The healthcare industry’s concerns have gone beyond what patients need. Today’s increasingly advanced digital, mobile-based age has shifted the focus of healthcare researchers, market research companies, app developers, and  IT technology business toward mobile health (mHealth) apps. This year alone reported the availability of over 318,000 health apps. The public’s immediate and higher adoption of smartphones and the rise of investors looking into the digital health market are behind this surge. Accenture’s 2018 Consumer Survey on Digital Health reports that 75% of consumers indicated the importance of information technology in healthcare and disease management. It also states that 48% of healthcare consumers are using mHealth apps.

The increased adoption of apps also indicates the incorporation of telemedicine in a healthcare business. Unlike the traditional form of medical consultations, telemedicine connects a doctor and patient online. An NTT DATA Study reports that American healthcare consumers prefer digital interactions for medical transactions such as making appointments and receiving test results. The report also adds that 59 percent of these consumers want a digital customer experience that parallels what they receive from e-commerce retail transactions.

Healthcare informatics solutions are the key to further developing mHealth apps that will improve the efficiency, accuracy, and speed of telemedicine. The massive data has to be analyzed to improve the delivery and results of patient care. Extracting valuable data insight will yield positive results, such as a higher quality of patient satisfaction and lower costs of care. Apps are developed to bridge the gap between data accumulation and analysis. Here are some of the latest telemedicine apps that have changed the healthcare industry.

1.    MDLive

MDLive provides the ultimate convenience of telemedicine consultations. Patients can immediately consult doctors, dermatologists, psychiatrists, and counselors using this app. The ease goes both ways. Its platform allows for more and more providers to become part of their telehealth team.

2.    Epocrates

There’s a good reason 50 percent of US doctors use Epocrates, a time-saving app that allows every physician to immediately make the best decisions for their patients. Epocrates connects doctors to one another with athenaText, a text messaging service that allows doctors to quickly refer their patients and get a second opinion on consultations. The app also provides access to a large database on over the counter medications, prescription drugs, supplements, and herbals in the market. Doctors can look for the interactions of 30 drugs in one go. The app also offers other features such as insurance coverage verification for prescription medicines and patient measurement calculations.

3.    AmWell

Telemedicine also demands a high level of confidentiality and security. Every app must be HIPAA compliant to protect the patients and their data. The AmWell app is one of the best HIPAA compliant apps out there. Efficiency and speed are guaranteed through its 24/7 healthcare support for everything from urgent care, psychiatry, to therapy at an affordable, fixed cost. Patients are free to choose from different physicians according to availability of the doctors.

4.    Dialogue

This app offers online video consultations to employees of Canadian organizations. Employers who want to provide their employees accessible and immediate healthcare can utilize Dialogue’s unique services. Apart from the video consultations, Dialogue allows patients to instant message and enter live chats with nurses. The Canadian company can also provide discounted medicine purchases and include this in their group benefits plan. All prescription renewals and medicine deliveries come for free. All these benefits give the company a healthier work environment and increased employee productivity.

5.    Pager

This app integrates artificial intelligence (AI) to simplify the healthcare experience. Patients are connected to doctors and specialists in their area. For immediate advice, app users can message nurses any time of the day. Pager also schedules follow up consultations and any necessary vaccinations. How does the AI factor into all of this? The machine learning integrated into the messaging platform analyzes all the data entered and ensures that accurate, effective advice is delivered.

6.    Babylon Health

Babylon Health is another AI integrated app that uses a deep learning system to connect patients with the correct healthcare expert and/or service. The AI bot also responds to messages by asking questions that lead to knowing a medical condition, therefore providing the advice needed for treatment. The app combines the expertise of doctors, engineers, and scientists in the AI. At the same time, patients are given 24/7 access to personalized healthcare and physical appointments.

7.    HealthTap

HealthTap offers 24/7 access to 108,000 doctors through a voice call, video call, or messaging. Users can also use this app on their tablet, Android Wear device, smartphone, or tablet. The app also helps organizations provide staff with affordable alternatives to healthcare assistance and services. Doctors can also earn more through HealthTap’s “Virtual Practice Hours” feature. Their link to this app also makes them part of the world’s first interoperable Health Operating System (HOPES).

Small and medium healthcare businesses may feel overwhelmed by the rapid developments in telemedicine and other trends. But your company loses more from falling behind than limiting its resources to outdated healthcare services. Your business can save costs through healthcare outsourcing, a strategy that optimizes your current  limited resources without compromising business growth. In fact, working with a company like Infinit-O can accelerate your business growth by design. Infinit-O provides value-based healthcare outsourcing solutions that include healthcare application development and data analytics. Our company has the expertise and technology to deliver high-quality solutions at an affordable cost. Talk to us today to find out how we can help your business grow. When you’re ready to grow, think Infinit-O!