If we have learnt anything over the past 12 months, it’s that communication and connectivity are essential and businesses, especially those in healthcare, have had to find ways to stay connected through the introduction of new technology.
Creating a more agile workforce has never been more important, specifically for healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Ensuring employees are equipped to handle a constant flow of queries across multiple channels allows them to respond to patients quickly and effectively.
Moving your healthcare business to a cloud-hosted telephone system will give your employees access to voice and video conference calling, enabling remote working and business continuity.
Challenges & Resolutions:
How VoIP Can Help Healthcare Businesses?
Busy reception agents
Challenges
- The consultative direct transfer of calls
- Limited staff availability to cover calls results in long wait times and frustrated callers
- Patients calling for test results, to book appointment,s and to speak to doctors
Resolutions
- Auto attendants – Callers can be automatically transferred to a person or group without the intervention of an operator or receptionist. Alternatively, callers can press 1 to request a callback
- Voicemail to email – Route voicemails to the relevant staff member or department automatically via email.
- DDI numbers – Patients can call the person they wish to talk to directly.
Healthcare surgery needs to close
Challenges
- Poor weather, flooding, pandemic, or other mitigating circumstances lead to the closure of the practice
Resolutions
- Information messages – Can be given automatically to callers to advise them of unforeseen closures. Alternatively, a separate information line can be supplied that can be updated and changed remotely
- Video appointments can be set up remotely with only the practice employees needing to collaborate installed on their PC’s
- Video calls – can include up to 15 participants, so for example, if a Triage nurse was speaking to a patient and needed a second opinion they could drag and drop an available (presence) doctor/physio into their Collaborate room
- Calls can easily be pulled from the phone to a laptop and vice versa making it easy for someone at the practice to continue fielding calls or taking appointments on the move
- Using collaboration, doctors can easily continue to work from home. Instant messaging and Outlook integrations make it easy to continue to communicate with colleagues
