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Telehealth is the backbone of how millions of people access care, but the novelty has started to wear off. Patients now expect the same seamless experience for digital health experiences as they get when ordering groceries or streaming their favorite TV show. Clinicians, on the other hand, are tired of wrestling with tech that’s more of a barrier than a bridge. Telehealth platform providers are caught between improving their core offering to please end-users and integrating shiny AI-powered features that capture investors' attention.
At the Behavioral Health Tech Conference last November, we spoke to dozens of Telehealth platforms, providers, and practitioners. Their insights highlighted pressing challenges as well as transformative opportunities, shaping our vision for the next wave of telehealth innovation.
Keep reading to discover our top six takeaways that we believe will define the future of virtual consultations in 2025.
User experience (UX) will take center stage as both patients and clinicians demand smoother, more intuitive video call experiences. Gone are the days of clunky interfaces and complex navigation. In 2025, telehealth platforms will prioritize seamless user journeys, particularly by keeping users engaged within their platform using integrated video calls. Bumping users out of the platform to external meeting links and apps will become a thing of the past. This will create a frictionless experience that benefits both patient and clinician.
Secondly, an easy-to-use video call interface that minimizes technical difficulties is essential. Design will become increasingly important, with a focus on non-corporate, human-centred design that fosters comfort and trust.
The ultimate aim is to drive better clinical results by simplifying workflows for clinicians and reducing friction for patients.
The pandemic-era rush to implement telehealth solutions left many organizations reliant on tools that no longer meet their needs. Alongside the realisation that big names don’t always equal better quality, telehealth platforms will re-assess their existing tech-stack and switch to more reliable, healthcare focused solutions.
Video call solutions like Whereby are built specifically for telehealth use cases with reliability, flexibility and compliance at the core of their offering. Larger video conferencing providers are often not focused entirely on video as their key product, let alone building specifically for healthcare requirements. The realization that price or brand recognition doesn’t guarantee quality will drive a shift toward purpose-built telehealth tools.
On top of this, a growing need to enable telehealth platform support teams to troubleshoot technical issues autonomously is ever important, as is surfacing troubleshooting tools and tips to end users to minimise disruption caused by internet connection and hardware problems. Whereby enables this through an in-depth Insights suite and end-user features such as pre-call device checks and internet connection indicators.
Mediocrity won’t cut it anymore. Users expect robust, dependable, and user-friendly platforms.
Skepticism exists around digital solutions, especially in healthcare. However, we're not facing a future where AI robots will replace human medical consultations. 2025 will see the industry embrace technology as an enabler. And by choosing high-quality, reliable services for areas like video conferencing, telehealth platforms have huge potential to incrementally build trust in digital healthcare offerings.
The pandemic proved that many services such as therapy, follow up appointments and prescription renewals can very effectively be carried out remotely and are often favourable for patients. The future involves building and refining services that patients and practitioners can rely on to continue to provide high quality, effective care. AI will act as a further catalyst to improve efficiencies and reduce burden from administrative tasks like note-taking.
Frustrated with inadequate tools, some telehealth providers will attempt to develop their own video consultation platforms. However, the reality of building and maintaining a high-quality solution will quickly become apparent.
They’ll realise it is incredibly resource intensive in terms of the budget, time and expertise required to build a solution themselves. Engineering teams will become frustrated by unrealistic expectations and the output will still not be fit-for-purpose. Ensuring scalability, security, and compliance is also no small feat.
Most organizations that attempt this route will pivot to third-party video call API solutions that offer easy implementation and customization, skipping the costly trial-and-error phase.
Leveraging specialized third-party providers that are experts in video conferencing, like Whereby, will ultimately prove to be a more efficient and effective approach.
The regulatory landscape surrounding telehealth is becoming increasingly stringent. Platforms must comply with standards like HIPAA, GDPR and ISO27001 to operate. Protecting patient data and maintaining regulatory compliance will be fundamental to earning trust and ensuring operational success. Solutions that charge extra for compliance features like HIPAA will face scrutiny as users demand fully secure platforms from the start. Whereby offers a HIPAA compliant setup and will sign a BAA at no extra cost for Enterprise customers.
Virtual care isn’t just an in-person visit on video. Effective telehealth requires specialized training to help clinicians to deliver care effectively via a digital medium. Extra effort is required to ensure that appointments still feel personal, aren’t rushed and that patients feel heard and valued.
There is nuance to reading physical cues remotely, particularly in fields like mental health care, as well as potential behavioral differences from patients who aren’t physically present. Clinicians need to learn how to pick up on subtle vocal shifts, facial expressions, or even moments of silence that may signal distress.
Telehealth platforms and providers should help by providing training for practitioners to up-skill their virtual care delivery while maintaining empathy.
Leveraging advancements in AI can also help to close the gap and address challenges of spotting and tracking physical cues. From detecting emotional distress through speech patterns to analyzing micro-expressions, digital mental health platforms are using AI to evolve in ways that will make virtual care not just viable, but exceptional. AI should enhance—not replace—the human side of care, serving as a support system for clinicians and helping ensure no patients slip through the cracks.
There is huge promise for the rise in adoption of virtual care in 2025. Telehealth platforms must focus on end-user experiences, maximising efficiency and building trust in order to enable practitioners to deliver exceptional care remotely. By prioritizing reliability and usability while enabling technical teams to focus on building the fundamentals of their Telehealth platform, there are huge benefits to be gained across the board. This will inevitably result in growth of virtual care usage, particularly in sectors like behavioral health.
Organizations that embrace the shifts outlined in this article will not only keep pace with the changing industry but lead the way in delivering exceptional virtual care.
Find out how Whereby can support your Telehealth platform to deliver exceptional virtual consultations with their video call API at whereby.com.
Niki Loboda is Business Development Director at Whereby, a leading video conferencing API for Telehealth platforms. Whereby enables seamless integration of secure, user-friendly video calls, ensuring patient confidentiality and regulatory compliance. Whereby has over 800 paying customers including Telehealth platforms such as Unobravo, Tebra, Adracare, Accurx, Semble and more.
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