Unified Communication in Healthcare: A Guide

Introduction 

Unified communication in healthcare took its first steps with the widespread adoption of EMRs and EHRs dating back to the 1960s. This step revolutionized the storage and safety of patient medical records by abandoning the then-used paper medical records. The shift to digital records helped improve efficiency at hospitals and enhance the patient journey. 

In 2024, we have far more enhancements in technology that when applied in healthcare can provide better patient outcomes. There are multiple ways for teams to communicate with each other and with patients. Voice, video, message, the options are galore. 

In this article, we will understand what unified communication is in healthcare, its benefits, use cases of different aspects of unified communication, and things to look out for in a unified communication platform. 

What is Unified Communication? Why is it important in Healthcare? 

Unified communications (UC) broadly defines a highly integrated communications environment that combines, or unifies, text, voice, video, and data communications.  It provides for real-time delivery of communications based on the preferred method and location of the recipient and facilitates the incorporation of all information sources pertinent to the communication.

Unified communication in healthcare is necessary today because it allows for teams and departments to communicate in real time and work together to provide the best possible care for the patient. It also allows patients accessibility to get in touch with their providers. 

Benefits of Unified Communication in Healthcare 

Here are some benefits of unified communication in healthcare:

Enhances patient care 

When you have many channels of communication available for teams as well as patients, it makes operations more efficient and quick. Unified communication enables doctors, nurses, and administrative staff to communicate in real time and collaborate to make decision-making for patient care. 

The team is connected now more than ever, and every patient need can be addressed quickly. Patients who are in rural areas, or in areas with no physical connectivity to a hospital can be connected to one through telehealth services via video call. This ensures that regardless of the distance every patient has access to healthcare and thus enhances patient care. 

UC also facilitates connections over the continuum of care. For eg care coordination between multiple facilities or caregivers. You may have providers, discharge coordinators, social workers, and family members who all need to be involved in conversations about a patient’s next phase of care.

Improves team collaboration 

Unified communication allows teams to communicate via different channels such as voice, video, and messaging. These multiple channels of communication ensure accessibility at all times, enabling better decision-making and smooth operations. 

A quick exchange of patient information can be facilitated through unified communication thus accelerating patient care. 

It also enables a smooth passage for information flow between departments (radiology, pharmacy, lab, diagnostics, etc). Information handoff between departments and shifts can also be easily and securely facilitated through UC. It can be used to ensure that the incoming team is up to date about all the latest patient information.  

Increases efficiency in operations 

 Unified communication can significantly reduce the waiting time associated with interdepartmental communication and team collaboration as it provides multiple ways of real-time communication. Voice, video, and messaging working in tandem under one platform simplifies communication. 

Systems that provide unified communication often also integrate with other important tools such as CRMs, EHRs, and EMRs. This integration with EMR allows providers to access patient information quickly in a secure manner and it also makes patient communication easier. 

Unified communication also reduces the need for redundant documentation and manual updates across multiple systems. For instance, notes from a patient consultation can be shared directly with relevant team members and automatically logged, saving time on paperwork.

Improves patient engagement 

Since Unified communication provides multiple communication channels, it creates more accessibility for patients to communicate with providers and vice versa. Organizations can take into account, a patient’s preferred mode of communication and use that channel to reach out to them. This will ensure that patient engagement improves as patients are more likely to respond and communicate with their preferred channel.

Unified communication provides video as a channel for facilitating telehealth services. 

Since a unified communication channel integrates with EHR, it can send personalized messages to patients. For eg, if you send a text message to a patient for an appointment reminder the integration of the unified system with the EHR allows you to address the patient by their first name, fill in the date and time of the appointment, and schedule it ( all automatically)! 

Use cases of Telephony in Unified Communication for Healthcare

Telephony includes any voice communication; communication via landline phones, mobile, or the internet (VoIP) 

Real-time Team updates on patient care

Interdepartmental communication between labs, pharmacies, specialties etc can be achieved through real-time calls made over the phone or through VoIP. Calls can also be automated based on patient results or emergency situations. 

