Introduction
$108.5 billion. That’s the expected valuation of VoIP services by the year 2032.
This statistic clearly demonstrates the impact VoIP is going to have on businesses, irrespective of their size and type. Just like other businesses like real estate, restaurants, and hotels, VoIP for medical offices is gaining popularity owing to the benefits it offers. For healthcare businesses, there’s nothing more valuable than providing excellent patient care and delivering a good patient experience, and VoIP for medical offices helps accomplish such goals.
In this blog, we’ll throw light on the many reasons why you must have a VoIP system for your medical office and what features you must look for in an ideal VoIP for medical offices. We’ve also curated a list of the best VoIP for medical offices to help you make an informed choice. If you’re a medical professional looking forward to considering VoIP for your medical office, this blog is just for you!
What Is VoIP For Medical Offices?
VoIP for medical offices is a reliable virtual phone system that allows seamless doctor-patient communication while also protecting critical patient data.
Having such a system for your medical office can help boost staff productivity, boost patient experience, reduce costs, and improve overall administration, while also ensuring HIPAA compliance.
In a world where effective communication with your patients is key to delivering exceptional care, it is important that you set up the required means to improve communication and engagement. VoIP for medical offices is the need of the hour for you to streamline communication.
Why does your business need a VoIP service for healthcare? Let’s look at some key benefits of VoIP for medical offices that will blow your mind!
Benefits Of VoIP For Medical Offices
Here are some key advantages of investing in VoIP for medical offices:
Boost productivity
VoIP for medical offices helps boost productivity as you no longer need to play phone tag or redirect calls manually. You can easily automate all the processes through advanced features like call queues, call routing, auto attendant, voicemail transcription, and more. When manual tasks get automated, you will save time and effort, which will further boost productivity.
Improve patient experience
If you wish to improve patient experience, you need to invest in VoIP for medical offices as it allows seamless call handling which reduces wait times. If you integrate calling with some advanced texting functionalities, you make it accessible for your patients to reach out to you. Improved responsiveness, timely resolution of queries, and reduced wait times all contribute to effective communication and improved patient experience and satisfaction.
Reduce costs
With VoIP for medical offices, you don’t need to have physical phones as everything is hosted on the cloud. All you need is an active internet connection and you’ll be fine. With no hardware required to make or receive calls, you save a lot of money!
Ensure compliance
Having VoIP for medical offices makes sure that all encryption protocols are in place when you make and receive calls. Also, it allows you to implement access controls for protecting PHI and helps maintain detailed audit trails. HIPAA-compliant VoIP encompasses such strong encryption technologies that make it impossible for unauthorized personnel to access PHI even if they happen to intercept calls. VoIP for medical offices ensures HIPAA compliance.
Streamline routine admin tasks
With a unified platform for both calling and texting, you get to manage all your tasks under one roof, without having to switch context. This further helps streamline routine administration tasks and reduces staff burnout.
VoIP For Medical Offices vs Traditional Phones: Why VoIP wins
Businesses, especially healthcare are moving towards VoIP from traditional landlines because VoIP for medical offices is way more functional, convenient, secure, and cost-effective than landline phones.
Here are some key factors that make VoIP for medical offices stand a class apart:
Advanced features
Standard phones only allow you to place and receive calls. These physical phones bear setup costs and require continuous maintenance. On the contrary, VoIP systems require no setup cost and can offer way more than just standard calling like advanced text messaging, compliance, security, and end-to-end support.
Seamless integration
VoIP for medical offices integrates with your EMR/PMS which can further help you:
Track detailed conversion metrics
If you receive 100 calls in a day on your standard phone, how do you track the number of patients you booked? Manually, right? VoIP for medical offices automates this process by adding data to your EHR/PMS as soon as you book a patient. With a VoIP system like Emitrr, you can track the number of calls received, the number of calls missed, the average wait time, the average handle time, and more.
Reduce Average Handling Time with Call Pop
When a patient calls your traditional phone system, you do not know them personally. You would need to fetch their details to be able to handle them and address their concerns properly. With VoIP for medical offices, you can easily get access to the patient’s data when they call you. The integration of VoIP with the EMR allows for such access that gives you access to the patient’s details the moment they call you, like their name, health history, previous diagnosis, etc; which further reduces average handle time.
HIPAA compliance
Traditional phone systems are not HIPAA-compliant by default. As a medical practice, you need to adhere to HIPAA guidelines, and you cannot do so with a standard phone system. VoIP for medical offices helps you ensure HIPAA compliance by limiting access to PHI and ensuring encryption protocols during the transmission of patient data.
Ability to set more advanced workflows
You cannot streamline your workflows with a standard phone system as such a phone is not equipped to make your job easier. On the other hand, VoIP for medical offices helps you manage your workflows with ease. You can send voice reminders to your patients, record calls for future reference and route patients to the right POC when they call.
Which Medical Offices Can Benefit From VoIP?
