Match the speed of healthcare with HIPAA-compliant video API that expands your reach

A telehealth video conferencing API can offer various benefits to healthcare providers, helping them improve accessibility, efficiency, and quality of patient care. 

Here are some of these key benefits:

• • Increased access to care

HIPAA compliant telemedicine video conferencing API can make it easier for patients to connect with healthcare professionals regardless of their location. For example, they can attend a virtual consultation via video conferencing.

This is especially beneficial for patients who face barriers to accessing healthcare, such as those living in rural/remote areas or those with mobility issues or difficulty traveling to a healthcare facility. 

Healthcare providers can expand their reach to serve more patients without needing to worry about geographical barriers and without the need for physical visits

• • Time and cost savings

Telehealth video conferencing API reduces or even eliminates the need for in-person visits, saving time, money, and resources for both healthcare providers and patients. 

Healthcare providers can provide more consultations in a day and reduce the associated inconveniences of in-person appointments.

• • Enhanced care coordination

Telehealth chat and video conferencing API facilitates better communication and collaboration among healthcare teams, enabling seamless sharing of medical records and patient information. 

This can significantly improve care coordination, leading to more effective treatment plans and higher quality of healthcare service.

• • Better patient education

HIPAA compliant telehealth video conferences can facilitate better patient education, making it more efficient for healthcare providers to explain medical conditions, treatment options, and preventive measures effectively. 

• • Remote follow-up and monitoring

Healthcare providers can leverage HIPAA telemedicine video conferencing API to monitor patients remotely and conduct virtual follow-up consultations when necessary.

This is especially useful for helping patients with chronic conditions or for post-operative care. 

• • Improved patient engagement

Studies have suggested that telehealth video conferencing can significantly improve patient engagement since they can interact with healthcare providers in a more personalized setting. 

Enhanced patient engagement will often lead to better treatment adherence and, ultimately, improved treatment results.

Reputable telemedicine video conferencing APIs like iotum implement robust security measures to safeguard patient information and comply with healthcare privacy regulations like HIPAA in the US. 

Here are some of the important security measures in place:

1. Encryption: encryption means that the data is scrambled, so it can only be accessed and deciphered by the intended participants (the healthcare provider and the patient.) End-to-end encryption ensures all patient data is encrypted in transit and at rest so that it remains secure and confidential.
2. Strict access controls: access controls restrict unauthorized access to patient data. This includes secure login procedures, multifactor authentication, and role-based access, among others, to ensure that only authorized users can access patient data.
3. Audit logs: maintaining detailed audit logs of user activity, especially regarding access to patient data (who accessed it, when, from which device, etc.) These audit logs allow us to track and identify any suspicious or unauthorized access attempts. 
4. Secure code practices: iotum is developed following secure coding best practices to prevent potential exploits and mitigate vulnerabilities that could compromise sensitive data.
5. Secure network architecture: the video conferencing telemedicine’s API’s underlying network infrastructure is designed for security, including intrusion detection systems, firewalls, and other network security measures. 
6. Data minimization: HIPAA compliant video conferencing API follows the principle of data minimization. That is, the API will only collect and retain the minimum necessary patient data that is required for the delivery of healthcare services. 
7. Secure video conferencing protocols: the telehealth video conferencing protocols used adhere to industry standards for secure and encrypted communication.
   

To ensure smooth and reliable functionality of HIPAA compliant video API, typically specific hardware and software requirements are required, but it’s not overly strict/difficult to achieve.

Here are some common software and hardware requirements:

1. Hardware requirements: healthcare providers and patients will need a computer (PC or laptop) or mobile device with a functioning webcam and microphone for video and audio communication.
2. Internet connectivity: a reasonably fast and especially stable internet connection is critical to support high-quality audio and video transmissions during telehealth consultations. A standard 4G
3. Speakers or headsets: both parties require decent-quality headsets or speakers (built-in or external) with their devices to maintain clear audio communication.
4. Display: the device should have an adequate display (or an external display) to ensure proper video viewing and user interface interaction. 
5. Software: the telehealth video conferencing that is compatible with the Operating Systems (OSs) of the devices used by both the healthcare provider and the patient (i..e, Windows, macOS, Android, iOS.)
6. VPN: not always necessary, but a virtual private network (VPN) solution may be needed to create a secure connection between the healthcare provider and the patient.

A telehealth video conferencing API can facilitate the delivery of various healthcare services, including but not limited to:

• Virtual consultation/visit: with telehealth, patients can see their doctor (or mental health professional, etc.) for a virtual consultation. This can be used for a variety of purposes, such as treating minor illnesses, routine checkups, chronic disease management, etc.
• Remote monitoring: healthcare providers can use HIPAA compliant telehealth video conference API to remotely monitor patients’ condition, in combination with other technologies like wearables and IoT devices.
• Education: providers can use HIPAA compliant video conferencing to provide education about the patient's health conditions.
• Mental health services: healthcare providers can provide various mental health services, such as counseling and therapy, via video conferencing. 

This is a non-exhaustive list, and there are many other types of healthcare services that can be delivered with the help of a HIPAA compliant video API. As technology continues to develop, we can expect to see even more innovative ways to deliver healthcare services via telehealth.

The ease of setting up a telehealth video conferencing API can vary depending on the healthcare provider’s existing infrastructure. 

However, Iotum is designed to be easy to set up and use, with the following features:

• A fully RESTful API, meaning it uses standard HTTP methods to make requests, which is easy to integrate into most existing systems. 
• You’ll get a comprehensive API reference, providing detailed documentation on how to make the most of the PI
• A sample code library that you can use to get started with the API
• A support forum where you can ask questions and get help from Iotum staff and other Iotum users

With Iotum's API healthcare providers can quickly and easily set up a telehealth video conferencing solution and ensure a seamless integration process with the existing healthcare system.

• The Internet connection speed of both the patient and the healthcare provider
• The hardware and software used
• Network congestion
• Video codec and compression
• API load balancing
• Device compatibility

• Adaptive bitrate streaming: Iotum adjusts the bitrate of the video stream based on the connection bandwidth. This can help maintain the quality of the video transmission even during low bandwidth.
• Packet loss recovery: Iotum detects and recovers lost packets in the video stream, ensuring that the video stream remains uninterrupted and stays smooth even if there is some packet loss.
• Noise cancellation: removes the background noise from the audio stream, ensuring clear and understandable audio quality even when the patient and/or healthcare provider is in a noisy environment.