Devices it can work on
• Quality of service offered 
• Number of patients it can manage
• User interface and experience

If you need a free and open source telemedicine system, you can opt for Intelehealth. The independent version of Chiron Health will cost you around $150 per month per provider. Theraplatform will cost you $59 per month per provider for its Enterprise version. Virtual Practice team plan will cost $15 per month for 1-3 users. For other online telemedicine software or free telemedicine software such as GoTelecare, Doxy.me,  Hale, Mytelemedicine, V see, eVisit, and many more others, you need to contact the vendor for detailed pricing. You can get the list and all information from the GoodFirms Telemedicine software page.

Goodfirms is a frontline IT  research company popular in the IT sector for its comprehensive lists of thousands of IT services and products. GoodFirms has a sound track record of providing buying support and assistance to aspirants of B2B IT products and services.

GoodFirms creates, organizes, maintains, and regularly updates the listings of software based on their performance, feature updates, and user reviews. Currently, GoodFirms houses a massive list of 9000+ software products and services. GoodFirms has also collected 15000+ reviews of these services and products from genuine users. You are advised to go through the list of extensively researched best telemedicine software to find the best suitable one for yourself. You can filter the telemedicine software solutions based on various criteria such as deployment type, vendor pricings, features available, and many more.