Telehealth Software Development: Features, HL7 and HIPAA Compliance

In today’s world, we need accessibility, speed and efficiency at all times. All these things make it easier for us to operate our daily activities. When it comes to hospitals and clinics, they need faster and new healthcare technologies as well. Telehealth does that for them.

What exactly is telehealth?

Telehealth software is basically the new and more advanced technologies to provide medical treatments to patients around every corner of the world. Even though telehealth software has been around in the healthcare sector for a long time now, it has only come into use only some years back. With the constant growth in technology, telehealth application development has been possible worldwide. With help of the internet services, telehealth software solutions have become possible. To define telehealth software systems easily, ‘it is the exchange of different information from a healthcare provider to different patients.

Then there are other questions that can arise, how is the telehealth software and telemedicine software related?

Telemedicine software & telehealth software are the same things with minor differences. Both the software systems are used to transfer medical information to different hospitals & clinics. The telemedicine process is possible with the help of virtual communication methods such as video chats, webcams, phone calls, medical monitoring devices, emails, and other forms of communication. These technologies provide some of the best forms of medical treatment to people around the entire world.

Telehealth software system

Telehealth software applications are only used to provide virtual medical treatment to patients. Even today, many people do not have access to hospitals and clinics anytime or everywhere, this telehealth software makes it possible.

A good telehealth software can provide solutions for any patient’s illness, a severe injury or even a new symptom. Doctors can easily prescribe a treatment plan to patients over a phone or video call only.

Types of Telehealth software

There are different telehealth software available for the different needs of hospitals.

1. Share and save.

2. Remote patient monitoring.

3. Real-time medicine.

Share and save - This telehealth software helps doctors in saving a patient's old medical records. Doctors do not have to keep re-asking a patient about older problems. They can look at it anytime. This software can keep track of all the results of a patient as well.

Remote patient monitoring - Telehealth software is specifically used to keep track of patients who are at greater risks of infections and remote patient monitoring telehealth software lets doctors monitor their patients 24/7. This monitoring is done with the help of electronic devices or lOT sensors.

Real-time medical Assistance - This software is used to connect with the doctor in real-time. This could be done via a video conference. In this, both the patient and doctor can talk at the same time. This setting is the same as the traditional method of providing medical care but only in this case, it is from a distance.

What are the features of the telehealth software?

We talked about the basic types of telehealth software, but what are the features the software comes with? The telehealth software is very useful for hospitals and clinics. It makes the process of providing care to the patient much easier and faster. The telehealth software comes with many features.

1. Saves time - 

The telehealth software saves the time of both parties, i.e doctors and patients. For doctors, the software can be used as a diary of records. Doctors now have fewer queries with their patients. Saving their time and resources. For patients, the software helps them operate everything online. Any patient can book all their appointments online, they can even visit the doctor online in an online video call and receive care online as well. Saving the time spent on their travelling journey.

2. An increase in patient engagement - 

This feature helps hospitals and doctors both in increasing the number of inpatient success rates. When a patient gives time in their treatment process and focuses on the activities assigned specifically to them by their doctor, they slowly adapt to a healthier lifestyle.

3. Cost-effective - 

The telehealth software helps patients and hospitals in cutting down on the extra and unnecessary expenses they pay. For hospitals, these could be the extra patient space they provide in their emergency department areas, or it could be the extra nurses they hire to handle patients. For patients, cutting down on expenses could mean not having to spend money on travel or the extra bill hospitals charge them.

4. Increased medical care reach - 

This allows the medical care providers to give treatment to people from different places. Distance does not matter when using mobile telehealth solutions software. Many patients can not find a specialist doctor for their condition sometimes, this makes it hard for them to receive medical care. The software helps these people in receiving the best care.

5. Convenient and easy for all - 

The software application can easily be used by people. Many old people do not know how to use electronic devices but the application is very easy and can be operated easily. People who come from different places and do not know how to speak the same language as their doctors can also easily operate the application.

6. Safe payments - 

Telehealth software applications come with the feature of secure payment modes. Medical monitoring devices help in keeping track of the different treatments received by patients, this makes sure no wrong payment is being made. The payments are also made in advance by sending the patients alerts.

7. Faster solution - 

The telehealth software application can provide solutions for any patients queries, faster than they do in traditional medical care providing settings. The software is accessible anytime, the patients can report to their doctor about any new symptom they have. Making the treatment easier.

8. No insurance holders - 

The telehealth software application can be a lifesaver for people who do not have insurance. People who do not have insurance can be left with hospital bills exceeding their incomes, this can become a problem for hospitals. The telehealth software helps by operating online and cutting on the extra expenses a patient pays for hospital beds or other services. Making it easier to pay treatment bills on time.

Telehealth software and HIPAA Compliance

The telehealth software provides hospitals and medical caregivers with many easy solutions. But online software systems can sometimes be risky and proper security must be given at all times.

How can a hospital make their patients free of these security concerns?

The telehealth software development companies need to develop, the need for change and adopt the new safety rules and regulations. These are very important because there are many international laws for data safety. The best telehealth software development companies know that when provided with an application that saves and shares a patient’s medical data, or payment modes, fall under the HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act). This ensures the entire safety of the data.

The HIPAA compliant act was first introduced in the U.S.A, in 1996. The main purpose of this act is to give complete security to the personal data of the patient and limit the use of unauthorized people.

Keeping data security in mind, hospitals should also educate their employees about the importance of a patient’s medical data and how it should be one of their most important priorities.