Introduction
There are just too many drawbacks of relying on a traditional phone for healthcare-related communication. HIPAA noncompliance, expensive costs, and lack of flexibility are just to name a few. And so, a great solution to traditional phones is switching to VoIP for healthcare. So what exactly can a VoIP do? What are its benefits, and what are some good medical practice phone systems? Keep on reading to find out!
What is VoIP for Healthcare?
VoIP for healthcare is the best solution for easy patient communication. With a VoIP phone system, you can easily make or receive patient calls from anywhere over the internet without needing to cling to traditional phone lines.
This is a great tool to reduce cost, save staff time, and ensure good patient experience and medical care anytime, anywhere. However, you must identify what calling-related tasks you want to simplify and choose VoIP software accordingly. Keep on reading to find out the option that fits your needs best.
6 Best VoIP for Healthcare: Quick Glance
- Emitrr
- Weave
- SolutionReach
- Podium
- NexHealth
- Adit
How is a Phone System For Healthcare Different Than a Standard Phone System?
Integration with EMR/PMS
A phone system that is meant specifically for healthcare will support integration with your existing EMR/PMS tools that can allow you to:
Reduce AHT with call pop
VoIP phone system for healthcare can sync with your existing EMR/PMS tool. So whenever a patient makes a call, you can see the patient’s details such as their name, previous appointments, health history, etc., allowing you to reduce your average handle time that may have been too much if you were using a standard phone system and had to ask for patient information and their health history each time.
Track better conversion metrics
If you use a standard phone system, then it can be quite time-consuming to keep track of metrics. For example, if you receive 50 calls and booked 30 patients, then all this needs to be done manually. However, healthcare-specific integration offered by a VoIP phone system can allow you to directly send back new patient information to your EMR/PMS software and keep better track of conversions in one single place.
Setup more advanced workflows
Route patients to the right person
Using a VoIP phone system for healthcare you can set up more advanced workflows. You can send new patients to a specific team member or you can send an existing patient to a specific team member by automatically detecting the patient call history when the patient calls. By connecting the patient with the person they talked to earlier can help you save time and improve their patient experience as well.
Ability to send voice reminders & call recordings
A Phone system for medical offices can allow you to send voice reminders to your patients. It can help you send call recordings to the EMR chart/notes/patient profile so that you can maintain the record of conversations you had with your patients and utilize them if needed in the future.
HIPAA compliance
Meeting HIPAA compliance for healthcare professionals is a must, and this cannot be catered to when using a standard phone system. Healthcare VoIP systems allow you to maintain HIPAA compliance by:
- Recording call data with patient
- Giving only authorized users access to ePHI
- Encrypting patient data during transmission by using high-level encryption technologies
6 Best VoIP for Healthcare: Detailed Comparison
Emitrr
Emitrr is our top pick for the best VoIP for healthcare. This VoIP phone system offers a plethora of useful features, integrations with 500+ PMS/EMR tools, affordable pricing, and caters to all kinds of healthcare professionals. Emitrr is also the highest rated (5/5) software for its customer service on Capterra, is HIPAA compliant, and is extremely secure. Here’s a more detailed look at what Emitrr offers:
Emitrr Features
- Call queue groups
- Call pop
- Call routing
- Call transfer
- Missed call text
- IVR
- Auto responses
- User & extensions
- Edit extensions
- Activity dashboard
- Reporting & analytics
- Voicemail transcription
- Call recording
- Call forwarding
- Call disposition
- IVR menu
- And more..
Emitrr Integrations
Emitrr integrates with over 500 tools and apps including these:
- Dentrix
- Curve Hero
- Dentrix Ascend
- Denticon
- Dentrix Enterprise
- Eaglesoft
- Dolphin
- OpenDental
- Practiceworks
Emitrr Pros
- HIPAA compliant
- Good call quality
- Easy-to-use interface
- Excellent customer service
- Multiple useful VoIP features
- Easy to set up dashboard
- Seamless integration
- Affordable & flexible pricing
- Customizable
- No-show reduction
- Versatile
- Saves time
Emitrr Cons
- No major issues with this software
Emitrr Pricing
Emitrr is a very affordable VoIP phone system. Its pricing starts at $149/month, and you can opt for pay-what-you-choose option for greater flexibility.
Emitrr Customer Support
- Capterra: 5/5
- G2: 4.7/5
Weave
Weave is a popular patient communication platform especially meant for dental and optometry practitioners. The software offers a VoIP phone system with features like call pop, missed call text, call groups, and more. Weave is quite easy to use, has great customer support, and is ideal for those who want to share updates with their patients via call. Having said that, Weave’s phone system crashes a lot, so that is something you should consider.
