Top 10 Features Your Telehealth App Must Have
If you aren’t making the most of telehealth, you’re missing out on so much potential for your practice. Telehealth gives you improved outreach, better communication, and easier access to patient information—as long as you have an app with the right telehealth features.
Ever since the pandemic, telehealth has been on the rise. In fact, telehealth trends are showing us that telemedicine is here to stay—even though offices are open.
As such, it’s important to utilize this aspect of virtual care to the fullest and to understand what telehealth video app will help your practice the most.
So what is the best telehealth app for your practice? And what are the best telemedicine app features available? Let’s take a look at the top 10 telehealth features for providers.
10 key telehealth features for physicians
Any reputable telemedicine app should contain these 10 telehealth features:
1. Automated documentation and coding
When it comes to billing, you want your revenue cycle management to run as smoothly as possible—and a telemedicine app can help.
The best telehealth apps offer automated coding and documentation that makes it effortless to input patient information for insurance providers (and your own records). This saves time and helps the process run smoother.
2. Vendor integrations
Another key telehealth feature you should look for in your app is integration capabilities with your favorite vendors. If you can’t have smooth communication and a population of information across platforms, it’s not the right app for you.
Luckily, the right telehealth apps will have extensive EHR integrations that make your workflow seamless. These integrations link labs, billing systems, and more.
3. Secure and HIPAA-Compliant
Of course, it goes without saying that you want a secure (and legal) app at your disposal. Make sure to read reviews and find an app that is reputable—no matter how good the telehealth features on the app look. Without proper security and HIPAA compliance, it likely isn’t the best choice for you.
4. Patient profiles, appointment scheduling, and messaging
Fluid patient engagement is one of the key telehealth features. Telehealth apps should offer easy-to-navigate communications, scheduling, patient profiles, past history, and other ways for the patient to interact with staff.
5. Multi-platform compatibility
Maybe you’re looking for a telehealth app for computers, but your patients all want to communicate via smartphone. As such, you need to find an app that works across platforms and devices to provide smooth communication for your patients. Accommodate patients where there are to make it simple for them.
6. Customization
The best telehealth video app is one that works for you. It should offer telemedicine app features that can be tailored to your ethos and workflow so you can better match your patients’ needs.
7. Prescription management and e-Prescribing features
Your app should contain e-prescribing features that allow you to check databases for prescribing guidelines, drug interactions, disease contraindications, and more.
8. User-friendly interface
Your telehealth video app should be easy to use—or your patients won’t use it! The best apps are intuitive and user-friendly, so your patients take advantage of all they have to offer. Don’t scare away patients with a confusing interface.
9. Analytics and reporting
Analytics and reporting are essential for healthcare providers. They help you improve your practice by giving you actionable insights into patient behavior and satisfaction. The best telehealth apps will include detailed reporting features to analyze the KPIs you care about most.
10. Real-time, high-quality video conferencing
Video conferencing is an important aspect of telehealth. It will increase patient engagement and allow the interaction to feel more personable.
Elation Integrated Video allows you to easily add a virtual option to your existing in-person care model. With our integrated HIPAA-compliant telehealth app, your practice can use one streamlined process for both in-person and virtual visits (without having to implement or maintain a separate technology solution).
Elation Health’s video feature allows your practice to schedule and launch integrated video visits directly from the Elation calendar. Your patients will also automatically receive video visit instructions within their appointment reminders, improving their telehealth experience and saving you time.
We believe that it is no longer optional for practices to offer telehealth. We’ve seen that Elation practices who adopted telehealth early have been 3x more likely to return to pre-COVID visit volumes. That’s why we are excited to introduce Elation Integrated Video as part of our continued effort to support our practices during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Get all these features & more with Elation’s telehealth app!
Provide an ideal telehealth experience for your patients with Elation Health’s Telehealth software. Our telehealth software features:
- Automated documentation and coding to streamline your billing and reimbursement process.
- High-quality video and audio, powered by Zoom.
- Robust integrations with labs, practice management, and billing systems.
- And much more!
Telehealth software FAQs
What features do the best telehealth platforms have?
The best apps for telehealth offer all the telemedicine app features listed above, including multi-platform functionality, easy communication with patients, customizable features for monitoring and analytics, and automation for coding and documentation.
Wondering how you can transition to telehealth while still retaining and attracting patients? Download our free Telehealth Guide for Independent Practices to get expert advice.
What are the components of a telehealth system?
The three main components of a good telehealth system are virtual monitoring, remote communication options, and an online portal that is easy to use for both patients and practitioners.
What is the difference between telehealth and virtual care?
Telehealth and virtual care are sometimes used interchangeably to describe remote healthcare–but there are differences between telehealth vs virtual care.
“Telehealth” is a term that refers to diagnosing, treating, or communicating with patients remotely. This could be through phone calls, Zoom, messaging, or a special app with dedicated telehealth features.
“Virtual care” is a much broader term that encompasses all the ways a healthcare provider can help a patient remotely.
For example, monitoring data points online after a patient’s surgery could still be considered virtual care–even though you aren’t communicating with them directly like in telehealth.
What are the benefits of telehealth?
Telehealth has many benefits for healthcare providers, including reduced no-show rates, increased schedule flexibility, improved communication with patients, easier management of chronic conditions, and more billable hours outside the office.
What are the pros and cons of telehealth?
There are very few cons of telehealth outside the obvious: some health conditions can only be diagnosed or treated with an in-person visit. Beyond that, the only real concern is security. You want to make sure your telehealth app is secure and HIPAA-compliant.
The pros of telehealth far outweigh the cons. Your patients will have reduced costs and better access to care, be more likely to attend follow-up appointments, and won’t have to worry about mobility difficulties.
What are the best telehealth apps for providers?
The best telehealth apps are the ones that include all the telehealth features listed above. In our opinion, Elation EHR software offers the best telehealth options for providers.
