How much does it cost to develop a telemedicine app?

In this blog post, we will dive into the cost to develop a telemedicine app and look into the features that affect the overall cost of app development.

Globally developed nations' healthcare systems have begun to go digital due to COVID-19. By 2027, the global telemedicine market will be valued at $124.66 billion. Healthcare will consequently inexorably transition online. Therefore, now is the ideal time to put your best healthcare mobile app ideas into action. If you are an investor, a startup enthusiast, or a healthcare institution, entering the telemedicine market can be easier with the best mobile app development companies.

You may learn more about how much telemedicine costs, the necessary features, and how to make money off of a telemedicine app by reading this article. Let's start!

 

How much does it cost to develop a telemedicine app?

The number of features you provide in accordance with what potential customers anticipate seeing will determine how much telemedicine app development costs. The cost to develop an app is influenced by various elements, including the application's kind, complexity, team makeup, technical proficiency, and location.

A simplistic estimate states that telemedicine app development costs can be anywhere between $40,000 and $250,000. This telemedicine app cost structure is not typical and varies depending on the type of application, for instance:

• A store-and-forward telemedicine app costs between $40,000 and $50,000.
• Developing a remote monitoring app costs between $55,000 and $200,000+.
• Real-time interactives might cost between $75,000 and $150,000 or more.

Factors and features affecting the cost of telemedicine app development

 

Several factors and features must be present in a telemedicine app, but they also affect the cost of developing a telemedicine app. An app's features can improve and increase its utility. 

You can add several components to increase the app's functionality and provide users with greater convenience. The cost and complexity of the software both rise as a result of the addition of features. 

Let's look at some significant features and factors you may include in your software that can increase the cost of telemedicine app development:

1. Application platform

Any estimation for the cost of telemedicine app development starts with the telemedicine platform cost you selected. The construction expenses differ significantly depending on the operating system. Due to the requirement for Android apps to be tested across various devices, establishing a medical appointment app for Android is more expensive than for iOS.

2. Registration

A personal account is necessary since telemedicine apps save any sensitive information about users, including EHRs. Additionally, managing appointment calendars within an app is more practical than recollecting them when considering the telemedicine app cost. 

In addition to utilizing their email address to log in, patients can also use third-party services like Facebook Login and Google Sign-in. On the other hand, personal accounts need to be protected; therefore, utilize two-step authentication by SMS or email. The sign-in option is the first and main. This inevitably affects the telemedicine app cost.

3. Profile management

A user must make a personal profile after registering. It includes fundamental personal data like gender, name, and age. The most crucial piece of data in a profile is the user's EHR. Doctors can use it to assess patients' prior medical histories and analyze their current health issues. 

Remember that this information is private and should be kept away from the hands of anyone besides the owner and the doctors. Consider this carefully, as HIPAA regulations prevent unauthorized third parties from accessing EHRs. Including this feature and making it secure is necessary.

4. Doctor profile

Doctors must detail their training, experience, medical knowledge, and other qualifications as part of this feature which affects the cost of telemedicine app development. From the viewpoint of their patients, doctors appear more credible when they share more information about themselves.

5. Application design

The design put in by the telemedicine app development company of a telemedicine app greatly impacts how much it costs. You must prioritize design over finances if you want the application to function correctly and without errors. With more money, the application's design and user retention would improve.

6. Video conferencing

This is a key element of a telemedicine app and the primary factor in determining the cost of telemedicine app development. The video should be presented in the best quality possible so the doctor can identify any potential injuries or symptoms. The audio should also be clear. 

Every user has a varied internet connection. Thus, your software needs to dynamically adjust the video quality to avoid buffering. But you must utilize the real-time connection as much as possible. A wonderful example of telemedicine technology that affects the telemedicine software cost is the creation of a video chat employing streaming protocols like WebRTC (Web Real-Time Communication) and RTMP (Real-Time Messaging Protocol).

7. Filters and search

Search algorithms created by the best healthcare app development companies will help patients identify the right doctors. Users can use filters to search by rating, language, medical specialty, proximity, and other factors.

8. Application size

The size of the application affects how much the telemedicine software costs. The overall number of features included, such as patient databases, posts, continuous patient requests, doctor databases, and doctor recommendations, essentially determines the size of the app.

