VoIP For Healthcare: Everything You Need to Know

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 use cases? 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 healthcare 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. Keep reading to find out the importance, benefits, and use cases of healthcare VoIP phone systems. 

Importance of VoIP for Hospitals

Here’s why having a VoIP system for healthcare is important:

In appointment management & reminder

VoIP comes with many advanced features that standard or landline phones may not offer and can help with better appointment management. For example, features like missed-call-to-text send an automated SMS to the caller right after the call is missed by the receptionist with options to book, cancel, or reschedule an appointment. This ensures all your appointment slots are managed efficiently. Apart from this, many VoIP systems offer AI integration, which places an automated call with the option to confirm or reschedule an appointment as per the doctor’s schedule. Such cool features help the administrative team in managing the provider’s calendar better. 

In remote or on-call communication

With landlines, video calls are not possible, and with cell phones, you always risk violating HIPAA compliance. This is why it is important to invest in VoIP software for doctors. VoIP phones not only offer HD-quality video and audio calls but also ensure HIPAA compliance with encryption and call recording features. Additionally, many VoIP platforms allow you to send files, images, etc., via SMS, ensuring even better communication remotely. 

In patient care coordination

In patient care coordination, VoIP plays a very important role. Since VoIP can be integrated with EHR/PMS, it can prioritize urgent cases based on recent history and route them to their assigned care coordinator. It can allow you to set emergency call escalation rules; it can allow physicians and staff to answer calls from anywhere without being tied to their desks. All this ensures better care coordination for your patients and a better patient experience. 

In department-specific call routing

VoIP allows you to set department-specific routing rules; you can assign extensions, and you can set how many times a phone should ring before ringing on some other phone. Using VoIP, you can even set up intelligent routing rules depending on time of day, caller ID, availability, or skilled-based routing rules so that the calls are routed based on agent expertise or workload. All these features make it possible to reduce call queues and facilitate faster communication. 

In emergency communication

VoIP also makes emergency communication possible by enabling real-time coordination with response teams, mass notifications, and priority-based call routing. Many VoIP systems also support features like automatic call escalation and routing redundancy so that emergency calls get picked up. The best part is that these platforms can also integrate with emergency services so that alerts are triggered during emergency communication which is not possible with standard phones.

How is a VoIP Phone System Different from a Traditional Phone?

There is a huge difference between VoIP and traditional systems in terms of cost, setup, scalability, call quality, and special features. While traditional phone systems only support standard features like call transfer or call hold, VoIP comes with integration and advanced functions. VoIP also costs less in terms of per calls made from the system. To learn more about the difference between the two, watch our quick video below.  

Difference between VoIP and Traditional Phone Systems. #shorts

Benefits of VoIP for Healthcare

Medical phone systems streamline routine admin tasks

Routine admin tasks, such as following up on appointments, sending appointment reminders, etc., can be handled by the VoIP phone system. Based on the information available in the EHR, the VoIP system can generate automated calls and book appointments as per the available slots, and help healthcare providers streamline routine admin tasks. 

VoIP for hospitals improves patient experience

With VoIP features like IVR, call pop, automation, etc., VoIP phone systems can help improve patient experience. For example, using call pop, the receptionist can access patient medical records during a live call and offer better suggestions. Via the IVR feature, inbound patient calls can be automatically routed to the right department, which helps save patients and staff time, improving the overall patient experience. 

Healthcare phone systems reduce costs

Healthcare practitioners have tons of outbound and inbound calls in a day and so one of the biggest benefits of switching to VoIP for medical office healthcare is cost reduction. 

• Cheaper long distance calls: Long-distance and international calls are much cheaper with VoIP as compared to traditional hospital phone systems. 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. 
• Cheaper scalability: Adding more lines or extensions is again much cheaper and easy with VoIP as compared to standard hospital phone systems.
• Reduced infrastructure cost: 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. 

Healthcare Phone systems 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 and ensuring compliance with HIPAA rules. 

VoIP offers better call quality

Cell phones and landline calls may often lag, and you could face issues with background noise and call clarity as well. However, medical office phone systems often comes with HD voice quality and background noise reduction, so you always hear a crisp and clear voice when communicating crucial healthcare decisions

VoIP for hospitals gives flexibility & mobility

VoIP offers flexibility that traditional phone systems cannot match. Healthcare providers can use and access VoIP for patients’ phone systems from anywhere with an internet connection and on any device. They allow doctors and nurses to be available on call in case of emergency cases on the go. 

Medical phone systems can be integrated with EHR/PMS

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.