Automated calls can also be used to deliver patient information and updated patient stats at the commencement of a new shift. 

Appointment reminder calls 

Telephony can also be used to automate patient appointment reminders. The integration of the system with the EHRs can allow for automated reminder calls. 

This automated call can update the patient about the timing of the appointment, date, and location. 

Appoint follow-up calls 

Just like automated appointment reminder calls, a unified communication platform through telephony can also automate appointment follow-ups.

Post-appointment care instructions such as providing instructions, assessing patient recovery, and reminding them of any necessary steps can all be automated. 

Handling incoming calls 

Telephony can be used to handle incoming calls by routing them to appropriate departments. This can be achieved via an IVR in which the patient would input numbers according to the prompt that reflects their needs. Emergency cases can also be attended to quickly and prioritized through this method. 

Use case of Video in Unified Communication for Healthcare

Telehealth services

Video meetings can be used by providers to connect with patients remotely. Patients can receive care from their homes, even if they are in rural areas with restricted access to healthcare services. 

Video conferencing can be used to check in with patients post their appointments for a follow-up. Patients do not need to take out time and travel to the location for a routine follow-up check-up, they can easily do so through the video meeting. 

Video conferencing is also a great means to provide mental health conferencing through one-on-one meetings. 

Remote monitoring, video check-ins for patients

Video check-ins are a great way to connect with home-bound patients or the elderly.  This helps caregivers and family members monitor their well-being, review medication adherence, and ensure they are following dietary or physical therapy recommendations.

Virtual training for staff

Due to varying shifts and schedules, it could become difficult for staff to accommodate time for physical training. Video conferencing can help deliver interactive training to staff on various topics such as new equipment usage, procedures, health protocols, new policies, compliance standards etc. It can also be used to simulate scenarios such as emergency responses. 

Use case of Messaging in Unified Communication for Healthcare

Secure messaging for patient communication 

Unified communication platforms provide ways to send text messages securely to ensure HIPAA compliance. This secure channel can be used to send updates to patients about prescription refills, appointment reminders, post-appointment care procedures to follow, and more. Text messaging has high open rates and read rates thus ensuring greater patient engagement. 

Real-time updates for teams

Text messaging can also be used to send real-time updates to teams about patient health information, their latest status, cross-departmental collaboration of care, and more. You can send text updates and alerts through a centralized system to your entire team via broadcast messaging. You may also create different groups for each department and send updates accordingly. 

Emergency alerts

You can send text blasts to entire departments, care teams, and patients in case of an emergency such as a disease outbreak, weather alerts, priority cases, etc. Text blasts can be easily facilitated through the unified communication platform. 

Appointment reminders and confirmations 

Text messages have an open rate of 96% making it the best channel to use for appointment reminders. As the unified communication platform integrates with your EHR you can send automated text appointment reminders to your patients. These reminders will ensure that patients turn up for the appointment and reschedule if they are unable to make it. 

Appointment scheduling 

With the advent of AI in healthcare, you can also use text messaging to schedule appointments. Patients can text a number and converse with an AI bot to schedule an appointment that suits them. The bot can present an available time slot for the appointment and confirm the appointment once scheduled, all via text message. 

Digital patient intake form delivery and collection 

Text messaging can also be used to send digital patient intake forms to the patients. They can fill out patient forms before coming in for the appointment in the comfort of their homes and reduce waiting time.  

Patient surveys 

Text messaging can also be used to send patient surveys either in the form of a patient survey link or using AI to enagage in a conversational survey. 

