What Features Should A Medical Practice Look For In Their Voip Phone Service?
VoIP phone services are becoming commonly used in business. Instead of routing calls and texts over traditional phone lines, they send all of their data over the internet. These systems have additional convenience features compared to landline phones, and they're typically less expensive to operate. For a medical practice, switching to a VoIP phone system is a great way to streamline your workflow and save money. If your practice is considering making the switch, read on to find out what features to look for in your VoIP service.
1. Security
When you're choosing a VoIP system for a medical practice, your foremost concern should be security. Calls and texts will sometimes contain patient information, and you need to ensure that sensitive patient information can't be accessed from outside of your practice's phone system.
The provider that you select should encrypt all voicemails and texts in order to prevent them from being accessed by unauthorized users. Only the members of your staff that are on a patient's care team should be able to listen to calls or read texts that pertain to the patient — this significantly reduces the risk that sensitive health information will be leaked to outsiders.
2. Portability
One of the biggest benefits of switching to a VoIP service from a current landline phone service is that it's more portable. It's easier to integrate VoIP calling and texting with your providers' personal cellphones. Any service that you select should be able to route calls and voicemails to your providers as if they're part of the same phone network — this ensures that your medical providers are able to handle patient questions and emergency calls without a staff member needing to know their personal cellphone number.
3. Automated Reception and Call Routing
When it comes to their phone system needs, medical practices are in a unique situation. You need the ability to quickly respond to emergency calls from patients, but you'll also need to field non-emergency calls.
An automated reception system allows patients to clarify the type of call that they're making before they talk to a member of your staff. Non-emergency calls, such as when a patient needs to cancel or change an appointment, can be handled by the automated system. Emergency calls can be routed to the patient's physician immediately. Automated call routing reduces the need for your practice's receptionist to speak on the phone to patients, which keeps them free to respond to emergency situations when they arise.
4. Voicemail-to-Text Capability
Patients often have questions for their provider that aren't emergencies. A VoIP system with voicemail-to-text capability makes it convenient for providers to respond to these questions. Voicemails can be converted to text and then either sent as a text message to a provider's phone or to their email account. Providers can review a patient's medical history at their leisure and then respond to the patient's question, which is most often faster and more convenient than conversing with patients on the phone.
Overall, upgrading to a VoIP phone system provides a number of benefits to a medical practice. It's more convenient to use than a typical landline system, which simplifies the staff's workflow. VoIP phones also make it quicker for patients to get in touch with their providers, which improves your practice's ability to treat them effectively. If your medical practice is still using a landline phone service, contact a VoIP provider in your area and ask about the convenience that a VoIP phone service can provide.