The Ultimate Telehealth App Development Guide for 2025

If you’re serious about scaling your business, you need to pay attention to the tech driving it.

Telehealth isn’t a random trend that went viral. The driving force is the care that gets delivered through it.

Here’s how.

Over the last five years, patients have grown impatient and want timely and actionable medical inputs (without indulging in any in-person visits). 

To solve this pain point, telehealth apps are a perfect fit.

If you think that telehealth apps are just a big hype that no one wants, then take a look at platforms like Teladoc and Amwell. They are setting a benchmark and pulling in millions of users every month. 

If you are wondering if it’s worthwhile, then let us tell you, it’s a very new concept, and with time, the need for telehealth app development will increase. More than you can imagine.

So, where to start?

Read our guide (the one you are already reading) to learn more about telemedicine and how to develop a telemedicine app. 

Since we have helped businesses build apps that made them stand out in their niche, trust us, we can surely help you get ahead of your competitors!

What is Telehealth and Why is it Important?

Telehealth is like your usual online Amazon orders. You simply tell what problem you have (in terms of health) and consult doctors, receive diagnoses, and have a better treatment plan without actually visiting a healthcare clinic.

It’s best for quick diagnosis. If you are questioning its importance, then I would like you to look at Instacart, Zomato, or Blinkit.

They were not necessary, but they tapped into our laziness and captured the market like anything. Similarly, the need for telemedicine apps has increased significantly, but it’s still in the growing phase before it gets a huge boom.

The best part? It helps you reduce the costs and avoid the burden on infrastructure while minimizing the physical contact between the doctor and patient.

Telehealth Market Overview

Before you pitch your team or investors, you need to know if it’s worth your time and investment.

And the best way to validate any idea is by making data-driven decisions.

According to Statista, the healthcare sector is steadily increasing its usage of telemedicine apps. In fact, the telemedicine sector is expected to hit $460 billion by 2030.

But what’s surprising is that (in 2022) 54% of American adults are using telemedicine through a live video or voice call to connect with their healthcare provider, which is a huge jump when we compare it with previous years.

Moreover, governments and other healthcare organizations worldwide are also recognizing the potential of telemedicine to improve healthcare efficiency and accessibility.

Though, you can see that there is a slight decline in the usage of telemedicine apps (because the pandemic subsided). It also showed a good glimpse of the potential of the industry and its compatibility with telemedicine software.

Key Features of Telehealth Apps

Telehealth apps need to have certain features to make them helpful for the users (both patients and doctors). Here is a list of the most critical features that are needed by any telemedicine app,

To develop a successful telemedicine application, integrating the right features is essential. Here are some key functionalities that a telehealth app should have:

1. User Registration & Profile Management – Secure sign-up options with personal health information storage.
2. Appointment Scheduling – Easy booking, rescheduling, and cancellation options.
3. Video & Audio Consultation – High-quality, real-time communication for virtual consultations.
4. E-prescriptions – Digital prescriptions that can be accessed and shared with pharmacies.
5. Secure Messaging – Instant chat functionality for follow-ups and consultations.
6. Integration with Wearables & EHRs – Seamless connectivity with health monitoring devices and electronic health records.
7. Payment Gateway – Secure payment options for appointments and subscriptions.
8. Data Security & Compliance – HIPAA/GDPR compliance, encrypted communications, and secure data storage.
9. AI-Based Chatbots – Basic health assessments and automated customer support.
10. Multi-Platform Availability – Support for mobile (iOS, Android) and web applications.

How to Build a Telehealth App?

Just remember that developing a telemedicine app is more than coding! 

It is also about offering a seamless experience to both patients and doctors. 

Therefore, following every step correctly without missing out on anything is important; otherwise, you can really mess things up! 

To help you, we have curated this simple step-by-step guide for building the telemedicine app:

Don’t skip any part of it! 

1. Define Your Telehealth App’s Purpose and Feature

Before we jump straight into development, first, let’s get some crystal clear idea of a few things as they will help us to shape the process further: 

Ask yourself questions like, “ What will my app do?” 

Will it focus on general consultations, mental health support, remote diagnostics, or something else?

Once you answer these questions, you need to note down the features you will be adding to the app. 

Here are the must-have features that all the successful telehealth apps have →

• User Registration & Profile
• Video & Audio Consultations
• Appointment Scheduling
• E-Prescriptions
• Payment Gateway
• Integration with Wearables & EHRs 

2. Choose the Right Technology Stack

The next important step of telehealth app development is selecting the right technology. 

Why is it important?

Well, it will help you to build a smooth and scalable telehealth app. 

Here is the list of important technologies: 

• For Frontend, you can choose React Native, Flutter (for cross-platform), Swift (for iOS), Kotlin (for Android)
• For Backend, Node.js, Python (Django/Flask), and Ruby on Rails are best. 

