The benefits of communication technology in healthcare are many, but a few are particularly relevant to physicians. Improving access to medical records can help prevent or reduce medical errors, and it allows all healthcare professionals to share the same information. Better communication between physicians and medical staff helps improve work relationships. This means that fewer patients need to repeat tests or undergo repeated procedures due to a lack of communication. In addition, improved communication between healthcare providers and patients can reduce the likelihood of mistakes.
Hospitals are increasingly mobile, with medical staff driving to patient sites, providing telemedicine consults, and other work that requires constant communication. Communication technology can connect these teams, from front desk receptionists to on-call doctors. UCaaS solutions let healthcare teams message from a single platform, while VoIP allows on-call physicians to forward calls to wherever they are. The latest UCaaS solutions also integrate seamlessly with standard office tools.
Health IT can also improve nurse-patient interaction. For example, tablets can contain tools that familiarize patients with the hospital, increasing the patient’s satisfaction with the experience. With telemedicine, nurses no longer need to rely on their interpersonal skills to communicate with patients. Instead, clinical communication solutions can help nurses better communicate with other care team members, record important patient information, and communicate with patients. Nurses can reconcile patient compliance and self-awareness with meeting documentation requirements.