Weave Features
- Call pop
- Customizable phone lines
- Phone analytics
- Missed call text
- Multi-location
- Practice analytics
- Call groups
- Hold music
- Phone tree menus
- Voicemail greetings
- And more..
Weave Integrations
- Dentrix
- Denticon
- Dentimax
- Dolphin
- Eaglesoft
- Easydental
- Eddson
- And more..
Weave Pros
- Easy-to-use
- Helpful customer support
- Useful call pop feature
Weave Cons
- Phone system crashes a lot
- Pricing is not transparent
- Lacks many VoIP features
Weave Pricing
Weave has not revealed pricing for its phone system, and you will need to get in touch with the company to find out their pricing.
Weave Customer Support
- Capterra: 4.8/5
- G2: 4.5/5
Solutionreach
Solutionreach is essentially a patient engagement software largely meant for dental and optometry practitioners. The software offers a phone system with low bandwidth usage but does not come with that many calling functions. Solutionreach is ideal for those who do not heavily rely on calling and just want it along with more patient engagement-centered features. Solutionreach is also expensive, so that is another thing to consider.
Solutionreach Features
- Voice reminders
- Patient info pop ups
- Call forwarding
- Call queues
- And more..
Solutionreach Integrations
- Dentrix
- Opendental
- Denticon
- Curve Dental
- Fuse
- Eaglesoft
- And more..
Solutionreach Pros
- Handy communication tools
- Easy setup and configuration
- Low bandwidth usage
Solutionreach Cons
- Expensive
- Limited VoIP features
- Not the best value for money
Solutionreach Pricing
Solutionreach is quite expensive, and its pricing starts at $329 a month.
Solutionreach Customer Support
- Capterra: 3.8/5
- G2: 4.3/5
Podium
Meant for all kinds of healthcare business, Podium is an all-in-one communication software offering not only a phone system but also texting, reputation management, and other useful features. Podium’s phone system comes with advanced AI features such as phone call summaries, missed call automation, and more. However, Podium is very costly and not ideal for small healthcare practitioners. Many Podium customers have also faced issues with account cancellation and billing which is something you should be aware of.
Podium Features
- Call transfers and extensions
- Call groups and routing
- Custom phone menus
- After-hours call routing
- AI phone call summaries
- Reporting and analytics
- Missed call automation
- Caller ID
- And more..
Podium Integrations
- Athenadental
- Opendental
- AdvancedMD
- Cloud 9 Ortho
- Cloud 9 Pediatric
- Denticon
- DrChrono
- And more..
Podium Pros
- AI features
- Multiple integrations
Podium Cons
- Costly
- Issues with account cancelation and billing
- Technical glitches are common
Podium Pricing
Podium offers three different pricing options:
- Core: $399 a month
- Pro: $599 a month
- Signature: Custom pricing
Podium Customer Support
- Capterra: 4.1/5
- G2: 4.6/5
NexHealth
NexHealth is a well-known patient experience platform that caters to all kinds of healthcare professionals. The phone system offered by NexHealth comes with features like call pop, ringtones based on caller type, low bandwidth usage, etc., and it integrates seamlessly with PMS/EMR tools. However, the only issue with NexHealth is that it can be quite hard to use, and their VoIP features are also quite limited.
NexHealth Features
- Call pop
- Call routing
- Ringtones based on caller type
- Reports
- Mobile app
- And more..
NexHealth Integrations
- Dentrix
- eClinicalWorks
- Open Dental
- Doctible
- Swell
- AthenaHealth
- And more..
NexHealth Pros
- Excellent customer service
- Low bandwidth usage
- Seamless integration with other tools
NexHealth Cons
- Hard to use
- Pricing is not transparent
- Limited VoIP features
NexHealth Pricing
NexHealth offers custom pricing.
NexHealth Customer Support
- Capterra: 4.8/5
- G2: 4.8/5
Adit
Adit is a cloud-based platform that is meant for dental practitioners. Adit offers a phone system with features like AI-driven call tracking, call forwarding, and more. The software integrates seamlessly with EHR/PMS software and is quite easy to use. Adit also has excellent customer support and is constantly updating. However, for the features that it offers, it is not the best value for money.
Adit Features
- Call tracking
- Caller ID
- Call recording
- AI-driven dental call tracking
- Call forwarding
- And more..
Adit Integrations
- Dentrix
- Denticon
- Open Dental
- ClearDent
- Eaglesoft
- Easy Dental
- Carestream Dental
- And more..
Adit Pros
- Excellent customer support
- Easy to use
- Offers seamless integration
Adit Cons
- Costly
- Lack of efficiency
- Limited features
Adit Pricing
Adit’s pricing starts at $399.