Tip: Choosing a cross-platform framework like React Native can save costs and speed up development.

3. Adhere to Healthcare Regulations

You know telemedicine apps deal with patient data (which is highly sensitive).  

Therefore, ensure your app has end-to-end data encryption, secure cloud storage, and user authentication to stay compliant with data laws. 

Moreover, it also helps you to build credibility among the users! Which allows them to share their information without having any second doubts. 

4. Design a User-Friendly UI

A healthcare app should be intuitive. 

If your users struggle to book an appointment or find the interface clunky, they won’t simply use it. 

Therefore, while developing your telemedicine app, ensure you keep these things in mind: 

• Keep the design clean and organized for simple navigation. 
• Use large buttons, readable fonts, and high-contrast colors for better accessibility.
• Optimize the app for faster loading speed
• Offer personalized dashboards 

5. Code the Telehealth App

Now, it’s time to code your app. 

However, here is one of the best practices you can follow. 

Instead of building the entire app at once, start with an MVP. 

It is a basic version of your app with just essential features. 

Why should you do it? 

Well, it helps you to:

• Launch faster and test the market.
• Get feedback from real users.
• Avoid wasting resources on unnecessary features.

Once you get feedback, you can add advanced features like AI chatbots or wearable integrations to build a successful telemedicine app. 

6. Test, Test, and Test Again

Before going to the market, make sure you test your telemedicine app on various devices and portals. Because a glitchy app can give a bad user experience to the users, so never skip this step.

7. Deploy and Launch Your App

Once testing is done, it’s time to launch. You can release your app on:

• Apple App Store (iOS)
• Google Play Store (Android)
• Web Platform (for desktop users)

Taking Care of Security and Compliance

Do you ever wonder about the safety of your personal data when using a healthcare mobile app? Well, after all, data encryption should be one of the key security features of your app. In general, security is paramount in telemedicine apps, as they handle sensitive patient data. Compliance with regulatory frameworks ensures that patient information is protected.

These are the important data compliances that your telemedicine app should adhere to: 

• HIPAA
• GDPR 
• Encryption & Secure Storage
• Regular Security Audits
• Role-Based Access Control

Monetization Strategies for Telehealth Mobile Apps

Let’s be real: the main reason to build a telemedicine app—apart from helping patients—is to generate revenue.

The projected market volume for the Digital Health Market that telehealth is part of is set to hit $258.25 billion by 2029.

This clearly shows that you have a lot of potential to generate a good amount of revenue by building a telehealth app.

Let me share some ways you can do this:

1. Subscription Model

The best way to think of this is as the Netflix of telehealth.

In this model, your users will have to pay a monthly or annual recurring fee to get access to your services.

Here’s how it works:

• Your users will subscribe to a fixed plan that will give them access to certain features. 
• You can create multiple tiers of pricing plans. The higher the plan, the more features your users will be able to access.

The pros of this model are:

• The revenue is predictable and recurring.
• You give the users more flexibility with pricing.
• Your users (patients) get better value over time.
• This model is ideal for chronic care management.

Let me show you the cons of this model as well:

• Casual users will be more hesitant to pay.
• A subscription model will require you to continuously engage from your side to convert interested prospects into paying customers.
• You will have to spend a lot on retaining your existing customers.

2. Pay-Per-Visit Model

In this model, your users will pay for each consultation.

Here’s how it will work:

• Users book an appointment with a doctor and pay a fixed fee per visit.
• The telehealth platform takes a commission from each transaction.
• Patients only pay when they need a consultation, making it a flexible, on-demand option.

So, what are the pros of this model? Let me show them to you:

• No long-term commitment is required from users, making it easier to attract new patients.
• Revenue is tied to demand, which can be high for urgent or specialized care.
• This is great for one-time or occasional users who don’t want to pay for a subscription.

Let me show you the cons of this model as well:

• Revenue is inconsistent as it depends on patient visits rather than recurring subscriptions.
• Patients may delay or avoid consultations to save money, leading to unpredictable income.
• Scaling this model will require you to acquire patients continuously.

3. Freemium Model

In this model, you will give your users access to very basic features for free but will charge them for the premium features.

This is ideal for attracting a large number of users quickly.

How does this work? Let me show you:

• An interested prospect signs up for a free plan, where they get access to a few free features to test your telehealth application.
• They will explore your app and get a feel for it.
• If they are happy and are interested in the advanced features (offers), they will pay and upgrade.

These are the pros of this method:

• Your users will be able to test your platform without having to pay any upfront costs.
• You can easily build a large user base quickly and then retarget them with personalized premium offers.
• You can monetize many types of users, like one-time payers, subscription users, and those who prefer in-app purchases.

But there are cons to this model as well, which include:

• Quite a lot of your users may not upgrade to the paid models if they find the free model sufficient.
• The revenue of your business will depend on the conversion of users from the free plan to the paid ones.
• You will have to spend quite a lot of resources on re-engagement strategies to retain and upsell plans to your users.

