VoIP for Orthopedic Practices: A 2025 Guide to Scalable Patient Communication

VoIP for Orthopedic Surgery Practice: An Introduction

In the orthopaedic world, phone calls remain the primary means of interaction between patients and providers, who are responsible for communicating guidance and information to patients during these calls. However, the practice of receiving, recording, routing, and documenting these calls has undergone considerable changes over the years. The implementation and use of VoIP in orthopedic practices are more than just using technology; it is a different way for clinics to be agile, responsive, and scalable.

Many practices do not appreciate the continuity of care that VoIP systems can create for patients. Many orthopedic surgeons now rely on VoIP for healthcare systems to instantly route calls from patients/post-op calls to post-op teams—the system enables patients to receive guidance on the same day without transferring patients across departments. Others have identified 20% better referral coordination times due to the available dashboards provided by VoIP.

One emerging trend associated with VoIP for orthopedic practices is a reduction in the level of clinical burnout. With intelligent routing of calls to appropriate teams for post-op, billing, and other patient requests, staff are less likely to be interrupted when working with patient care.

Additionally, centralized VoIP inboxes also provide ortho practices with the ability to track every patient’s voice communication access which is very valuable in patient satisfaction and dispute resolution. These changes are not based upon first principles or generic benefits offered by standardized procedures and protocol, they are systematically changing the orthopedic practice.

What is VoIP for Orthopedics?

VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) enables orthopaedic clinics to utilise the internet for voice calls, eliminating the need for traditional phone lines and providing practices with flexibility, scalability, and efficiency. A VoIP system usually consists of hardware IP phones or a software-based “softphone,” a VoIP service provider to manage call routing and a reliable internet connection for sound quality and call continuity.

Clinics can deploy VoIP in a range of models for specific functionality. For most practices, cloud VoIP is most useful because it is quick to install and maintain, and has no IT requirements. With hyper-automation continuing in healthcare, orthopedic practices may want to focus on an on-premises VoIP solution, which allows peak operating control but also requires a fuller resource commitment. And if a practice is new to adopting communications technology altogether, they may be interested in a UCaaS (Unified Communications as a Service) plan that combines VoIP and related tools for video calls, instant messaging, and teamwork in a communication suite for orthopedic teams.

Learn more about VoIP in this short video:

Importance of VoIP for Orthopedics

Switching from other phone systems to a higher-tech VoIP system reflects necessary improvements in an orthopedic clinic’s communication and value to the customers they serve—patients.

• Scheduling Efficiency: Get more out-of-call volume for consults, surgeries, therapy, and imaging. Features, such as automatic attendants and intelligent routing, minimize patients’ on-hold time by correctly routing patients to an appropriate department immediately.
• Postoperative Follow-Ups: VoIP can enable the workflow to reinforce essential recovery follow-up calls through secured calls or automated follow-ups to keep staff accurately and affirmatively checking patient compliance and mitigating problems early.
• Referrals & After Hours: VoIP allows you to easily manage urgent referrals and patient triage. And during non-clinic hours, communication doesn’t stop with voicemail-to-text and call forwarding.
• Patient Expectations: Patients are accustomed to fast, digital means of communication. The VoIP platform offers the potential to strengthen patient interaction, maximizing availability, and response times, and not only through voice communication. VoIP has an in-built capacity to enhance customer communication experience and retention.

Benefits of VoIP for Orthopedics

Using VoIP for orthopedic clinics makes communication simpler and more cost-effective, benefiting both you and your patients.

• Cost-Effective: VoIP in healthcare can reduce phone bills each month, particularly for long-distance communications, and doesn’t need a lot of hardware so startup costs don’t rack up.
• Mobility: Softphones allow employees to place or receive calls using their phones or laptops, so mobile or working from home at any level of the clinic is in check.
• Enhanced Patient Experience: Serve patients better with auto-attendants, shorter hold times, and faster routing. Features like call queues and music while on hold improve waiting experiences.
• Time-Saving Tools: Voicemail-to-text and automated call-backs also simplify processes, such as triaging and appointment receipts. Centralized systems improve efficiency.
• Scalable & Flexible: Utilize a solution for now or well into the future with the ability to add on or remove lines and features with minimum IT effort. Perfect for clinics looking to expand.
• Advanced Features: Take advantage of analytics, EHR integration, call recording, and
• smart call routing to translate your improved quality of care and operational performance.
• Dependable: Cloud-based systems will allow you to reroute calls when there is a power outage or other problem to help you provide continuous patient access.

