Telemedicine is certainly a groundbreaking technology that is reshaping the healthcare sectors, but there are certain challenges that professionals are working for upgrading performance. Here we would like to inform you about telemedicine and what are the challenges of Telemedicine.
What is Telemedicine?
Telemedicine is the practice of medicine using technology to deliver care at a distance. A physician in one location uses a telecommunications infrastructure to deliver care to a patient at a distant site.
When should I use telemedicine?
Some great times to use telemedicine services include (but aren’t limited to):
- When you’re on vacation
- If your doctor’s office is closed
- If you aren’t sure whether you should go to urgent care or wait until your doctor’s office reopens
Challenges of Telemedicine
- Data Security
- User Experience
- Monetary Compensation
- UI/UX Implementation
- Backend Integration
- Reimbursement
- Lack of trust
- Compliance with healthcare legislation
- Technical Training
- Internet connection
Let’s discuss all these Challenges of Telemedicine in detail.
1. Data Security
One thing that’s of great importance to patients is the security of highly personal information: Is this app secure enough, will it protect my uploaded information, and how will it store the data?
HIPAA policies make the process more challenging since these policies require following strict rules that limit the creativity of software engineers.
Back-end integration will allow your app to have a separate server, mediating data exchange between two parties involved in such a way that it is HIPAA compliant and provides full data security.
Telemedicine apps should ensure the high security of healthcare information technology, particularly personal data. All the necessary precautions should be taken to store, exchange, and proceed with this sort of information. During telemedicine app development, ensure the use of multi-factor authentication or use biometric identification. As for the data exchange, it is possible to include high-end encryption protocols.
2. User Experience
One big technical challenge for your software engineering team is to work out great UI/UX implementation, as one part of an app will be for patients and the other part for doctors.
They will have different functionality, technical feasibility, and user interfaces.
To provide an enjoyable user experience, the UX designer should consider:
- How to keep style uniformity;
- How all elements can function as one unit in both parts of an app.
3. Monetary Compensation
Many countries have enacted a telemedicine parity law, the main principle of which is that there must be the possibility of charging for remote patient treatment by healthcare providers.
It will ease the process for both parties if your team can incorporate secure card payment, Medicare insurance, various codes, and modifiers into the procedure of using the app.
4. UI/UX Implementation
After going through these cases, I am sure you will see that there are lots of different types of apps. Some are for patients, whereas others are for providers as they have different functionalities and require different user interfaces. Preserving style consistency and providing a great user experience in both apps is critical and may require different GUIs. The logic, navigation, and layout should be generated to fit the needs of the target user. Please note that, in a doctor app, the user experience and user interface vary from the patient app’s needs. Creating innovative software in telemedicine requires a unified solution for different platforms as one component of the app will be addressing the patients’ needs while the other component will be the doctors’ domain.
5. Backend Integration
Another difficulty in telemedicine software development is the incorporation of a backend that would allow for the coordination of data exchange between the components of patients’ and doctors’ apps. There are several public, third-party providers in terms of connectivity that can be built into the Challenges of Telemedicine devices. Studying and review of their documentation and fit for the system upfront is very important. For better communication, both types of apps require integration with a backend – a separately developed server that mediates data exchange between patients’ and providers’ apps. The most secure data exchange protocols must be used to be fully HIPAA compliant and protect patients’ sensitive data.
6. Reimbursement
To make this process easy for both parties, mobile apps should be able to offer patients secure credit card payments or a tool to bill to insurance as well as help providers with the CPT/HCPCS codes and 95/GT modifiers during billing. Implementing telemedicine apps leads to the various legalities of ‘switching on’. Mostly, users are provided with some reimbursement for telehealth application encounters but its coverage differs depending on laws and regulations of the states.
7. Lack of trust
Telemedicine apps still lack adequate trust. These solutions are more widespread in the more developed markets of the USA and Europe. Evidence of a doctor’s professionalism, a transparent monitoring framework, and well-thought-out marketing will help build interest among potential users.
8. Compliance with healthcare legislation
The creation of telemedicine apps should take into account regulatory standards. Mobile applications dealing with patient information should be HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) compliant in the USA. These standards originate from Health and Human Services, the Civil Rights Office, and the ACT / App Association.
The HIPAA Privacy Rule sets standards of protection for individuals’ medical records in healthcare systems including telemedicine, which makes compliance with the HIPAA security rule a question of high priority for app developers.
It is necessary to study legislation in the target country. For instance, Canada uses PIPEDA. European Union countries follow the Data Protection Directive 1995/46/EC and the e-Privacy Directive 2002/58/EC/ IEC 62304. These are the international standards for medical software processing.
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To implement telemedicine healthcare providers often need to provide training to their staff and team members. The delivery of care with telemedicine equipment requires proper technical training. There is an enhanced risk for the error with the untrained staff which results in poor services.
10. Internet connection
Telemedicine services are delivered over mobile devices with an internet connection. The speed of the internet is among the other obstacles. The Internet is required necessary for establishing video calls and virtual visits. Low speed and disruption result in poor delivery of care and hamper the provider’s services in delivering quality services.
Dreamsoft4u Pvt. Ltd. is one of the Best Telemedicine App Development Companies. We are providing Healthcare IT Services all over the world, especially in the USA and South Africa. As we have more than 15 years of experience in the field, we are ready to join you as a Telemedicine Partner to assist you with various kinds of Healthcare IT solutions such as:
• HIPAA Compliance Telemedicine Software
• HL7 Solutions
• Telemedicine App Development
• Telemedicine/Telehealth Integration
• EMR/EHR System Implementation
• Remote Health Monitoring System etc.
