6 Benefits Of Unified Communications In Healthcare

Unified Communications (UC) combines all your organisation’s communication tools into one user-friendly platform.

Your voice calls, video meetings, instant messaging, email, mobile apps, shared files, and collaboration tools will all be unified in one place.

In this article, we will highlight six great benefits that UC offers healthcare organisations.

6 Advantages of Unified Communications in Healthcare

Here are six key benefits of Unified Communications systems in the healthcare industry.

1. Cost savings

Healthcare providers using UC solutions enjoy significant cost savings across multiple areas.

• A single, integrated system removes the need for multiple service subscriptions. Cloud-based UC, known as Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS), will dominate the future, eliminating the need for certain system and server hardware, as well as other IT expenditures.

• Bringing teams together remotely saves on the cost of physical travel (and reduces your carbon footprint). Better workflows lead to greater productivity and lower operational costs.

• Patient consultations over video mean fewer in-patient visits to a health centre, potentially cutting overheads. The increasing popularity of telemedicine, effectively supported by UC, may reduce the need for office/premises space.

2. Seamless communication between healthcare teams

Unified Communications helps your team members effectively juggle multiple challenges and competing priorities. It ensures they’re all on the same page and not working on separate systems, unable to see the bigger picture.

A 2022 survey found that almost 60% of medical practices had hybrid workforces in 2021. A central communication suite brings teams together, no matter where members are located. UC allows them to use voice calls, video meetings, instant messaging, collaboration tools, and share documents on a single platform on the closest available device. This results in quick and streamlined communication across an organisation.

Any professional or team can seamlessly share files, discuss findings, consult specialists and update records – all in one place.

Besides voice, mail and messaging, a unified communications system can include:

• Video calling (eg. Google Meets, Zoom)

• Mobile communication app

• Web conferencing

• Collaboration tools (eg. ClickUp, MS Teams)

• Recording capability

Applications like CRMs, Project management programs, and AI tools can also be incorporated.

3. Improved operational efficiencies

Harvard Business Review data shows employees in large companies spend almost four hours a week switching between different work applications. No successful organisation can afford this loss of productivity – least of all a hospital, clinic or surgery practice where time-critical action saves lives.  

When healthcare providers have quick, efficient access to everything they need to do their jobs, workflows improve across the board:

• Fast, effective communication allows accurate information sharing and urgent responses. Critical patient data and lab test results can be shared instantly via messaging or video calls to enable swift decision-making. Additionally, employees can quickly reach the right person to address urgent patient needs.

• Seamless communication across departments (e.g. nursing, pharmacy, rehabilitation) ensures smooth care transitions and minimises errors. A US study indicates that eliminating care coordination mistakes in the healthcare sector could save the industry over $38 billion (£29.3 billion) annually.

• Collaboration tools allow people in different departments or hospitals to jump on projects together. All team members can contribute to a virtual ‘whiteboard’ to quickly advance projects, including emergency procedures.

• Automated tasks, like scheduling, presence indicators, monitoring and follow-ups, also contribute to a smarter working environment.

4. Improved patient outcomes

Patient care is at the heart of the healthcare industry. Unified Communications solutions are geared to provide a better patient experience. With UC, healthcare professionals can access patient information more quickly. No more delays caused by logging on and off to multiple communication platforms.

UC provides secure and convenient communication channels, like video consultations and messaging, for patients to interact with health personnel remotely. This means that patients unable to visit a health facility can still consult a doctor or nurse via video. They receive real-time feedback and medical help thanks to Unified Communications.

UC technology is successfully facilitating telemedicine services in all parts of the UK. A user-friendly patient portal and a choice of responsive contact points (eg. mobile app, email or voice call) improve the patient experience.

You can also integrate patients’ electronic health records (suitably access-controlled) into the UC platform for improved care.

5. Security and compliance

Healthcare services have a legal and moral duty to protect patient data. Safeguarding your organisation’s internal communications and your team’s personal information is just as important. Unsurprisingly, 75% of healthcare leaders stress the importance of secure messaging in their communication platforms.

Reputable UC providers deliver robust end-to-end security to protect people, files, and communications. Comprehensive UC security measures include:

• Encryption

• Multi-factor authentication

• Network security such as firewalls

• Access management

• Intrusion monitoring and breach prevention

Unified communications systems should incorporate guardrails to ensure compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation, as well as NHS and all medical regulations.

A dedicated UC channel can be used to share data protection and compliance best practices with your teams.

6. Flexible and scalable

UC systems can scale affordably without lengthy delays. System flexibility ensures you only pay for the hardware and services you need at any given time.

In a healthcare environment with increasing patient numbers and vulnerable individuals, the ability to expand efficiencies, services, and interfaces (possibly including helpful AI tools) is vital.

You can also scale down your UC system if there is a lower demand for certain procedures or processes.

Let Mid Digital Solutions Help You With Your Telecommunication Needs

Investing in smart connectivity is essential in a digital age characterised by virtual interactions and remote staffing. Clients of the future are demanding it too. According to Forbes Technology, 80% of consumers say that more digital communication options will be an important factor in choosing their future healthcare providers.

Mid Digital Solutions offers powerful UCaaS solutions, tailored to the healthcare sector, to support healthcare delivery.

Let us help your hospital, clinic, or network of GP surgeries or dental practices boost productivity and reduce costs with an efficient, consolidated communication system. To achieve these wins and future-proof your facility’s communications, contact Mid Digital Solutions today.

One of our dedicated Account Managers will be delighted to provide more information.

FAQs

What are the three main components of Unified Communications?

The three main components of Unified Communications are:

• Voice calling

• Messaging

• Web conferencing

Collaboration tools are also a major component of advanced UC systems.

What is a Unified Communication (UC) platform?

A Unified Communication (UC) platform integrates various communication tools – voice calls, video conferencing, instant messaging, email, and collaboration tools – into a single hub. This reduces the need for multiple, separate communication devices and applications. It enables easy and efficient communication and collaboration across the organisation.