Use Cases of VoIP for Orthopedics

There are practically countless applications of VoIP for orthopedic clinics and all aspects of internal and patient communication.

• Appointments: You can provide automated appointment reminders by voice or text and with automated confirmations and/or the ability to reschedule at the press of a button or the reply of a text. Reducing no-shows and syncing up the next available time slot. Patient
• Support: Smart call routing can route patients to billing, general questions, or urgent medical questions departments. This means those in need are quickly connected with the right person, reducing frustration and waiting time.
• Surgical Coordination: VoIP allows for easy pre-op instructions before the procedure, post-op care physicians can query the surgical coordinators confidently, and the surgical coordinators can quickly get pertinent information to patients and their families.
• Referrals: Institution-based referral lines connect physicians directly to each other while providing services for internal transfers. This speeds up the referral and enhances inter-clinic relationships.
• Telehealth: VoIP numbers enable orthopedic doctors to conduct secure remote consultations and follow-ups. VoIP provides good-quality audio and video calls, and virtual visits could also be useful for patients with mobility impairments and for patients who live far from the clinic.
• Internal Calls: Through extensions, employees working in different departments or a handful of orthopedic clinic branches have better transfer calls at ease, as well as internal calls, such that working in a team, becomes easy and operational flow is enhanced.
• Billing: To help manage the billing workload, callers can be directed over a dedicated line with the organization’s own auto-attendant menu to the billing department for insurance, collections, and financial assistance needs. This streamlines revenue cycle management.

Best Practices for VoIP in Orthopedics

To get the most out of your VoIP system for orthopedic clinics, a number of best practices should be followed to ensure efficient and compliant operating procedures.

• Be HIPAA-Compliant: Choose a VoIP provider that openly states it is offering a HIPAA-compliant service. Look for providers who can offer secure data transmission, encrypted calls, and who are willing to enter into a Business Associate Agreement (BAA) with your clinic to protect sensitive patient data.
• Audit Communication Needs: Before deployment, look in detail at call patterns, busy times in the clinic, and typical bottlenecks. When you know exactly what your communication flows are, you can specify the VoIP system to your real use.
• Optimize Call Flow: Build an easy-to-use auto-attendant and reasonably intelligent call routing rules to guide patients quickly to where they need to be (right department and/or staff person) because hold times can frustrate patients!
• Integrate Your Systems: Confirm that your VoIP system can connect with your current Electronic Health Record (EHR) and Practice Management System (PMS); many systems will have direct integration. You want your patients’ data to pop up without you having to do anything, as this will lead to more personalized service, a lot of hassle, and time saved.
• Train Your Staff: Deliver professional development for all employees, on the VoIP phone features, privacy, security, and how to run the system to incorporate phone calls into their current day-to-day operations. Training opportunities can be applied to new features or referral systems, ongoing education and best practices can change throughout the year.
• Use Analytics: Depending on your VoIP provider, they will likely highlight analytics/sharing options. We recommend taking a look at call analytics and report options; while looking for volume of calls, peak call times, missed calls, and analyzing staffing/public health improvement.
• Invest in Stable Internet: Have a reliable, high-speed internet connection with enough bandwidth to enable multiple calls simultaneously without losing call quality. We also recommend backup options in case of outages.
• Develop a Recovery Plan: Establish a disaster recovery plan that indicates how to reroute calls under various scenarios, like internet outages, or power outages as a result of severe weather; doing so will ensure uninterrupted communication and care even during an unforeseen challenge.

VoIP Challenges in Orthopedics

VoIP has many advantages, but it has its challenges related to orthopedic practices that must be addressed.