9. Maintenance and support costs

Creating a telemedicine app is not typically a one-time endeavor. The software needs periodic upkeep and upgrades after it has been developed. The program is updated regularly thanks to ongoing support, which keeps users from uninstalling it. Therefore, you must think about the maintenance phase from beginning to end while discussing your concerts with a telemedicine app development company.

As a general rule, a budget of up to 15% to 20% of the initial development cost is spent on app maintenance. But bear in mind that depending on the various processes and other elements your maintenance process entails, your app maintenance costs could be higher or lower than this. By doing so, you can discover more about behavioral health software development costs and determine whether it will benefit your healthcare mobile app development endeavor.

10. Calendar

Both patients and doctors can benefit from a calendar. It aids in scheduling and managing appointments. We advise synchronizing the calendar with the patient's preferred calendar, such as Microsoft or Google Calendar. Their phones will then alert them when an appointment is approaching.

11. Text messaging

Customers can send text messages to doctors if video calls are not necessary. Text messages can solve minor issues because they don't need to be discussed separately and can be considered as having a minor impact on the telemedicine app development cost. While text messages can be responded to when the doctor has spare time, video calls may draw his or her focus away from other patients. An excellent supplement to text communication is the ability to attach images and files. 

12. Payments

An efficient payment system is one of the essential components of a telemedicine app that telemedicine app developers should focus on. You can either develop your payment system or incorporate a third-party payment app into your app. Utilizing a third-party payment provider will keep the cost lower than developing a custom payment system, which will cost you more. Integration options for payment gateways like PayPal, Braintree, and Stripo abound.

13. EHR examination feature

Doctors should have access to their patients' EHRs, unlike patients. You also must ensure that physicians cannot download EHRs from your database. Both of you will suffer the consequences if they lose the phone that contains this important information.

14. Rating systems

Rating systems, reviews, and grades will make it simpler for patients to identify a reputable doctor. Users can rate the doctor and leave a quick message after their appointment. Since the client's health is the priority for telehealth services, consider the effects of unethical doctors. 
For this, you may adopt Uber's strategy. If a doctor receives a three or lower, they are asked to improve the standard of their care. If nothing changes after a specific time, the account is blocked. Customers can also receive grades. The doctor may give a patient who arranges an appointment but does not show up a prescription as payment for wasting their time.

15. Notifications

Both doctors and patients value the ability to receive notifications that the telemedicine app developers provide in a telemedicine app. They receive notifications about upcoming appointments, new texts, the status of their payments, and more.

 

Technologies used for telemedicine app development

 

A range of technologies is used to develop top-notch solutions for telemedicine software. The following is a list of the modern telemedicine app development technologies that are most frequently utilized and those that have an impact on the pricing of the telemedicine app-

1. Artificial intelligence (AI)

The most exciting use of AI in telemedicine is chatbots. Understandably, doctors are not always available. Users can inquire about the doctor's availability, expertise, and other subjects using a straightforward FAQ chatbot. In other cases, chatbots can even schedule a consultation for a patient without any specific requests. Of course, chatbots cannot recommend prescriptions or design treatment regimens, but they can automate some tedious tasks and speed up the doctor's workflow.

[Bonus Read: How can AI help reduce preventable emergency health visits?]

2. Big data 

The telehealth app industry produces a lot of data that is used in the medical field. Utilizing big data significantly impacts the cost of implementing telehealth. It enables the processing of collected data for bettering services, diagnosis, and treatments, conducting medical research, etc.

3. Deep learning

The telemedicine software uses deep learning integration to extract insights from vast medical data. With this technology, healthcare professionals may make more precise predictions regarding the health of their patients.

4. IoT

The Internet of Things is another telehealth technology illustration. Wearable technology allows doctors to monitor a patient's condition and get emergency notifications. Clinicians can gather information on patient health using activity trackers, scales, stress meters, and other devices and modify treatment regimens in response to the information. 

Thanks to intelligent drug dispensers, doctors can schedule drugs without consulting the patient. A dispenser will notify the user's phone when it is time to take their medication.

