Unified Communications: How to Benefit from the Ailing Healthcare Sector’s Digitisation Dividend

In healthcare, the pressure is on to drive productivity and efficiency. 

No matter where in the world – nor whether healthcare systems are in the public or private sector – the issues are the same: ever-increasing demand on services, and a constant shortage of doctors and nurses. 

Technology, of course, can help; although not only via scientific advancements or the enabling of new, cutting-edge treatments. Improved communication too, can play a crucial role in simplifying workflows, reducing workload, and improving patient experience. 

For healthcare organisations’ technology partners and Managed Service Providers, opportunities abound to benefit from a long-term digitisation dividend associated with those much-needed reforms. All it takes to capitalise is to team-up with a vendor that has the solutions and the support to make them happen. 

“Deploying a new, modern, feature-rich communication system has the ability to positively transform the way a healthcare organisation works – however, although the technological solutions themselves are of course critical, it’s just as important for the vendor and the service provider to have a close and mutually-beneficial relationship. This involves leveraging shared expertise and strengths, with a focus on the vendor’s experience in implementing the technology, and collaborative utilization of each other’s capabilities,” says Timor Dehzad, Senior Account Executive EMEA at leading global communications technology vendor Evolve IP, whose channel partner network benefits in both those ways.  

“We have the software, the integration capabilities, and the commitment to ongoing innovation; our MSP partners on the ground have the connection with local healthcare organisations and the customer service capabilities needed to help them embrace essential change. Working together, we are able to leverage our combined offering in ways which deliver for all parties.”  

The merits of replacing outdated legacy phone systems with powerful, reliable, hosted communication platform are compelling for healthcare IT departments. Every environment is unique, the people working within them have different needs, and the integration of technology with, for example Microsoft Teams, Cisco Webex, CRM applications, emergency alarm systems, and internal communication channels, needs to be customised in order to meet them. Unlike some in-house IT departments, MSPs and System Integrators have the technical expertise to ensure it is all done correctly and compliantly. 

For those tasked with processing communications, new tools such as Interactive Voice Response (IVR); smart messaging; call queuing and redirect; AI-powered web chat; seamless softphone capabilities; and a single, all-in-one-place user interface make their jobs easier and more efficient. 

And – just as important as the front-end functionality – the back-end smarts capture insight-rich data and provide analysis reports capable of informing further efficiency-enhancing change. 

“Data-driven analytics can provide a lot of high-value information that simply wasn’t available before,” says Dehzad. “That insight in and of itself can support new ways of working which benefit healthcare workers and their patients. That represents a double return on investment.” 

For patients too, the benefits are transformational. Omnichannel communications with their caregivers are faster, easier, and more convenient, and videoconferencing and collaboration functionality enables remote consultations and examinations: making more efficient use of doctors’ time and therefore reducing waiting lists.   

“It’s about easing the pressure on healthcare workers and the administrative staff who support them, whilst simultaneously making sure healthcare organisations have the ability to be more flexible with their patient communication,” says Dehzad.  

“To meet challenges, for example, labour market pressure, healthcare needs to be a highly dynamic sector to have answers on the constantly emerging technological solutions and workload on employees. We are always looking closely at the landscape and innovating new products and solutions so that our partners can add to their portfolios and capitalise on the market opportunities. 

“Those opportunities are only going to increase over the coming years, and we are excited at the prospect of ensuring that our partners, their customers, and those they care for reap all of the benefits.” 

 To learn more about how Evolve IP can help you and your healthcare customers leverage the unified communication opportunity, click here.



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