These are just some of the various monetization models you can use, but be rest assured that they are the most popular models in the market.

In the next section, we’ll go through the cost of developing a telemedicine app.

Make sure to discuss the payment model with the Healthcare App Development company so they can help you choose the best features based on the model.

How Much Does It Cost to Build a Telehealth App?

The cost of developing a telemedicine app can be simplified by categorizing them into three levels based on complexity and features:

1. Basic Telehealth App

In a basic app, you will just get the bare essential features that are needed for smooth virtual consultations.

Nothing more, nothing less!

This will be ideal if you’re looking to enter the telemedicine app market without any heavy investment.

This is what you’ll be getting:

• User registration & profile management.
• Video/audio call for doctor consultations.
• Appointment scheduling & reminders.
• Basic chat functionality.
• Payment gateway integration.
• Doctor dashboard & patient history storage.

The estimated cost for a basic app would be around $30,000 – $60,000. The rough development time is 2 to 3 months.

2. Advanced Telehealth App

With an advanced app, you will be able to provide a better user experience along with enhanced functionalities.

Ideal if you want to scale your telemedicine service and offer additional convenience for both doctors and patients.

Here’s what you will be able to offer:

AI-powered symptom checker.

• E-prescriptions & pharmacy integration.
• Multi-doctor consultations.
• Integration with Electronic Health Records (EHR/EMR).
• Multi-language & multi-currency support.
• Push notifications & automated reminders.

All this will be in addition to the functionalities in the Basic Telemedicine App!

The estimated cost for an app like this would be around $50,000 – $80,000.

The rough development time is 4 to 6 months.

3. Complex Telehealth App

This is the last category and is great for those who want to go beyond the ideal norm.

You can take on custom requests that your clients have at this level, giving them full control over their platform’s functionality, branding, and integrations.

Here’s what you can offer:

• AI-driven virtual health assistant.
• Predictive diagnostics using AI for early detection.
• HIPAA/GDPR-compliant advanced security features.
• Telemedicine marketplace for multiple healthcare providers.
• IoT integration for wearable devices & remote patient monitoring.
• Enterprise-grade white-label customization (ideal for hospitals and large healthcare institutions)

The estimated telemedicine app development cost for this app would be around $10,000 – $200,000+.

The rough development time is 9 to 18 months.

This would be the ultimate, high-end telemedicine solution you will be offering, so be open to adding features based on your clients’ business needs.

Benefits of Outsourcing Telehealth App Development

There are significant benefits to outsourcing your app development to experts rather than staffing it internally.

Here are some of them:

• Cost Savings – You don’t have to spend on hiring, salaries, benefits, perks, etc.
• Easy Access to Experts – By outsourcing to a reputable development company, you immediately get access to top-notch experts in the industry.
• Faster Time to Market – Many companies will be able to work with tight deadlines by following agile development processes.
• Post-Launch Support & Maintenance – You don’t have to worry about fixing bugs, handling security updates, or scaling your app, as all these will be part of the contract.

These are just some of the many (major) benefits you’ll get by outsourcing your app dev. to a professional company.

Successful Telehealth Apps

Several telemedicine applications have gained global recognition, setting benchmarks in the industry:

• TELADOC: A leader in virtual healthcare, offering on-demand doctor consultations. The company also provides patients and doctors with easy-to-use mobile apps for iOS and Android and offers its telehealth platform as a white-label solution.
• Doctor On Demand: Doctor on Demand is another popular telemedicine platform. It gives you 24/7 access to board-certified physicians. Similar to Teladoc, the company offers its customers apps on both mobile platforms. Moreover, patients can schedule video appointments from their phones and tablets.
• MDLIVE: Offers teletherapy and telehealth services with licensed professionals. MDLIVE is another popular platform in the telemedicine space, especially after it partnered with Walgreens to step up its medication prescription options.

Why Now Is the Perfect Time to Make a Telehealth App

The demand for telemedicine is skyrocketing like never before! 

And we have shared enough stats on our list! 

Hence, if you don’t develop the telemedicine application, you will regret it later on. 

If you are ready to build your telemedicine app, you need to hire telehealth app developers. 

At SolGuruz, we provide the best Telehealth App Development Services. Our developers have built software solutions that have exceeded the clients’ expectations. 

Therefore, if you have a telemedicine project in mind, consult us. 

FAQs

1. Does telehealth include apps?

Yes, of course! Like any other industry, telehealth also includes mobile apps and software. With these digital solutions, you can enable patients and doctors to connect without being in the same physical location.

2. Which is the most suitable platform to build telehealth apps?

You can use these mobile app development platforms

• Flutter
• React Native
• Ionic

And many more to develop and design your telehealth applications