Why Making Online Consultation App like Talkspace is a Good Idea in 2021

 

Today everyone is in the race. The race to achieve more, earn more, and get more. But the most important thing that comes at stake in this race of life is our peace and mental health.

Post pandemic we have seen many unfortunate situations like the loss of our loved ones and not seeing them. Getting caged in the home was quite challenging and has made our minds and hearts struggle. 

In such a situation having an ear and someone expert that treats your mindset medically is important. The online consultation apps are the magic of the telemedicine industry that has helped people in times of crisis mentally.

In this blog, we will be talking about what are online consultation apps, what are their types, and budget estimation for app development. Along with that, we will also do a breakdown analysis of the famous online consultation app Talkspace.

What is an Online Consultation App?

The online consultation app by the name suggests is the app that provides consultation services to the user online through mobile apps. The user needs to log in to their app. Fill in the necessary information asked by the app and then get connected to their assigned therapist or spokesperson.

After discussing the problem through text, audio, or video the person is given a prescription or advice, and the payment is done(if the app charges a fee)

Such kinds of apps are accessible 24/7 from any part of the world. But these consultation apps could be of different types that we will discuss in the next portion of the blog. 

The virtual consultation and therapy sessions have seen a huge spike recently. The reason being, people find these apps more private and secure and they can access these apps at any point in time as per their convenience.

These online consultation apps have some default features like scheduled appointments, matching the right therapist to you, appointment reminders, and communication through chat, audio text, and video.

These apps are private, cost-effective, and user friendly. And that is why it has become the first priority of the users.

Online Consultation App Vs Telemedicine App

Now people may have confusion between telemedicine apps and online consultation apps and tend to think the same. But they are not. Online consultation apps have bigger bandwidth as compared to telemedicine apps.

The telemedicine apps are basically more clinical related apps that relate to online doctor booking appointments like Practo, or Medplus which delivers medicine to the home. Online consultation apps happen to be different.

These apps provide consultation in the form of tips, guidance, and therapy to users from designated persons. The consultation could be of different types. Here are some major online consultation apps that we see commonly.

1.Fitness Consultation App

The fitness consultation apps consult the user about taking up a lifestyle routine that leads to a healthy and fit life. These apps could be consulting about proper nutrition or it could demonstrate what workout exercises the person needs to do to have a good lifestyle.

An app like My Fitness Pal is one of the examples of fitness apps.

2.Astrology Consultation App

In these kinds of apps, the user gets consultation from astrologers, Gurus, or tarot card readers for spiritual guidance and messages.

These users get connected to the person and get the consultation as per the chart readings of the messages they learn from practicing their rituals. Currently, these apps are getting popular too.

3.Nutrition Consultation App

Now, these kinds of apps connect users with nutritionists and dietitians that consult and guide users on what kind of food practices they need to follow for a healthy and better lifestyle.

The calorie count of the food eaten is also one of the features that often come in these kinds of apps for self-control and guidance.

4.Career Consultation App

In these kinds of apps, the users are provided with career counseling based on the filled information. They are connected to psychiatrists, education experts, and market experts to tell them career scope.

The user can connect to the mentor guide of their choice and get the consultation.

5.Relationship Consultation App

It is one of the popular consultation services. In this kind of consultation apps, the user addresses the problem that they have with their family, friends, or partner and what measures they need to seek for healthy bonding.

The guide on the other hand learns about their situation and provides them tips on how to make things better in a relationship and for themselves.

6.Medical Consultation App

This is a pure part of telemedicine apps. In this, the user gets appointed to a doctor or health practitioner and they get connected to them where the prescription is given.

These apps allow users to share their medical reports for review to get the right prescription. Some apps also provide free home delivery like Lemonaid pharmacy.

7.Mind Wellness Consultation App

These are the type of mood tracking apps that learn about users’ mind behavior and suggest activities and food take for a peaceful state of mind.

In this, the apps have hired psychiatrists that study the behavior pattern of the user, hear out their grievances and then consult them on what to do.

8.Beauty Consultation App

In these kinds of apps, the user is provided with tips and tricks about lifestyle, makeup hacks, and fashion hacks. The user can fill in the areas where they want guidance and the beauty therapist they connect with providing them with the same.

They can help them with styling, accessories, home remedies for good skin, etc. Depending on the user.

Therefore it is quite evident from above that telemedicine and online consultation apps are different. The telemedicine apps are part of online consultation apps but they are not the same thing.

Functional Model of Talkspace

Now let us learn what is the basic functional structure of Talkspace. But before that, let us learn what are the niches in which the Talkspace provides consultation therapy and what is the source of their income in the infographic below.

When you sign up for the app the process is super simple. The user has to fill in the basic information like their name and email ID for authentication. Once they are registered with the app, they are landed in a chatbox or chat space where they can have a conversation with a licensed mental therapist after telling the details like age, location, etc.

The therapist will learn about the type of issue you are facing and in which category you want your consultation. After learning that, they will be giving you options whether you want to attend live sessions, or have consultation through textual or audio/video mode.

They have multiple subscription plans depending on the usage and time of consultation asked by the user.

After picking your domain of concern you can either ask a specific therapist or an AI system will provide you a list of therapists suited according to your wants.

These are some of the important features of the app.

The need for an Online Consultation App

Digitalization has taken over the world. Especially after COVID 19 people realized that their life was sustained due to the internet and technology. Be it getting grocery delivered or having online studies at home. It all happens over the internet. And when it comes to health then why go the old school way!

The online consultation apps got popular in a pandemic as people were struggling with loneliness and hard times. Even after the quarantine is almost over, people are not able to recover from the trauma that they faced in 2020.

And it is not about COVID 19 only. People today are more stressed due to their lifestyle and complex two-way world balancing. (The way they appear on social media versus what they are in real life) which has impacted people sadly.

Talking from a business perspective, here are some of the facts that highlight the bright scope of online consultation app development.

• MTech industry in the health sector is expected to have a raise of 33% more, which is USD 60 billion dollars by 2020. – MarketsAndMarkets
• 70% of Health Practitioners Believe that Depression is the Second Highest Ailment That will Be Consulted and Cured with Technology. – Research 2 Guidance
• 93% of physicians said that they feel mobile health apps can improve a patient’s health. – GreatCall
• Around 80% of physicians in a survey said that they use their mobile devices to assist in their day-to-day practice. – Skycure
• 79% of respondents feel more connected to health service providers who are not indulged in paperwork. – Harris Poll
• 31% of surveyed organizations offer a specific app for patients while 30% are currently developing an app – HIMSS

Therefore, these stats are good enough to prove that this is the right time to contact expert app developers for your online app development.

Budget Estimation

The app development cost depends mainly on what expertise you want to handle and at what level (in terms of demographics and services) you want to launch your app. On average, the budget of making apps like Talkspace will cost around 50,000 US dollars.

But need not worry it can start from 25000 US dollars and go up to 70000 US dollars depending on what features you want to include while developing the app.

Conclusion

We all are craving for mental peace and technology. And what could be better if they both blend in the form a functional app. Making an online consultation app that keeps the privacy of users and also allows them to connect to therapists is the one thing that they want. So no doubt, this is a very good option of investment with increasing profits today and in the coming future.