Features To Look For In A Phone System For Medical Office
Did the aforementioned insights excite you? Well, before you jump on to the best VoIP for medical offices, you must take a look at the features that your ideal software must encompass. You need a blend of both calling and texting capabilities to improve patient communication and engagement.
Calling Features
Here are some key features related to calling that your phone system for medical office must have:
Call routing
Automatically redirect incoming calls to the right people. Set up the criteria for routing calls by sorting them into queues. Consider factors such as call volume, caller information, call priority, relationship between the agent and the caller, and the availability of agents.
Call forwarding
Forward incoming calls to another contact helps and eliminate missed calls. Set up an automatic call forwarding schedule from your dashboard and customize it as per your business needs.
Call queue
Efficiently handle incoming calls by adding callers in a virtual line or queue. The callers can wait until an agent is available to take the call.
Call recording
Record phone conversations and store the recorded calls in your cloud for future reference in a HIPAA-compliant manner.
IVR
Use Interactive Voice Response to automate customer interactions, through pre-recorded messages, menu actions, speech recognition and more. Set up your own IVR menu on the dashboard.
Voicemail
Allow people to send voicemail messages when you cannot take their calls. This will ensure that even though you’ve missed a call, you’ve not missed your lead.
Call handling
Manage calls to and from your medical office by setting up auto attendants, assigning calls to people, categorizing calls, and logging incoming and outgoing calls.
Auto attendant
Maximise caller experience by setting up an automated answering service that encompasses features like detailed menu system, multi-lingual support, and more.
Other features
Live chat
Make sure theb VoIP for medical offices offers live chat to help you resolve issues and address queries in real time.
Also read: Live Chat vs Website Chatbot vs SMS Chatbot
Two-way text messaging
Utilize two-way text messaging to reply to conversations efficiently, send attachments, launch SMS campaigns, and converse in real-time with your patients.
Integration with medical office software
Your VoIP for medical offices must integrate seamlessly with your EMR/PMS so that you don’t have to switch tabs while engaging with your team or patients.
Automated texting
The VoIP for medical offices must have automated texting as an added feature to help you automate regular and normal conversations with your patients.
Voicemail transcription
Your chosen phone system for medical office must have the capability of converting voicemails to text. Whenever you miss a call and someone leaves a voicemail, that can be converted to text to help you access messages faster and in a hassle-free manner.
With so many features to consider, it may get tricky to pick the right VoIP solution for your business, Here’s a quick guide showing how you can pick a VoIP system for your business:
Top 5 VoIP Systems For Medical Offices – A Comparison
- Emitrr
- Nexhealth
- Adit
- Weave
- SolutionReach
Software | Features | Customer Service | Value for money | Ease of use | Overall |
Emitrr | 4.8 / 5.0 | 5.0 / 5.0 | 4.9 / 5.0 | 4.8 / 5.0 | 4.8 / 5.0 |
Adit | 4.4 / 5.0 | 4.5 / 5.0 | 4.6 / 5.0 | 4.5 / 5.0 | 4.5 / 5.0 |
Nexhealth | 4.8 / 5.0 | 4.8 / 5.0 | 4.8 / 5.0 | 4.8 / 5.0 | 4.9 / 5.0 |
Weave | 4.2 / 5.0 | 3.8 / 5.0 | 4.0 / 5.0 | 4.4 / 5.0 | 4.3 / 5.0 |
Solutionreach | 3.8 / 5.0 | 3.5 / 5.0 | 3.5 / 5.0 | 3.9 / 5.0 | 3.8 / 5.0 |
Key highlights:
- Emitrr is the only VoIP for medical offices that is rated 5 stars for its customer service.
- Solutionreach has the lowest customer service rating among all phone systems for medical offices.
- Nexhealth and Emitrr have similar ratings for ease of use and features.
- Emitrr is rated the highest in value for money.
Top VoIP For Medical Offices – A Detailed Comparison
Let’s now compare the top VoIP for medical offices based on their features, pricing, support, and integrations.
Emitrr
Emitrr is the best VoIP for medical offices as it offers all the aforementioned features you would need to ensure seamless communication with your patients. With this HIPAA-Compliant medical answering service, you can manage all your conversations under one dashboard, integrate your EMR/PMS, assign conversations to team members, and track detailed calling and texting metrics. This software is ideal for all types of healthcare practices.
Emitrr Features
- Set up your own IVR menu
- Set up suers and extensions
- Set up call queue groups
- Transfer and record calls
- Get access to all your voicemails
- Convert voicemail to text
- Engage in two way text conversations
- Send an automated SMS when you miss a call
Emitrr Pricing
Starts at $149 per month. You only pay for what you use.
Emitrr Pros
- Easy to use software
- Round the clock support available
- HIPAA complaint VoIP software
- Easy integration
- Great call quality
- 99.99% uptime
Emitrr Cons
- More advanced VoIP features are under development and will be launched soon!
Emitrr Integrations
Emitrr integrates with 500+ EMRs/PMSs, some of which are mentioned here.