Things to look for in a Unified Communication Platform 

Unified communication in healthcare is an inescapable part of patient and provider communication. It not only provides for better collaboration between care teams but also makes healthcare more accessible to patients. To facilitate unified communication in healthcare, you will need a unified communication platform. When finalizing a unified communication platform look for: 

Ease of Use for providers, staff, and patients alike 

A difficult-to-navigate platform would inadvertently make things more complicated. Therefore it is necessary to look for a communication platform that is intuitive, easy to use, and has a low learning curve. Teams and staff should be able to use the platform without spending significant time on training 

On the patient end, there should not be a portal or platform that they would need to log into to access communication from the hospital or provider. Patients should directly be able to receive communication on their phone, voicemail, or text inbox and not have to jump through hoops. 

HIPAA Compliant 

When dealing with Patient health information (PHI) it is necessary that all communication happen in a HIPAA compliant manner. Patient data security and privacy should be maintained via every communication medium. Therefore ensure that the platform you choose adheres to HIPAA standards and provides secure communication mediums. 

Integrations offered 

The unified communication platform that you choose must integrate with your EHR. Look into a platform that offers many integrations to make processes easy at your organization. If the platform does not offer integration with your EHR, building an integration, if possible, would be time-consuming. 

24X7 Support 

Healthcare organizations work 24×7 and thus any break in the communication platform will need to be addressed as quickly as possible. Make sure to look for a platform that offers 24/7 support to address any grievances and lets you find a solution soon. 

Why is Emitrr the best Unified Communication Platform for the healthcare industry? 

There are many unified communication platforms for healthcare, but Emitrr stands out among them all because it:

Is an Integrated Solution

Emitrr is not a stand-alone platform that only provides voice or messaging features, it is one that integrates all communication channels under one roof. It is super easy to use and has a quite intuitive design making it adaptable for all its users. It allows you to manage multiple locations under one dashboard. You can place voice calls, send text messages, automate them, schedule appointments, send emails, create and deliver patient intake forms, and set up role-based access for users etc. This integrated solution allows to handle all communication under one roof, making it extremely simple for staff to manage. 

Integration with EMR/EHRs 

Emitrr offers native integrations with over 1000+ EMRs and EHRs and you can rest assured that Emitrr offers integrations with all essential healthcare tools. These deep integrations allow for a more streamlined operation process.  

Is HIPAA Compliant 

Emitrr adheres to all HIPAA guidelines and provides Voice and Messaging features that are HIPAA compliant. For text messaging, you can simply turn on the secure texting feature to ensure HIPAA compliance. Check out this video to see how secure texting looks your end and the patient end.: 

Has Features complimenting the entire patient journey 

Emitrr’s features are not limited to unified communication. Emitrr offers features that complement the entire length of the patient journey starting from appointment scheduling to bringing patients back for hygiene recall. Some of these features include:

• Sending appointment reminders (Automated or Manual)
• Sending Patient intake forms digitally in a secure manner 
• Syncing form data to PMS 
• Updating the status of appointments in the PMS
• Requesting Reviews once the appointment is completed
• Getting patients back for an appointment for a hygiene check-up when due. 

Additionally, you can also view and send appointments based on different filter criteria right from your calendar itself. Filter criteria include: 

• Appointment based on provider
• Appointment based on visit type 
• Appointment based on the Patient
• Appointment based on date range  

Provides Stellar Support 

The healthcare industry is vast, and robust and provides a very important service that is never-ending. Such a fast-paced and important industry requires software’s that have easily reachable customer support that functions 24×7. Emitrr is rated highly for it support with a stellar 5/5 rating on Capterra and offers live support, call, chat, knowledge desk and email support. 

Unified Communication in Healthcare FAQs

Conclusion 

Unified communication in healthcare is necessary to streamline communication, improve team collaboration, and enhance patient communication. Having the option of multiple communication channels makes real-time communication smoother. Easy connection with team members and providers means quick decision-making and better outcomes for patients. To enable unified communication in your practice or organization, choose a unified communication platform that fits all your needs, is easy to use, and integrates with all your essential software at your office. Emitrr is one unified communication platform that adheres to HIPAA standards and provides the best possible features to enhance patient engagement and communication. Schedule a demo with Emitrr today to get started with unified communication at your organization.