Know more about the pros and cons of VoIP in this quick video:

Know This Before Getting Started With VoIP! Pros and Cons

Why You Should Integrate Your EHR/PMS with a VoIP Phone System

One of the biggest advantages of replacing your landline or cell phone with VoIP is that it can be integrated with your existing EHR/PMS tools, and with just this single feature, there is so much that you can simplify. Let’s take a deeper look at this:

Coordination between specialists and patient referrals

Depending on the complexity of a case, you may be required to take inputs from another specialist, or if you are a primary care physician and want to refer your patient to a specialist, let’s say a cardiologist, then how do you plan on doing this? Now, EHR/PMS contains a patient’s entire medical record and history, and VoIP integration makes it possible for you to place a direct, conference, or video call, allowing you to discuss the patient’s case in real time, reducing delays in patient care. 

Quick patient information access

Whenever a patient calls, the VoIP system can generate a call pop-up on the receptionist’s screen containing patient data such as allergies, medical history, previous treatments, etc., directly from the EHR. This makes it convenient for the receptionist to address the concern of the patient quickly while keeping a record of the call in the EHR for any future reference.

Remote patient monitoring

If you offer telehealth or remote monitoring options, then VoIP can be a game changer for you. Using VoIP, you can make HIPAA-compliant video calls and access patients’s full medical records via the EHR/PMS system. Based on the ongoing HIPAA-compliant call and the patient’s medical history, the healthcare provider can suggest a course of treatment, update prescriptions, suggest tests, etc., which gets directly recorded in the EHR for follow-up.

Secure communication for sensitive PHI

Suppose two healthcare providers want to discuss a patient’s case over a call. If they do this using their cell phone or landline, they are risking the patient’s sensitive information. However, through a VoIP phone, they can both initiate a secure, encrypted call that ensures patient data privacy. As the call progresses, they can access the patient’s entire medical record via the EHR/PMS integration the VoIP comes with and come up with a plan of action for the patient. 

Automates billing & payment follow-ups

So, the EHR/PMS system tracks patient billing information, including things like due payments, outstanding balances, etc. Via a medical VoIP phone, the billing department can send automated payment reminder calls to patients, which are recorded so the team can go back and address answers to any billing-related queries that the patient might have. 

Ensures real-time alerts

VoIP and EHR/PMS integration can be a life savior. Suppose a critical test result comes up, for example, the patient’s organs are failing rapidly, the EHR/PMS system can send a real-time alert to the VoIP system, which can route calls to the right person/department. These real-time updates make it possible for healthcare providers to take quick action and save patients’ lives.  

Improves staff coordination

Imagine a patient being transferred from the ER to a different department. In this case, the physician can use VoIP instant messaging and send updates to the receiving department’s staff. Meanwhile, the receiving department’s staff can access the EHR/PMS to check any patient data or clinical notes added by the previous physician and prepare themselves for the transfer efficiently. 

How VoIP Systems Automate Communication?

Another big advantage of ditching your landline or cell phone for VoIP is that it can automate communication and simplify so much for you and your healthcare staff. Take a look at this:

• Automated calls: The Healthcare VoIP phone system can make automated phone calls to patients and ask them to confirm their appointments, send reminders, follow-up after visits, or collect forms. 
• Voice interaction: You can set up a VoIP AI chatbot that can handle appointments and other things, reducing staff workload for repetitive tasks. 
• Real-time updates & call tracking: Medical VoIP phones can capture information in real time and update the EHR system accordingly. For example, suppose a patient confirms an appointment over call; the VoIP system sends the confirmation to the EHR/PMS, which updates the patient’s record within the EHR/PMS system. 

Example: 

Let us see an example to understand the above use case better.

Let’s say there is a follow-up appointment schedule in the EHR system; the VoIP phone can dial the number automatically and say, “This is a reminder for your appointment with Dr. Mark at 10:00 AM on May 20th. Press 1 to confirm, or press 2 to reschedule.” If the patient confirms the appointment, then it can update the EHR/PMS system in real time and keep the front desk staff prepared for the same. How cool is that? We bet your standard phone could never do the same. 

What Needs to be Set Up in Advance?

Now that you know about all the cool ways in which VoIP can operate, you must be wondering how this can really happen and what you need to set up in advance to make automated calls possible or to make automated responses to bookings possible. Here’s everything you need to do:

• Patient information should be there in the EHR/PMS: The many use cases of VoIP when integrated with EHR/PMS become effective when patient patient information is present in the EHR/PMS system. For returning patients, their details will already be present in the system. But for new patients, the staff would need to enter patient details just once. After this initial entry, all automated calls, reminders, and SMS notifications can be seamlessly managed.
• Predefine automation rules: VoIP allows you to predefine or set automation rules. So you can set when the VoIP should send automated reminders, follow-up calls (e.g., 48 hours in advance, 24 hours before, etc.),  how patients can confirm, cancel, or reschedule appointments, etc. 
• Have templates & call scripts ready: You can have templates or set call scripts. So, every time the system prompts an automated call, the caller hears a set script, and based on that, they can input a reply, which can then trigger the next step. 
• Ensure integration setup: Not all VoIP systems for healthcare integrate with all EHR/PMS tools. So you’d have to ensure your VoIP system is integrated with your EHR/PMS so that any response from patients can automatically update the patient’s record.