Adit Customer Support
- Capterra: 4.5/5
- G2: 4.9/5
Benefits of VoIP for Healthcare
Saves cost
Healthcare practitioners have tons of outbound and inbound calls in a day and so one of the biggest benefits of switching to VoIP for healthcare is cost reduction.
Eliminates long-distance calls
Long-distance and international calls are much cheaper with VoIP as compared to a traditional phone system. So, for e.g., if a hospital needs to make long-distance calls to procure medical equipment or medicines, then VoIP will cost them much less.
Cost-effective scalability
Adding more lines or extensions is again much cheaper and easy with VoIP as compared to a standard phone system.
Reduced infrastructure
VoIP does not require you to maintain a complex telephone system. With VoIP, you do not need to install telephone lines; all calls are made over a data network.
Ensures HIPAA compliance
Healthcare providers are supposed to maintain HIPAA compliance when communicating with patients at all times. VoIP providers offer you the option of call recording and call transcription and have strong security layers that prevent breaches of patient data. They also keep patient records confidential reducing the breach of information.
Integration with PMS/EMR
Another big advantage of having a phone system for healthcare providers is that they can integrate with your existing PMS/EMR software. This allows you to access patient information in one single place and can reduce the workload of your medical staff and administrators, who toggle between files all day.
Telemedicine support
VoIP is ideal for doctors who offer telemedicine support via video calls or remote consultations. Using VoIP, doctors can connect with their remote patients in real-time, ensuring that medical care is accessible to patients who cannot travel frequently.
Flexibility
VoIP offers flexibility that traditional phone systems cannot match.
Access from anywhere
Healthcare providers can use and access VoIP phone systems from anywhere with an internet connection. They allow doctors and nurses to be available on call in case of emergency.
Used by multi-devices
Personalized care
VoIP enables healthcare providers to give personalized care to patients. The call pop feature and integration with PMS/EMR tools with VoIP allow doctors to access patient information and their medical history and treatment details in a few clicks. Additionally, all patient conversations can be recorded, so they can even access those prior to any consultation for more personalized care.
Why Emitrr is the Best VoIP for Healthcare?
After comparing the six best VoIP for healthcare providers, we think Emitrr is the best choice to go for and here’s why:
Integration with hospital management systems
Your healthcare phone system should be able to integrate with your existing hospital management system. For example, if you run a dental clinic and use an EMR like Athena health, then your VoIP system should be able to seamlessly integrate with the same to support features like call pop, which can help reduce AHT and after-call work of your staff members. With Emitrr you can do this easily as it supports seamless integration with 500+ EMR/PMS tools.
Superior support
If you run into issues with your VoIP, be it call lagging, glitches, etc., who would you reach out to? Customer support, right? Thankfully, Emitrr offers customer support 24/7 via chat, phone, etc., and even has a solid 5/5 star rating on Capterra for their exceptional support, ensuring you do not struggle alone in case any issues arise.
Advanced features and customization
Emitrr offers a plethora of advanced VoIP features such as voicemail-to-text, missed call-to-text, customization, detailed call pop, users and extensions, simultaneous ringing, etc., to support all aspects of patient calls, be it for taking appointments, sharing updates, handling complaints, etc.
Affordable pricing
Emitrr is one of the most affordable phone systems for medical offices. Emitrr offers transparent pricing and best value for money for the features and service it offers.
Offers additional capabilities
Emitrr offers not only VoIP functions for healthcare providers but also additional services such as texting capability, assigning conversations, team messaging, etc., to cover all aspects of patient interaction and your healthcare workflow.
How to Use Emitrr VoIP Service for Healthcare?
Track all calls
Track your calling activity
Import contacts in a single click
Convert voicemail those into text
Here’s a video showing how you can automatically convert voicemails to text
Track your calling activity
Make calls directly
Track various calling metrics
Manage incoming calls
Handle calls queue groups
Manage users and extensions
Setup your own IVR Menu
VoIP for Healthcare FAQs
On average, a medical practice phone system or VoIP for healthcare can cost anywhere between $25-$30 per line, depending on the features you want and the VoIP service provider you choose.
Emitrr is the best VoIP provider because of the handy features, excellent customer support, affordable prices, and seamless integration with PMS/EMR it offers.
VoIP for healthcare providers is needed to reduce the cost of patient calls, to allow patients to make bookings via call, to offer better patient experience, and to reduce AHT for staff to focus on more matters.
Conclusion
Choosing one of the best VoIP solutions for healthcare can be a game changer for you for all calling-related tasks. And after comparing the six best VoIP options specifically meant for healthcare providers, we recommend you book a demo with Emitrr and see how it can help you simplify your calling needs.
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