• Internet Dependency: VoIP is entirely reliant on the internet. The call quality can be degraded by a slow or unreliable internet connection with choppy audio, delays, and dropped calls. It is vital to have strong internet connectivity with redundancy in place.
• Complexity of Setup: Implementation of a VoIP system must be integrated into the existing EHR and clinic workflow and can be complex, requiring thoughtful planning and coordination with the provider. Incorrect setup results in diversions to the workflow and frustration.
• Compliance Risk: All VoIP providers are not made equal, some of which are not up to our high HIPAA compliance standards. All clinics need to rigorously screen potential providers to comply with the full suite of privacy and security requirements for (PHI) including the required BAA.
• Voice Quality: Bad voice quality can be the result of limited bandwidth, network congestion, or configuration. Network settings should be optimized and sufficient bandwidth overhead allocated for voice traffic, for preservation of call quality.
• 911 Limitations: Unlike legacy landlines which automatically provide precise location information to 911, VoIP services require configuration of the correct address to be transmitted to the appropriate emergency services. Clinics need to get this right or they will delay emergency responses.
• Staff Resistance: Like most new technology, there can be an initial resistance from your staff when it comes to integrating VoIP. We have to change management, we have to train enough and [show users] what the benefits are for their daily work to avoid this obstacle.

How to Implement VoIP for Orthopedics using Emitrr

Emitrr has a powerful and easy-to-use service designed to help orthopedic clinics set up VoIP with ease and purpose.

• All-in-One: Emitrr blends voice calls, two-way texting, and reputation management (reviews) into one seamless solution, so orthopedic practices can streamline all communication with patients.
• Voice Calls: Physicians and staff can use their mobile phones or web browsers to make and receive clear voice calls, wherever they are, benefiting their mobility and making them accessible at all times.
• Voicemail to Text: Staff can read transcribed voicemail messages with this smart voicemail-to-text feature. Instead of listening to the entire voicemail recording, they can read the voice message, decide its priority, and respond to patients—saving their precious time.
• Missed Call Texts: Emitrr helps ensure that you don’t lose a potential patient before they even become a patient, or even worse, lose a critical inquiry. After a missed call, a missed-call SMS will go out to the caller, instantly giving you another touchpoint and hopefully not leaving them a lost lead.
• AI-Driven Efficiency: Emitrr’s AI replies to patient texts within seconds and creates fast, accurate, and efficient responses in seconds. Smart algorithms create roll-up replies, and then Sarah uses AI tuning to refine tone and tenor so these first responses are crisp, caring, and applicable. The rule engine and Sarah filtering let you make intelligent decisions on routing replies from dedicated teams of staff, so your teams stay organized and focused.
• Smart Routing: You can set smart routing rules to send incoming calls to the appropriate person or department, using the caller’s input or business hours (such as ‘press 1 for admissions or press 2 for an appointment’), reducing the number of times patients are transferred.
• Auto Attendants: Design professional, customized auto-attendant menus that can help callers navigate quickly through options from appointments, billing, emergencies, or specific departments to create a better first impression for the patient.
• Call Recording & Analytics: Record calls to review and validate quality, training, and compliance. Call analytics include detailed reports that provide insights into call volumes, wait times, as well as staff performance, assisting clinics in monitoring their services, improving processes, and ensuring compliance.
• Implementation Process: Emitrr takes provider clinics through an organized implementation process known as the D-SIG process, where providers go through a Discovery to understand their needs, the Setup of the system, Integration with your EHR, robust Training for staff, and a easy Go-Live experience impacting your staff and patients as little as possible.

Why Emitrr: Built with an orthopedic practice in mind, Emitrr’s VoIP system is secure, effective, and patient-centric, ensuring a stable platform for communication that orthopedic clinics need.

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

Every call counts in orthopedic care. VoIP for orthopedic practices is a game-changer for how they communicate with patients using more flexible communication channels, cost savings, and innovative tools.

Companies like Emitrr provide VoIP for medical offices in compliance with HIPAA, everything with automation, AI insights, and support staff available 24/7.

Make sure to book your demo on the site to see how Emitrr can help reduce no-shows, increase communication with patients, and empower your orthopedic practice in 2025 and beyond!