Use Cases of VoIP for Healthcare

1. For Front Desk / Reception Department

The front desk can use VoIP to handle incoming patient queries and patient appointments. VoIP features such as IVR, call routing, and call queuing come in very handy to manage high-volume incoming calls. Using call routing VoIP feature, receptionists can even route to various departments and physicians, and with a missed call-to-text back feature, they can ensure all inquiries are answered. 

2. For Clinical Teams

Clinical teams, including Nurses, Physicians, and Specialists, can use VoIP for communication across departments and for on-call communication. They can even use it for live call consultation via voice or video in case of emergency cases or unavailability of a certain doctor. In fact, a lot of HIPAA-compliant VoIP software like Emitrr comes with a secure texting feature, so they can combine both calling and messaging efficiency to improve communication across departments or with patients. 

3. For Pharmacy Department

The pharmacy department requires frequent communication with suppliers for medication orders, and by using a pharmacy VoIP phone system, they can save a lot on calling costs. Furthermore, they can use it to notify staff and patients about prescription readiness, streamline pharmacy-to-clinician calls, and also record calls for compliance purposes. Be it cost savings or ensuring HIPAA compliance, VoIP phones can simplify so much. 

4. For Emergency / Triage

VoIP phone systems for healthcare can be a life savior when it comes to urgent communication with triage, OR, radiology, and other departments. These phone systems often offer features like quick dial, priority call queuing, real-time alerts, priority call routing, etc., which can ensure timely communication of important information when dealing with emergency cases. 

5. For Billing and Insurance Department

Insurance or billing departments can use VoIP for healthcare for contacting patients for co-pays or billing questions and for coordination with insurance providers. For this, they can use features like call tracking and analytics to solve billing-related issues and create separate call flows to protect PHI. Furthermore, they can even utilize SMS or voicemail-to-text for asynchronous workflows.

6. For Telehealth Team

If you offer telehealth or remote consultation services, then VoIP can be quite useful for you. Using it, you can easily make HD audio and video calls, record calls to maintain HIPAA compliance, and offer virtual check-ins or follow-ups to patients who can’t visit your location as often. VoIP ensures HIPAA compliance via call recordings and transcripts and works on mobile/desktops/laptops so that you can offer remote health services from anywhere, anytime. 

Why You May be Choosing the Wrong VoIP Phone System for Healthcare?

If you are new to VoIP capability, you might end up purchasing the wrong medical office phone system. 

Lack of awareness

There is a lack of awareness when it comes to choosing the right VoIP system for healthcare. Many small or independent practitioners or non-tech savvy healthcare providers do not understand that VoIP phone systems for healthcare are also subject to HIPAA rules. Some assume it is not important while others think HIPAA applies only to electronic health records, not phone systems which is not the case. 

Assumption that phone = Safe

Many people assume that oral communication or voicemails containing sensitive patient information can be shared via a standard landline/cell phone. However, HIPAA defines oral communication and voicemails containing PHI as protected too, and thus such kind of communication shouldn’t be done via a non-hipaa complaint phone. 

Cost factors

Due to added security features like encryption, BAA, and other security protocols, HIPAA VoIP phone services can cost more. Now, healthcare practices that have a large call volume can benefit from VoIP phones in terms of cost, but for smaller practices, it can feel like it costs more. Due to this reason, they end up purchasing cheaper VoIP providers that don’t mention compliance at all.

Communication use case

Some practices use VoIP only for administrative communication, such as appointment reminders or front-desk calls, and may not choose a HIPAA-compliant VoIP phone, which is okay. But if the staff ever mentions test results, diagnoses, or any PHI on those calls, they risk violating HIPAA. So why put your practice and license at risk?

No process for security review

Smaller healthcare providers may end up purchasing a non-HIPAA-compliant VoIP phone because of a lack of security review process. Meaning that they don’t have anyone to check if their VoIP vendor signs a BAA or encrypts data. Even if you have an independent practice, make sure you ask these questions to your VoIP provider. 

Misleading marketing

Many VoIP phone providers try to target healthcare professionals by marketing their non-HIPAA-compliant VoIP phones with “Healthcare VoIP” or “VoIP for Medical” branding. Make sure you actually cross-check if the provider is, in fact, HIPAA compliant and if they offer security VoIP features such as encrypted call recording, limited user access, end-to-end encryption, etc., and do not fall prey to misleading marketing. 

If you are interested in implementing a VoIP phone system that is actually HIPAA compliant to keep you legally safe, then you can consider booking a free demo call with Emitrr. A lot of big healthcare providers such as Niagra Falls urgent care, Pinnacle medical group, Spa creek health, etc., are all happily using Emitrr.  

