Are Online Doctor Consultations The Future Of Medical Practice?

The emergence of new trends post-COVID-19 has been observed globally. Some of the new normals of our life include face masks, virtual meetings, and, most remarkably, online consultations.

Online consultations were enthusiastically adopted during the global pandemic. It is now a developing trend, and the online consultation market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 7.6% from 2019 to 2026.

Some additional factors that will continue to grow the online consultation market are rapid digitalisation, increased usage of smartphones, and high-speed internet. Despite India’s large population, the country’s internet penetration rate was 47% as of 2022.

As the country’s population grows, online doctor consultations seem to be the way forward. Health centres now rely on online consultation software for doctors to deliver quality healthcare to patients who cannot visit the doctor in person.

What is Online Consultation Software for Doctors?

Online consultation software, or telemedicine or telehealth platforms, enables a remote consultation between the patient and the doctor. The software has a video conferencing feature through which the patient and the doctor can interact face-to-face.

They can also use the messaging and chat feature to communicate asynchronously. The patient can leave follow-up questions, prescription requests, etc., for the doctor via chat, and the doctors can respond accordingly.

The software is also used for appointment scheduling and management. Often medical practices which experience a large volume of patients struggle with appointment scheduling errors like overlapping and unforeseen circumstances. Online consultations not only reduce the risk of errors but also filters the incoming patients at the hospital/clinic. Additionally, appointment reminders and notifications allow doctors and patients to save time and prepare for the appointment.

However, it is important to note that online consultation software for doctors should not be confused with EHR and EMR software for doctors. The online consultation software can be integrated with EHR, but the software performs different functions. The integration enables a more robust and comprehensive online consultation.

Features of Online Consultation Software for Doctors

Here are some additional features of online consultation software besides video conferencing, appointment scheduling, and messaging.

Image Sharing

To improve the accuracy of information patients provide the doctors, they can share images and much more. They can upload their lab results, medical scans, and medical reports to be reviewed by the doctor. Moreover, the doctors can also upload instructions and other relevant material they wish to share with the patient.

Prescription Filling and Management

Often patients do not require a consultation and only want the doctor to refill or review the prescription. With consultation software, the patients can request the doctor to do the same via the messaging feature. The doctor can respond to the patient or directly forward the prescription to the relevant pharmacy, streamlining the prescription management process.

Payment and Invoice Generation

Advanced online consultation software for doctors comes with inbuilt payment processing capabilities. After the consultation, patients can easily make virtual payments with a click of a few buttons. The doctors also greatly benefit from this feature as this makes the process of payment tracking and invoice generation extremely easy, especially in smaller practices.

Multilingual Support

No patient should ever be denied treatment due to circumstances like language barriers and the physical unavailability of the doctor. Online consultation software defeats these barriers by offering multilingual support through automated translation, live translators and much more.

This enables the doctor to communicate with the patient in a language they are comfortable with, thus creating an environment of trust and respect.

Data Security

Online consultation software gives utmost importance to data security and privacy. All the features like video conferencing, image sharing, and messaging are encrypted and follow data security and protection norms. Some software might store data for analytical and troubleshooting purposes. However, the data is secured in various ways, including restricted access, surveillance systems, etc.

Closing Thoughts

All these features greatly enhance the patient experience. Good patient care is significant for doctors as satisfied patients continue seeking care from the same health practitioner, contributing to patient retention. Furthermore, return patients also promise health practitioners an increased return on investment.

Online consultation software for doctors might seem like a heavy investment now, but it will reap great benefits in the long run. When combined with EMR for doctors, your medical practice can significantly enhance patient care and experience.

If you need help setting up efficient systems for your healthcare practice, contact us at HealthPlix. As of now, we have helped over 10,000 doctors set up their advanced online consultation software & EMR in India. Are you ready to leap?