- Dolphin
- OpenDental
- Dentrix
- Denticon
- Dentrix Enterprise
- Eaglesoft
- Practiceworks
- Curve Hero
- Dentrix Ascend
Nexhealth
Catering to all types of medical offices, Nexhealth is a patient communication software that offers VoIP for medical offices.
Nexhealth Features
- Detailed reports
- Call pop
- Call routing
- Text messaging
Nexhealth Pricing
Contact support to request a quote.
Nexhealth Pros
- Good customer service
- Seamless integration
Nexhealth Cons
- Limited VoIP features
- Clunky interface
Nexhealth Integrations
- Swell
- Dentrix
- Open Dental
- AthenaHealth
- Doctible
- eClinicalWorks
Adit
Suited for dental practitioners, this VoIP for medical offices offices AI powered features to automate and streamline patient communication.
Adit Features
- Call recording
- AI-driven dental call tracking
- Caller ID
- Call forwarding
Adit Pricing
Starts at $399 per month.
Adit Pros
- Good customer support
- Easy to use
Adit Cons
- Expensive phone system
- Limited features
Adit Integrations
- Eaglesoft
- Easy Dental
- Dentrix
- ClearDent
- Carestream Dental
- Denticon
- Open Dental
Weave
Weave is suited for optometry and dental practices and offers VoIP capabilities that are easy to use and boost patient communication.
Weave Features
- Voicemail greetings
- Call pop
- Missed call text
- Phone analytics
- Multi-location
- Practice analytics
- Hold music
- Phone tree menus
- Customizable phone lines
- Call groups
Weave Pricing
Contact Weave support to request a quote
Weave Pros
- Easy to use
- Good customer support
Weave Cons
- Technical glitches
- Pricing not available
Weave Integrations
- Eaglesoft
- Easydental
- Dentrix
- Denticon
- Eddson
- Dentimax
- Dolphin
Solutionreach
Solutionreach is a patient engagement platform that is best suited for optometry and dental practices and offers a phone system that offers basic calling functionalities.
Solutionreach Features
- Patient pop
- Call forwarding
- Call queue
- Voice reminders
Solutionreach Pricing
Starts at $329 per month.
Solutionreach Pros
- Easy to use
Solutionreach Cons
- Expensive phone system
- Poor value for money
Solutionreach Integrations
- Fuse
- Eaglesoft
- Denticon
- Curve Dental
- Dentrix
- Opendental
Why Is Emitrr The Best VoIP For Medical Offices?
It is clear from the above analysis that Emitrr is the best phone system for medical offices as it outshines all its competitors in a variety of aspects. Here’s how Emitrr stands out as the best VoIP for medical offices:
Advanced calling and texting features
Emitrr is a great VoIP for medical offices as it offers all the features you need to ensure smooth patient communication and boost patient engagement. With Emitrr you can track calls and calling activity, import contacts in a single click, record calls, convert voicemails to text, send an automated text message as soon as you miss a call, converse with patients in real time through two way texting, text securely with Emitrr’s secure texting feature, and leverage advanced analytics to track detailed metrics.
Seamless integration with EMR/PMS
Emitrr integrates with 500+ EMRs and PMSs that help support features like call pop and reduce average handle time. Setting up the integration is quite seamless as well. Once you’ve integrated Emitrr with your existing tools, you will no longer have to switch tabs because you will be able to manage everything from a single platform.
Great support and value for money
Emitrr offers excellent customer support through a variety of support channels such as phone, email, text, knowledge base, and most importantly 24X7 live chat. All the advanced features and support are available at a very nominal price. The pricing model is quite flexible and you only pay for what you use. There is no setup fees or binding contracts involved.
Great call quality and uptime
Having calling features is a waste if you don’t have good call quality. Emitrr offers 99.99% uptime and great call quality to ensure that no glitches hamper your communication with your patients or staff members.
Unified platform to manage all phone needs
In addition to advanced capabilities to manage patient communication, Emitrr also offers various features that can help you reduce administrative workload, streamline operations, and save 3+ hours of daily time. You can assign conversations to team members, add notes for their context, flag conversations, and enjoy features like call routing, call forwarding, call transfers and more.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, considering the rising popularity of VoIP services, hospitals have started to move away from their traditional phone sytems and have started using VoIP phone systems. This shift can be attributed to the level of advancements that VoIP phones encompass and the extent to which such systems can ease processes and simplify communication.
A VoIP phone system can start from $149 per month and can go upto $400 depending on the VoIP provider or the features you need. Make sure to compare all VoIP platforms thoroughly before signing up for one.
Here are the top 5 VoIP for medical offices that you can explore:
– Emitrr
– Weave
– Solutionreach
– Adit
– Nexhealth
VoIP phone providers need to be HIPAA compliant and must follow certain guidelines to ensure compliance while medical offices converse with patients on call.
Conclusion
VoIP for medical offices is the need of the hour to help streamline all your workflows so that you can pdirect your focus towards privoding excellent patient care. Are you eager to explore Emitrr’s offerings for your VoIP needs? Book a quick demo here to know more!
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