Hospital Phone Systems

How important do you think hospital phone systems were in helping teams manage the treatment of that many patients? We think they were pretty crucial.

Why is Choosing the Right Hospital Phone System so Important?

Phone systems play a huge part in both external and internal hospital communications; whether it’s staff calling their patients to tell them their results or doctors and nurses communicating between wards and departments.

A good phone system isn’t just about the hardware, though. Telephone system software is the beating heart of hospital communication, pumping comms to every corner of the network. That’s a big responsibility, so investing in the right system is crucial.

However, no matter how clever the software is, it must comply with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). So you’ll need to bear that in mind when you’re looking for your hospital phone system.

Aside from compliance, what else should you be considering when you’re looking to invest in a suitable phone system for hospitals?

Luckily, Expert Market is here to guide you to the vital signs.

Who Supplies the Best Phone Systems for Hospitals?

We researched the best suppliers for hospital phone systems and discovered the top five phone systems for hospitals come from:

• Vonage Business Solutions
• 8×8
• RingCentral
• Nextiva
• GoTo

1. Vonage Business Solutions

Top 3 Features

1. SMS Alerts

With the integration of SMS alerts, the system can send automated text messages to patients, letting them know when their appointments are due. You can also use SMS to market your services to people living within a set distance from you.

Mobility and Productivity

On call doctors and nurses out in the field can use their Vonage number instead of their mobile number, meaning they never have to reveal their private one to patients. The Vonage system also enables them to access medical drives for accessing and recording data.

CRM Integration

Integrate CRM systems such as Salesforce and Zendesk to improve patient experience. Staff on the telephones will be able to access their patient data and provide a more personalized, knowledgeable interaction.

2. 8×8

Top 3 Features

Business Phone Services

With 8×8’s business phone services, you can ensure everyone stays connected, whether they’re on the wards or out visiting patients. Staff will be able to see who’s ‘online’ and either call or chat with the required medical person. Doctors can also set their availability, so they’re not interrupted in theater or when they’re consulting.

Unified Communications

Chat, web conference and document sharing mean medical staff can share their findings and surgery outcomes wherever they happen to be. Doctors can also hold video consultations with their patients, which could be more convenient for both parties.

Cloud Contact Center

Take the pressure off receptionists by having patients automatically connect with the ward or person they require. All the necessary patient data is held securely on the Cloud Contact Center. Update it in real time to ensure medical staff have up-to-the-minute information on their patient.

3. RingCentral

Top 3 Features

HITRUST/CSF Certified

This certification will ensure your medical staff can exchange information on a secure platform on any device – handy if you’ve got a team out in the field. There are seven layers of data and physical security, while third party audits ensure the system never weakens.

Communication Tool Consolidation

With all communication tools grouped together in one software hub, voice calls, SMS/MMS, and fax are easy to set up, making it possible for hospitals to set up new clinics in weeks rather than months. Thanks to the app, medics can tap into the phone system and use their hospital number, rather than their private one.

Reliable Service

Thanks to electronic prevention systems in its data centers, a RingCentral hospital phone system can withstand data loss or service interruption, which is important if your hospital sits within a natural disaster hotspot.

4. Nextiva

Top 3 Features

Arizona-based Customer Service

If you’re looking for a company with a track record of providing superior customer service, Nextiva is for you. Its customer service department is based in Arizona and the team is available 24/7, which means there will always be someone on the end of the line, even halfway through the night shift.

Mobile Communication

Nextiva enables doctors and nurses to stay in contact with other hospital staff wherever they happen to be via a mobile app. The app displays which colleagues are online and offline, ensuring surgeries and procedures aren’t interrupted.

Security and Reliability

Seven data centers and counting across the USA and Canada means you never have to worry about security breaches or inability to access records. Even if one data center is cut off due to a natural disaster, there’s at least six other backups.

5. GoTo

Top 3 Features

Networking

Create private groups on the GoTo app so surgeons and clinicians can share cases, feedback and recommendations. Keep up to date with your strategic communications, including the dishing out of relevant news pages and important medical announcements.

Support Center

You will be able to set up a support center where medical staff can find answers to frequently asked questions. Store knowledge base documents and education materials so there’s always easy access to information.

Secure Collaboration

Whether medics are working from a laptop, PC, tablet or mobile phone, they can stay in contact using the GoTo app. With communication so easy, medics can efficiently acquire all the information they need to effectively treat their patients.

VoIP or IP PBX – Which Hospital Phone System is Right for me?

Both VoIP and IP PBX systems hook up to the internet to provide a range of communication services.

These include:

• Call control and management
• Voicemail and messaging
• Web-based management
• Integrations of other software and hardware
• Analytics

Here’s some more info on VoIP vs IP PBX.

What is VoIP?

• VoIP stands for Voice Over Internet Protocol. It literally does what it says on the tin – it allows you to speak to people over the internet
• VoIP phones store all their data on the Cloud, which is hosted by your service provider
• Having all of your data on a secure Cloud network pretty much guarantees that your data will never do a disappearing act – even in the event of a hurricane. This is because your data is backed up at another data center hundreds of miles away from the bad weather

What is IP PBX?

• IP PBX stands for Internet Protocol Private Branch Exchange. It essentially gives you the best of both worlds – use the internet for communications, or use the local exchange
• An IP PBX system stores all of the data on the premises, which means you’ll have to dedicate a room to servers
• Hosting the system on site means you have more control over the finer details. With a good tech team, you can create your own telecommunications solutions. And you don’t have the monthly hosting overheads

What is the Best Phone System for Hospitals?

The best phone system for hospitals should use the internet for communication. Both VoIP and IP PBX phone systems do that, so it’s up to you to weigh up the positives and negatives and match them to your requirements.

Smaller hospitals may want to go for a VoIP system, just because they may not have an IT department there to look after an in-house server. A smaller hospital also may prefer easy-to-manage monthly installments instead of laying out one large sum.

On the other hand, larger hospitals may prefer to have more control over their communication system. They may also want the backup of the local exchange just in case the Wi-Fi cuts out.

Next Steps

Want to find out how much hospital phone systems cost? Most providers will quote prices with or without hardware. Find out how much a phone system will cost you by filling in our form at the top of the page. Answer a couple of questions and our top suppliers that match your requirements will be in touch.