Telemedicine is the result of current technological and healthcare business breakthroughs. It has been universally acknowledged as the ideal technique of providing medical treatment during the COVID-19 pandemic. It improves the safety, efficiency, and accessibility of patient care. The article highlights the main elements necessary to have in telemedicine software and our recommended choices.
Necessary Elements Of a Telemedicine Software
If you intend to buy telemedicine software to expand the reach of your medical practice, you must remember to include the following features:
Tool to Schedule Appointments & Send Reminders
Integrating a digital scheduling tool into your EMR is one of the keys to creating a satisfying patient experience. It is integral to practicing telemedicine successfully. Its eventual outcome is to improve the efficiency and consistency of patient care. The automated reminders help alert patients of their upcoming appointments and minimize the chances of not showing up for them.
Moreover, telemedicine software can reduce operational costs since you do not need an in-house receptionist to arrange and reschedule appointments. Also, because of the calendar integration, you can view the appointments’ status at any time to remain updated with the schedule. Hence, it streamlines patient treatment and prevents the likelihood of any hindrance occurring.
Separate Profiles For Doctors & Patients
Having separate profiles for doctors and patients simplifies patient care and ensures that you can view all crucial patient information at a glance. The doctor profile lets you manage your regular calendar and virtual patient visits. The primary details shown on every doctor’s profile include:
- The name
- Specialty in the field of medicine
- Years of experience while working in the profession
Besides, a patient profile gives you an overview of all relevant health information, including:
- Patient’s name
- Age
- Gender
- Medical history
- Insurance details
- Prescription history
- Record of Patient Visits
During the virtual session, the patient can easily share this information with you, helping you to provide the exact diagnosis.
Prescription via Electronic Means
You can use the telemedicine services provided by cloud-based software to generate and send prescriptions to patients and local pharmacies. It also improves patient care because there is less human error cost when prescribing medications directly from the telemedicine software cost. As a result, patients can be confident that they receive the correct prescriptions and dosage.
Channel For Payment Processing
Telemedicine software aims to make patient care as convenient as possible for patients and doctors at a reduced cost. Hence, it must contain an online payment channel that streamlines medical billing and allows them to pay quickly. It is a factor that also contributes to building patient loyalty.
Various kinds of telehealth software support popular payment platforms such as Paypal so that you can integrate that with your EMR as well. Finally, including a payment channel increases the accuracy of patient payments while also lowering the administrative burden linked with providing remote medical services.
Video Conferencing and Messaging System
The effectiveness of telemedicine software is determined by how fast and securely you can connect with patients during online appointments. Hence, your EHR must be capable of making high-quality voice and video calls. Other essential features, like group calls, patient visit recording, should also be there.
Furthermore, an interactive chat system is required to connect with patients and answer important health queries. It also helps to foster strong relationships with the patients. For example, it allows patients to drop you a text message during the appointment or subsequently if you missed something during the session. It also makes it easier to share images and files with other care providers. All of these aspects contribute to the efficiency and viability of telemedicine software.
Our Recommended Telehealth Software Choices
Now that you know the required features of telemedicine software to make your practice function at its best, we encourage you to consider the following top software recommendations:
Kareo Clinical Software
It is a cloud-based telemedicine software available at $125 monthly. The software can meet the needs of all practice sizes, even independent clinics. Also, it features easy-to-use electronic medical records, a practice management system, and medical billing capabilities.
You can schedule appointments, e-prescribe, approve refill orders, and verify patient details, especially insurance, with Kareo. Besides, tailored templates and customized reports make it easier to manage your practice and allow it to expand. You can also handle payments made by patients quickly.
PrognoCIS Software
PrognoCIS EMR has the most comprehensive EHR, practice management, and billing systems. It has a vast client base, with many physicians trusting it as their sole telehealth service provider. Also, it streamlines your processes to help you be productive in your work while costing only $250 per month.
With PrognoCIS, you get an integrated telemedicine platform, patient portal, a wide variety of templates for different medical specializations, among other features. Moreover, it equips you with a simple dashboard with Meaningful Use certification. You also do not need to worry about denied claims since PrognoCIS is known for its high claims acceptance.
DrChrono Software
DrChrono EMR simplifies your administrative responsibilities with electronic medical records and one-of-a-kind billing software. It has a highly user-friendly system, providing patient reminders, appointment scheduling, claims scrubbing and monitoring, customized templates, and a comprehensive drug database. You can rest assured that your practice will run smoothly with these features. In addition, you can use the software‘s free trial to test the telemedicine features and contact the EMR vendor to inquire about the cost.
Our Advice
Telemedicine software can aid in the delivery of improved medical care to patients. Most healthcare practices require the above-mentioned essential qualities to practice telehealth. However, you can add more functionalities to your EMR system if you wish. Also, you can customize telehealth software to meet your clinic’s specific needs.
Before choosing to invest in any telemedicine platform, we suggest that you schedule its demo first to assess if its features line with your requirements. After that, you can get the price quote from the EMR vendor to know if its cost is within your budget. Finding an EMR software with largely positive reviews and extensive functionality is best.
