With more and more patients seeking self-service medical capabilities and access to remote care, telemedicine software is becoming increasingly important for practices. But before you can choose a solution, you need to know your telemedicine system requirements.
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What This Article Covers:
- Importance
- Requirements
- Technical Requirements
- 7. Integration
- 8. Hardware Requirements
- 9. Internet
- Questions To Ask
- Conclusion
Importance
Telemedicine systems handle everything from appointment scheduling to billing in a clinic. Therefore, getting hands-on with an all-around telemedicine system is important. Staff can use the software to serve patients and take care of their needs better.
In addition, telemedicine systems help simplify setting up video calls with patients and maintaining medical files. You need to be aware of all the necessary requirements of your clinic before you proceed to purchase the solution.
Key Requirements
According to a report published by Fortune Business Insights, the global telemedicine market is expected to reach $396.76 billion by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 25.8%. It is expected to reach $396.76 billion by the year 2027. In the ever-growing market there are a lot of options to choose from.
However, choosing is far from a simple task. What are your basic telemedicine system requirements? Document management, billing system or anything else? Every telemedicine software is different and offers a myriad of features and benefits.
Feeling overwhelmed? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. This article will be a checklist for choosing the best telemedicine solution for your practice.
1. Document Management
In the medical world, managing documents is one of the basic needs of every practice. One of the primary requirements of a telemedicine system is efficient document management. This helps clinics provide personalized care options to patients.
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A telemedicine system should do everything from maintaining an updated clinician directory to taking down appointment notes. Furthermore, clinics must ensure that patients receive accurate documents that will aid their education.
- Clinician Directory
- Notes
- Consultation Summary
- Patient Education
- Patient Profile
- Personalized Care Plan
- Prescriptions
- Image Storage and Viewing
2. Billing & Invoicing
The traditional way of medical billing was one of the most time-consuming tasks in health care. Putting a good billing system in place in a telemedicine setting is important. Sending invoices immediately after appointments and receiving payments online quickly makes life easy for both parties.
Another aspect to keep in mind is security. Make sure the software you buy is HIPAA-compliant to avoid fines. In addition, secure transactions provide a sense of patient trustworthiness toward the provider.
- Eligibility Verification
- Reimbursement Eligibility
- Insurance Provider Management
- Online Payment and Billing
- Rules Engine
3. Video Calling & Messaging
Communication is the backbone of telemedicine. One of the major requirements of a telemedicine system is a video calling feature. Setting up video calls remotely helps doctors and patients to meet and have successful appointments.
Leverage Teladoc to constantly stay in touch with patients and get regular health updates. Source
Messaging is another important feature that the solution must provide. While the doctor is away, patients can send text messages to medical professionals with queries regarding medicines and upcoming meetings.
- Annotations
- Bi-directional Text Messaging
- Broadcast Messages
- File Transfer
- Group Calls
- Group Chat
- Multi-provider Session
4. Tele-consultation Scheduling
The online scheduling system is a secure way for patients to book online appointments via laptops, tablets, mobile phones and more. It takes the heavy burden off of staff’s shoulders as they no longer have to manage appointments manually.
Leverage Epic’s highly intuitive dashboard to keep track of online appointment bookings and cancellations.
It provides a 24 hours convenience for patients to book, update or cancel appointments according to their wishes. In addition, they can also send bills through online modes. Remember to check for the teleconsultation feature in the telemedicine solution.
- Appointment Reminders
- Patient Consultation Requests
- Patient Check-in
- Patient Scheduling
- Specialist Referral Services
- Electronic Referrals
- Telemedicine Triage
5. Mobile Capabilities
Another important requirement for a telemedicine system is mobile capability. From scheduling appointments to medical billing, everything is done through a mobile phone or laptop. Therefore, having a mobile application is essential.
Patients want to send files, reports and more to clinicians through a secure file transfer tool. Oftentimes, telemedicine solutions that come with integrated mobile capabilities provide file transfer options.
- Photo Capture Tool
- Native Mobile Application
- Responsive Web Design
- Attachment Options
6. Compliance
Most telemedicine software comes with a primary security integration to provide maximum safety for official documents. Make sure the system passes through all the HIPAA standards as mentioned by the government.
According to the HIPAA Security Rule, you must keep patient information secure. “The Security Rule requires appropriate administrative, physical and technical safeguards to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and security of electronic protected health information.”
- Code Sets
- HIPAA Compliance
Technical Requirements
When it comes to software installations, integration with your existing systems is essential. Put together an in-house team of professionals to oversee the installation and provide support whenever necessary. That said, we’ve also put down some technical requirements for you.
7. Integrations
Integrating a new telemedicine system is a daunting task. There are a lot of requirements, such as API integration modules, calendar support, EHR integration and more to achieve a successful integration.
Ensure that all the requirements are in place before proceeding with the installation. Remember that the team needs to install every feature module separately, which might be a time-consuming process.
- Calendar Support
- EHR/EMR Integration
- Medical Billing Integration
- Medical Scheduling Integration
- Multi-PACS software integration
- Pharmacies Support
- Video Communications Integration
8. Hardware Requirements
A telemedicine setting requires several hardware components to enable a meeting, process payments and manage patients. Care providers leverage different hardware, from mobile cart devices to wearable devices, to provide patients with the best care.
For patients, the hardware requirements are minimal. A laptop for video calls and a mobile phone or tablet to stay in touch with the clinic. With all the right software and commonplace devices, an internet connection is all that is required.
- Mobile Cart Systems
- Wall-mounted Access Point of Care Systems (APS)
- Remote Monitoring Devices
- Webcam
- Wearable Devices
- On-site Kiosk
9. Internet
The key to all online calls is the internet. Therefore it is important to have an internet connection with good bandwidth at both the clinic and the patient’s place. It enables video calls and supports a frictionless experience for both parties.
The internet provider should suggest a good internet plan to provide the required bandwidth for video calls. Look for good software that connects with the internet without hassle.
Questions To Ask
Buying software is a daunting task. However, to make your journey easier, we recommend you scope your practice’s gaps and make a list of the features you’ll need from a new solution.
We’ve put down some internal questions that can get you up to speed.
- Which workflows will the new software need to optimize?
- Is my budget enough to purchase the solution I require?
- How big is my organization? How many users need access to the system at the same time?
- Do I need software with mobile capabilities?
- What are my expectations from the software?
Now that you have made a list of the internal questions, time to note down the queries for vendors. Today, many vendors offer a personalized suite of products and services and software. We’ve made a list of questions to help you choose the right vendor.
- Is the telemedicine system HIPAA-compliant?
- How often does the solution receive updates?
- What time does customer care operate?
- What are the additional costs you charge for services?
- Do I get a subscription-based payment scheme?
Conclusion
Telemedicine is a growing phenomenon worldwide. Physicians and patients are actively migrating to telehealth to provide and receive remote care respectively. It saves time, additional costs and more while improving patient satisfaction.
Prior to purchasing telemedicine software, you need to ensure that your practice meets all the technical requirements needed during the installation. As for defining what features you need, our free requirements template can make the process quicker and easier.
Let us know your opinion about telemedicine system requirements. What requirements did we miss? Leave a comment below.