TELECOMS FOR HEALTHCARE

With a secure platform that is accessible from any device, network or location, Unified Communications (UC) enables seamless collaboration between healthcare professionals. At the same time UC gives patients the chance to have a greater say in how they are treated and offers hospitals and community clinics the opportunity to work more efficiently to achieve positive healthcare outcomes. In healthcare today we are moving away from the traditional ‘doctor knows best’ attitude so there is an emphasis on patient-centred care. UC technology provides a mobile workstation where patients can view their health record and treatment plans. With a user-friendly interface, Unified Communications makes doctor-patient conversations more meaningful by putting all the relevant information in one place. In modern medicine patients are often treated by a team of professionals, including general practitioners, nurses, therapists and specialist clinicians in different locations. UC provides a single platform where all of these professionals can work together to ensure the best possible outcome for each patient, no matter which device they use or where they are based. Each healthcare professional has an individual login to a secure system that ensures patient privacy but allows the right people to access, share and update the patient’s electronic health record instantly, making treatment as safe and efficient as possible. UC allows doctors to make clinical decisions remotely and enables instant communication to the rest of the healthcare team, through a video conference, email or text, allowing those at the bedside to administer drugs or other therapies as indicated by specialists who may not be able to be physically present. In situations where there is a shortage of specialist doctors, UC can allow healthcare professionals access to contact colleagues using video consults to ensure that patients receive a diagnosis or monitoring when they need it. This can help to prevent situations where a patient’s health deteriorates because they are unable to access the right care at the right time. Healthcare providers can also focus on communicating with family caregivers at home to ensure that healthcare needs are being met and that the correct support is provided for each patient depending on their individual needs. Specialised UC applications can free medical professionals from routine tasks such as prescription reissuing and chasing medical results, allowing them to spend their time on patient care. At the same time, with more options to treat patients remotely using video calls, doctors can save time on individual house visits or avoid lengthy travel to hospitals for consultations. While video consults may not be appropriate in every case, they offer patients and healthcare professionals greater flexibility in managing treatment in a range of situations. Doctors now see fewer patients face to face, but a much higher number via video link and messaging. Overall the number of patients receiving regular contact with their healthcare provider is increasing, but UC is changing the nature of that contact, tailoring healthcare communication to the individual needs of each patient.