Best Practices for Choosing the Right VoIP Phone System for Healthcare

We are sure, by now, you have realized the importance of replacing your traditional phones with a healthcare VoIP phone instead. Before you go on looking for the best VoIP systems for healthcare, here are some best practices to consider:

Prioritize HIPAA compliance always

If your VoIP is not HIPAA compliant, then you might as well use your regular phone. To ensure you do not put sensitive patient information at risk, it is important to comply with HIPAA rules and choose a HIPAA-compliant VoIP service provider. For this, look for features like call encryption, user access control, call recording encryption, and BAA certificate when analyzing your options.

Choose features based on your practice size

VoIP comes with many features, and the price of the plan increases as you choose more advanced features. Don’t shoot in the dark; consider the size of your practice and find out what features you require to deal with your current problem. For example, if you have multiple departments and a big healthcare facility, then advanced features such as IVR and role/department-based call routing features may be needed. And if you are a smaller practice, then maybe missed-call-to-text, automated calls could help the receptionist better. 

Look for uptime guarantee & vendor support

The only downside of VoIP phone systems for healthcare is that it operates via the Internet, so it is essential to analyze how supportive your vendor can be and what their uptime guarantee is like. We suggest you look for vendors who offer a minimum 98% uptime guarantee so that you do not struggle with calling and phone quality challenges. 

Think about integration needs

The biggest advantage of VoIP is that it can be integrated with EHR/PMS tools, but not all VoIP providers integrate with all EHR/PMS tools. When choosing a VoIP provider, make sure to see if they even integrate with the current system that you are using.

Go beyond just VoIP

To get the best out of your VoIP system and to ensure give your patients the best experience, consider investing in VoIP software that also offers SMS capabilities like two-way texting, automated patient recalls, reminders, secure chat, etc. Emitrr is a great software that offers both these capabilities; you can either choose just one or both of these capabilities to improve communication within your healthcare facility or clinic. 

How Healthcare Professionals Can Use Emitrr’s VoIP Service?

Emitrr is the best VoIP provider for healthcare and here are the many ways in which you can use this efficient and robust software.  

Set Up and Forward Calls to an IVR System

You can set and forward calls to an IVR system that will route the calls in such a way that you can handle the huge volume intelligently. IVR system will offer the patients who are calling you to the required department, whether it is for scheduling, billing, or it is for emergency purposes, without the intervention of any receptionist. 

Convert Voicemail to text

With Emitrr you can also convert voicemails to text which is easy for you to review messages and respond in no time. Instead of having to listen to messages that are really long, you will get a text or email with the transcription of the Voicemail message which will help you prioritize urgent calls and take action more speedily.

Call Pop Feature

In modern days time is everything and the Emitrr call pop-up feature helps you save time as it allows you to quickly pull up all the required information related to your patients before the call is answered which reduces the time involved in fetching the details manually.

Advanced Call Analytics

Doctors can track important metrics such as call volume, average call duration, peak calling times, and missed calls. These insights help practices identify areas for improvement, optimize staff scheduling, and ensure they’re meeting patient demands. By analyzing call patterns, healthcare professionals can make data-driven decisions to enhance communication efficiency.

Missed Call to Text

With Emitrr you can manage your missed calls with ease as it offers a missed call-to-text feature where the text is automatically delivered to a patient when a call is missed.

One Click Call

With Emitrr’s VoIP phone for doctors, you can make calls directly from the platform to communicate smoothly. Whether it is for reminding patients about their scheduled appointments or simply to catch up with unfinished treatments, your staff may connect with them through just one click.

Easily Import Contacts in a Few Clicks

Emitrr allows you to import patient contacts into the system efficiently with a few clicks. This will keep all patient information centralized in one place for seamless communication. This ease of integration helps reduce setup time and ensures continuity in patient interactions.

User and Extension Management

Through Emitrr you can manage users and extensions that allow you to easily add or remove users, assign extensions, and configure user settings to match specific roles and responsibilities.

Manage Call Queue Groups

You can use Emitrr’s VoIP phone to manage call queues effectively by routing the patient calls to the proper appointment or billing department. This can also help in handling a large volume of calls with shorter wait times and fewer missed calls, all while directing the patients to the proper team quickly.

FAQs

Conclusion

By integrating VoIP with the right features, different teams within the healthcare industry can improve patient experience, enhance operational efficiency, and ensure compliance with HIPAA regulations. Whether it’s managing appointments, answering inquiries, or handling sensitive billing and insurance issues, VoIP provides a scalable, secure, and efficient communication platform for healthcare organizations. Book a free demo call with Emitrr if you wish to implement a reliable and affordable VoIP solution for your healthcare practice.