We don’t want to start this blog with red flag 🚩 warnings. But we have to.

• Seniors have unique requirements. So, don’t invest in a general-purpose telehealth platform.
• If nursing homes do not implement a telehealth program properly, it will add up complexity, rather than aiding the seniors and nursing home staff.
• If you are an entrepreneur and planning to build a telehealth platform for seniors, keep it simple, but don’t keep it common. Because competition is skyrocketing.
• Telehealth is after all a technology and any technology can any time act abnormally. So, make sure you build or acquire the maximum stabilized product.

You already know the benefits of telehealth for seniors. So, let’s discuss what you might don’t know – current trends 📈 in telehealth for seniors

Fueled by the pandemic, telehealth tech has evolved greatly in the last 2 years. Thus, it is crucial to build or acquire a telehealth platform that meets the current standards of the industry.

• Telehealth now means 360-degree care

Telehealth tech is no longer limited to just virtual care. It now has no limitations when it comes to delivering care.

For instance, many telehealth for seniors platforms offer an integrated online pharmacy solution, in addition to a marketplace for caregivers through the same app or platform of telehealth.

• Telehealth + remote monitoring = Quality senior care

The current limitation of telehealth in nursing home settings is: it requires seniors themselves or their caregivers to measure their vital body signs and then share that data manually with providers who are treating residents from a remote location.

If you integrate remote monitoring with a telehealth platform, providers can read the vital body signs of patients in real time from their dashboard. They can even track the history and figure out the best treatment plan.

• Telehealth is also focused on easing administrative operations

You might have the impression that telehealth only deals with clinical operations. But it is also equally focused on easing the administrative operations of providers to create time for them.

For instance, it automatically prepares referral notes by adding patient medical history and other clinical information. Providers now only need to write referral messages which too they can select from templates.

(We consider referral as an administrative task as a lot of data entry is needed here.)

• Mental health is now a major part of telehealth

All successful telehealth platforms provide virtual mental health services as a part of their telehealth program. Because it has suddenly become very urgent as deadly waves of the pandemic and social isolation influenced the mental health of residents very severely.

Will your investment in telehealth for the nursing home’s platform be fruitful 💰 in the future?

Of course, yes. And there are several solid reasons behind it.

• Both patients and providers are now getting more comfortable with virtual care than in-person care.
• Providers end up saving a lot of time and effort using the telehealth platform. They also serve more patients in a given time while keeping the clinical standards in place. So, they don’t have any major reason to avoid telehealth.
• Seniors also find it very convenient to receive care virtually rather than traveling to the nearest clinic.
• Ongoing technological advancement in telehealth technology keeps the doors of business opportunities open.
• Government is now seriously considering virtual care as the best alternative to in-person care.
• Investors have already recognized telehealth as the future of healthcare. Thus, they are investing hugely in telehealth startups.

The most basic criteria you have to keep in mind 🧠 while building or acquiring a telehealth for seniors solution in the USA

• Make sure the telehealth platform is built specifically for senior care settings.
• Make sure the platform is also focused on the wellness of seniors.
• Make sure the telehealth platform eases the administrative tasks of providers and nursing home staff.
• Make sure the platform is capable of meeting the standards of in-person care.
• Make sure the platform has easy UI/UX for both patients and providers.
• Make sure the telehealth platform meets all applicable healthcare data privacy laws.
• Make sure the telehealth platform has integration with EHR/EMR for direct access to clinical data.
• Make sure the platform is scalable to support the increase in user numbers in the future.

A telehealth platform without EMR/EHR integration does not make any sense 😐

Providers rely heavily on the clinical data of patients stored on EMR/EHR to provide quality care to patients.

This clinical data helps providers to come up with an outcome-focused care plan by understanding patients’ allergies, previous prescriptions, lab results, and medical notes.

But if you don’t integrate EMR/EHR, providers have to use the telehealth platform and EMR/EHR software simultaneously which adds up to the complexity.

In contrast, if you integrate EMR/EHR with a telehealth platform, providers have direct access to the clinical data of patients through the telehealth platform itself.

This results in rapid care, ease, and high accuracy.

Challenges to be addressed during the implementation of telehealth 📱 for seniors

1. Technological barriers

Seniors may find using telehealth services challenging due to limited familiarity or experience with the technology.

They may find it difficult to:

• Navigate digital devices
• Using online platforms
• Understanding technological instructions

Along with this, nursing homes should have the necessary infrastructure to support telehealth.

2. Sensory and physical limitations

As many of the seniors have physical limitations such as vision, hearing loss, or motor skills, it may affect their ability to use telehealth platforms.

User interfaces (UI) and user experiences (UX) that are not designed with these limitations in mind can create barriers to access and usability of telehealth for seniors.

3. Cognitive challenges

Seniors may suffer from cognitive impairments that may affect their ability to use telehealth platforms.

If the platform has complex or confusing UI then, it often leads to irritation, frustration, and lack of engagement from the patients.

Presenting SyS Creations as telehealth tech, compliance, and business mastermind to your aid😎

We’ve been dealing with telehealth tech, compliance, and business for 8+ years.

And we’re a team of healthcare app developers, UI/UX designers, business analysts, compliance specialists, QA engineers, and healthcare professionals.

Wait! That’s not all.

We offer multiple telehealth development opportunities so that you can build or acquire a platform as per your budget and requirements.

Choose a telehealth platform 🔥 as per your budget and requirements

Opportunity #1: White-label telehealth mobile/web app

These are the real screens of the white-label telehealth platform we provide in North America.

• Customization as per your needs
• Branding
• Full source code ownership
• HIPAA/PHIPA/PIPEDA/GDPR compliant
• Built for North America by a North American company

Opportunity #2: MVP version of the telehealth platform

If you have a low investment cap and want to avoid financial risks, try the MVP model of the telehealth platform. Under this, we build a custom telehealth app for you only by adding basic and common features. Once you test it in the market, we will add more features or upgrade the existing features.

Opportunity #3: Clone app

If you name a telehealth app, we will make a better version of it and deliver it to you. Because we don’t copy, we get inspired.

Opportunity #4: Progressive web app (PWA)

A progressive web app is the best alternative to mobile apps. It works and looks similar to a mobile app with in fact the same features as mobile apps. However, unlike mobile apps, it opens on web browsers.

Opportunity #5: Telehealth source code

Acquire the complete telehealth source code (frontend & backend) and use it the way you want.