As telemedicine has evolved from a reality to a necessity, the role of mobile phone applications in connecting doctors with their patients in remote areas has become inevitable. It is also not a surprise as smartphones have become an inescapable part of everyone’s life. With easy access to the internet, it was only a matter of time before mobile phones and mobile phone apps took over the healthcare industry as well.

WHY ARE MOBILE APPS THE NEXT BIG THING?

Mobile phone apps have made a wealth of medical information available to people in the palm of their hand. These apps allow doctors to remotely communicate with their patients, eliminating the need for patients to make a trip to the doctor’s clinic.

Not only did it make life easier for the public, but it also solved one of the main problems that almost all governments have to suffer from: the high ratio of doctors to patients. The problem of overcrowded hospitals, overworked doctors and disadvantaged people in remote areas can be easily addressed with the increasing use of mobile phone applications.

The next generation of mobile phone applications does not merely include general health information. Disease-specific apps have also been launched. The “Manual of the eye” is a classic example. It was developed at the University of Missouri Kansas City, USA and provides free information on eye health. People have therefore gained easy access to treatment for their health problems, however diverse they may be.

Another contribution that mobile phone apps have made towards telemedicine is that distance learning has been greatly facilitated with teachers extending a helping hand to their students quite conveniently. Other than that, these apps have reduced investigative and audit processes to a piece of cake with bedside data collection and analysis features.

Mobile apps have proven to be a godsend for virtual clinics as they have made 24/7 public access to healthcare quite easy. These apps have put fairytale healthcare in the pockets of doctors with notable features like billing, e-prescribing, booking, coordination, e-visits, and tracking. Apart from the obvious benefit of improving healthcare standards, these apps have also caused a boom in the economy of the healthcare sector.

WHAT DO THE STATISTICS SAY?

In 2012, Apple announced that 20 billion health apps had been downloaded, and the number doubled to 40 billion in 2013. The adoption rate of telemedicine and mobile apps is growing exponentially.

In 2012, the telemedicine market in India was estimated at $7.5 million and has shown an annual growth rate of 20%. With such rapid expansion, the telemedicine sector is expected to reach $18.7 million by the year 2017. India’s concrete IT, mobile and telecommunication infrastructure has helped turn the dream of telemedicine into reality and the Telemedicine businesses and virtual clinics are flourishing at a fast pace. calm.

THE PERSPECTIVES FOR THE FUTURE

Mobile apps have already proven their beneficial role in delivering quality healthcare to people, especially in emergency situations, helping to reduce primary care time to patients. Furthermore, these apps have also made it possible for doctors to discuss important medical cases with other healthcare professionals for a multidisciplinary approach. The day is not far off when virtual clinics will completely surpass the outpatient department for the delivery of superior and affordable healthcare services to the public right at their doorstep.