Telehealth exploded from nice-to-have to essential during the pandemic. But the market has also matured, and patients now expect polished experiences, not clunky video calls. Building a telehealth MVP means balancing speed to market with the quality expectations users bring from consumer video apps.
The good news: you don't need to build video infrastructure from scratch. The challenge: choosing the right components and combining them into a cohesive, compliant product.
Core Features Every Telehealth MVP Needs
Video Consultation: Two-way video and audio, screen sharing, in-call chat, recording capability with consent, and waiting room functionality. Quality expectations include automatic quality adjustment, graceful degradation to audio-only, connection quality indicators, and reconnection handling.
Appointment Scheduling: Patients need to browse availability, select appointment types, book/confirm, receive reminders, and reschedule or cancel. Providers need to set availability, block time, view upcoming appointments, and access patient info before visits.
Patient Intake: Demographics, reason for visit, current symptoms, relevant medical history, current medications, allergies, and insurance information. Pre-visit questionnaires reduce call time.
Provider Documentation: Visit notes (structured or free-text), assessment and plan, follow-up instructions, and prescription requests if integrated with e-prescribing.
Payment Processing: Collect payment at booking, check-in, or after the visit. Store payment methods, handle refunds, generate receipts for insurance reimbursement.
Technology Stack for Telehealth
Video Infrastructure: Don't build from scratch. Options include Twilio Video (widely used, HIPAA-compliant), Daily.co (developer-friendly), Vonage (enterprise-focused), Zoom Video SDK (white-label format), and Doxy.me (telehealth-specific platform).
Application Framework: Next.js is our standard choice for fast initial page loads, API routes, and excellent TypeScript support. Deploys easily to Vercel with HIPAA-compliant options.
Database and Backend: Convex provides real-time data sync valuable for scheduling and appointment status, built-in encryption for PHI at rest, TypeScript end-to-end, and reduces backend development time significantly.
Authentication: Clerk or WorkOS offer HIPAA-compliant authentication with MFA support, session management, and audit logging.
Build vs. Buy Decisions
Buy: Video infrastructure, authentication with MFA, payment processing. Often Buy: Telehealth video, secure messaging, appointment scheduling with PHI. Build: Application-level access controls, audit logging, workflow logic.
HIPAA Compliance in Telehealth
Video Recording requires explicit consent, encrypted storage, access controls, retention policies, and deletion procedures. Waiting Room Design must not display patient names to other patients or expose appointment types. Provider-to-Provider Communication must use encrypted chat with logging.
Feature Prioritization
Must Have: Video calls that work reliably, basic scheduling, appointment reminders, HIPAA-compliant infrastructure, payment processing. Should Have: Provider availability management, pre-visit intake forms, basic documentation templates. Nice to Have: EHR integration, e-prescribing, advanced scheduling.
Timeline Expectations
Discovery and Design: 2-3 Weeks. Infrastructure Setup: 1-2 Weeks. Core Development: 6-10 Weeks. Testing and Compliance: 2-3 Weeks. Total: 11-18 Weeks. A telehealth MVP typically takes 3-4 months from concept to launch.
Key Takeaways
- Reliable video is table stakes - use proven infrastructure like Twilio or Daily.co
- Scheduling, intake, and documentation are your custom work that differentiates
- HIPAA compliance isn't optional - video recording, messaging, storage all require compliance
- Mobile web works for MVP - native apps add polish but extend timeline
- Expect 3-4 months for a complete telehealth MVP
At NextBuild, we build telehealth MVPs with the right balance of speed and quality. If you're planning a telehealth product, let's discuss your technical approach.