[Bonus Read: IoT in the healthcare industry: Use cases and analysis]

5. Remote patient monitoring

Today's distant patients can access the best healthcare solutions because of increased internet usage and new technology. Remote patient monitoring (RPM) uses technology to collect health information from a patient in one area and securely transfer it to medical personnel in another location for assessment and advice. 

Since technology enables doctors to monitor important patient parameters without being physically present, remote patient monitoring is more important than ever during the coronavirus epidemic. This is a very important feature that affects the telemedicine app development cost.

6. Cloud storage

You have two choices for storing the gathered data: in the cloud or on-premise. To implement an on-premise solution, you need to rent a server room, buy equipment, and build a fault-tolerant network. You will eventually have storage that you can control and scale as necessary. When compared to cloud storage, the fees are far greater. So, cloud storage might increase the cost of implementing telehealth prima-facie, but it is a great investment nonetheless. 

 

How to monetize a telemedicine app?

 

How to earn from healthcare apps is the most obvious question that healthcare app development companies get asked frequently. Are you also bothered by how telemedicine apps should be monetized? Then we have got you covered. We have listed a few app monetization techniques that will help you earn money from developing telemedicine apps:

1. Freemium applications

This approach combines free and paid apps, providing two different versions of the same program to help you cover the telemedicine platform cost easily. The free version often gives users access to the fundamental functionality, whereas the premium or paid version offers extras like advanced features.

The main goal of this approach is to get customers to initially download the app free of cost to evaluate its usability. Once the app successfully captures users' attention and meets their demands, the free users will probably convert to paying subscribers to access more advanced features. This allows users to learn more about the services they are paying for. Additionally, user-friendly feedback makes your software more valuable.

2. Premium model

The premium model is the simplest way to monetize a telemedicine app. Under the premium model, a customer pays a one-time fee and purchases goods or services directly from a telemedicine app. Mobile app development companies can use this tactic to generate immediate money.

The kind of services provided determines how likely consumers will use a premium telemedicine program. Although the premium model generates more money per download, it is not profitable. Users could favor a free app that provides the same functions.

3. Subscriptions

Many well-known businesses, including Netflix, Amazon, and Microsoft, have used the subscription-based revenue model for some time. These businesses have had incredible success thanks to this model.

The American Hospital Association (AHA) asserts that healthcare mobile app development businesses that power the post-pandemic economy will focus on subscription-based services rather than episodic and transactional customer relationships.

Creating a consistent cash flow and user base. Healthcare development enterprises can connect with users more easily thanks to the subscription model. Since customers make recurring payments, this model helps estimate monthly income. As a result, this prediction aids in accurately estimating the company's resources.

4. Fees

This is the most popular and profitable method of making money from a telemedicine app. The app will take a percentage of each patient-to-doctor transaction. You have the potential to become the cost leader in the telemedicine sector thanks to this corporate strategy. 

5. Promotion of certified content

This method of revenue generation can be used for apps that offer peer-to-peer services and, instead of selling features, sell certified material that is essential to healthcare professionals' practices. Look at this illustration. A predetermined amount of free content is presented to doctors in telehealth apps. But practitioners must register and pay a recurring sum as a subscription to have access to extensive content that is regularly updated.

6. In-app purchases

One of the most popular methods for making money from free programs is this. Refilling medications, purchasing supplements, scheduling pre-paid medical appointments, and other services are available through in-app purchases in telehealth apps. As a result, this strategy is advantageous for both app owners and users. But remember that your software must work even if consumers decide against making extra transactions.

 

Conclusion

Telemedicine applications are becoming increasingly popular as a feasible alternative to in-person healthcare visits with constant assistance from the best mobile app development companies. The clarity of the question of what is telemedicine in healthcare, coupled with the advancement of technology, facilitates the delivery of healthcare and increases non-emergency access to it.

By using video and chats for online consultations, patients can save time and money, and doctors can increase their productivity and income.
Telemedicine has the potential to lower costs, expand patient outreach, enhance treatment results, and assist healthcare professionals in effectively meeting population health needs. By removing geographical constraints, they may offer clinical support to any isolated place. Telemedicine applications are necessary today.

You should get in touch with a software development company right away to understand how to develop a telemedicine app along with the cost of telemedicine app development.