Why do you need a Hospital Phone System for Healthcare Business?
Role of phone systems in the healthcare business
The hospital phone system aims at providing a quick and easy means of internal and external business communications. A growing number of healthcare businesses are investing heavily in reliable and user-friendly phone systems because of the efficiency these systems bring to business operations and customer service.
In today’s digitally connected world an advanced feature-rich hospital telephone system plays a vital role in various day-to-day operations such as:
#1. Providing assistance to patients
Modern-age hospital communication systems such as VoIP phone systems come with IVR and provide patients with the necessary guidance on the following aspects:
- Availability of doctors
- Queries on prescribed medicines
- Payment-related issues or queries
- Inquiries related to the patient do’s & don’ts
- Paperwork, etc.
#2. Eliminating information silos:
A phone system also acts as a centralized knowledge base that helps in accessing patient data as and when required. Medical professionals can provide the right guidance only when up-to-date patient information comes in handy. It becomes easier when this data can be accessed online rather than through reading paper notes or diaries. Having a phone system in place makes it easier for doctors to refer patients to other doctors, request lab work or medicines, schedule follow-up appointments, etc.
#3. Enhance internal communication
The system makes it possible for doctors and nurses to communicate with each other in order to facilitate the smooth running of their businesses. It integrates all the activities in different areas of the hospital such as inventory, supplies required for specific patients, emergency patient care, etc.
#4. Streamlining commercial transactions
The majority of transactions involve contracts between clinics, hospitals, and other third-party vendors like medical equipment makers, drug suppliers, and insurance providers. A phone system helps automate the financial records eliminating the need for manual intervention. It also helps in improving the accuracy of the financial documentation of businesses.
#5. Leveraging the power of data
In the current business landscape, every organization is looking out for ways to leverage data and analytics to optimize their business operations. A phone system’s ability to capture large amounts of data about a customer allows it to provide actionable insights by refining and analyzing that data. The data analytics of phone systems allows businesses to leverage call center data for business growth.
How phone systems for healthcare drive business efficiency
As the healthcare industry continues to grow, so does the need for reliable phone systems that help businesses thrive. Here is how phone systems drive business efficiency:
#1. Serving customers during after-office hours: It can be challenging and time-consuming to serve customers round the clock. VoIP phone systems come with self-service capabilities for handling calls at all hours of the day and night. It ensures 24*7 availability of help desk services to answer questions or solve problems.
#2. Providing quick resolution: When it comes to medical situations patients expect a quick turnaround time and accurate information. Features such as smart call routing connect patients with the right person without long call-waiting time.
#3. Streamlining appointment schedules: Organizing appointments through a phone system becomes easier for both patients and the administrative body driving greater efficiency.
#4. Aiding collaboration: It provides collaboration tools such as instant messaging, document sharing, conferencing, etc. so that you can collaborate across departments and locations with ease.
#5. Empowering strategic decision: Phone systems for healthcare offers data-driven insights to ensure strategic decisions are made more quickly and efficiently. It helps in identifying and fixing operational flaws so that your patients can receive seamless medical service.
5 must-have healthcare phone system features
The features of a phone system widely vary with the choice of the service provider. While there are hundreds of features you can choose from, you must ensure that your hospital phone system has the following features:
#1. Call recording
Call recording allows you to record conversations and listen back to them later. It is a powerful feature that can be used for enhancing customer service in the following ways.
- Identifying callers who are the most difficult to manage
- Assessing agent skills and performance
- Keeping track of sales pitches
- Identify processes that need improvisation
- Identify potential training opportunities
Benefits:
- Serves as training material for new agents
- Identifies techniques to speed up resolution and handle difficult customers
- Assures service quality
- Provides data for advanced data analytics