About the Author
Sahil Rekhi is the Managing Director of RingCentral, EMEA.
Technology has completely transformed our personal lives in recent years, from the way we shop and move, to the way we consume recreation. This also extends to the workplace. New technologies have made flexible working easier and transformed the way teams work together. Work is no longer where you go, that's what you do.
Although this is a general observation, not all industries have evolved at the same rate. Different industries present their own challenges to be able to modernize in the same way that our personal lives and our work habits have changed to be more efficient and take advantage of the benefits of technology.
The healthcare sector is one of those sectors that has not kept pace with the others, despite the enormous growth in hardware, software and cloud technology seen in recent years.
So why is this the case and what can be done about it?
Regional nuances
The idea of a new technology revolutionizing healthcare is exciting. Many often speak of "the hospital of the future" - emphasizing; advances in medicines, new medical devices and a new level of patient care.
However, the healthcare sector is unique in that the barriers that could prevent the ideal hospital from becoming a reality can vary from region to region. In fact, regional nuances can be diverse even when looking at neighboring countries like the United States and Canada; the two are fundamentally different in their mode of operation.
In the United States, privatization means that money is a very important part of the actual operation of health care, which explains how the country has been able to access and adopt new technologies. But get out of Canada on the other side of the UK and the system is totally different.
In Britain, we are fortunate to be able to enjoy the institution that is the NHS. This public health system is the default point of care for most people in the country. Although some may still benefit from some form of private care through an employer or private dentist, the NHS is at the heart of our healthcare sector.
Digital transformation within the NHS is a hot topic right now, and we see MPs and healthcare providers coming together to advance the vision and long-term plan in the UK.
Despite these great differences, two key factors link these two totally opposite systems: the patient and the staff. Understanding these similarities is the key to solving a major health and communication challenge.
Patients and hospitals
No matter where you are, the goal of medical care is always to heal the patient. Staff are the greatest asset in achieving this result because they are critical to patient care.
But staff need a highly coordinated process and work in situations that can be life or death problems. Staff have very little room for error, so communication is paramount. Technology has a propensity to improve the way these teams work together.
Communication on many different digital channels alters the patient experience. It enables patients to talk to healthcare professionals digitally and much more easily than before. Although physical therapy is always an important element, before and after care becomes more and more transparent through technology.
On staffing, teams begin using video conferencing before a major operation to review plans and coordination to ensure smooth delivery of care. This is a huge step forward, which can help cut costs or save time on your face. meetings in person.
This technology could offer significant benefits on this side of the pond.
How can hospital communication evolve?
The NHS is often monitored by its use of pagers and paper folders. This outdated way of communicating important information means that hospitals are ineffective. Technology should be there to help staff communicate in a more modern and efficient way. Doctors and nurses want to be able to share documents or patient files "on the go."
After all, we are so used to IMing our friends and family and talking to brands when we need customer service, so why are hospitals the only place where we don't have access to this same simplicity, ease, and convenience? ?
Britain is by no means a lost cause. Indeed, the UK is beginning to adapt as organizations such as the NHS professionals equip their staff with new tools to coordinate their critical staffing service, helping to find replacements when a hospital is understaffed. effective. Like NHS services broadly, NHS professionals are embarking on a digital transformation strategy that will allow the organization to modernize.
Using new communication tools, NHS professionals can optimize the way their staff discuss, plan and coordinate services with various UK health trusts. Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) enables NHS professionals to provide services faster and easier than ever, by providing hospitals with the replacement staff they need in the best possible way.
Although it is involved in a completely different part of the healthcare experience, the British Medical Journal (BMJ) is also looking for new and innovative technologies. The BMJ has embarked on a cloud computing mission as it removes outdated systems to allow it to work better for more than 800 people. Part of this redesign has been devoted to how your staff communicate and establishing a flexible work model.
The BMJ is intrinsically formed by a global network, its work can take place in different places, depending on the type of study, research or project. Additionally, staff may need to work from home or be more flexible in their work habits, a trend that is widely observed in many industries. To ensure staff are fully equipped, the BMJ has been moved to a UCaaS system. This decision means that BMJ staff can now interact online, via video conferencing, and work collaboratively through a single platform, anywhere in the world.
And because the service is hosted in the cloud, implementation has been easy - a benefit for the BMJ, but essential for NHS professionals who provide a service that can impact patient care.
However, this same approach has yet to be implemented in the UK. The BMJ and NHS professionals are excellent examples of the application of VoIP technology in the UK healthcare sector. Imagine what it could do for the NHS in general: this technology could improve the patient experience and ease some of the burden on team members working in this stressful environment.
If these organizations and providers can do this, the same is true for other health services.
The hospital of the future.
Although there are regional differences in healthcare, healthcare professionals around the world have one thing in common: patient outcomes are always a priority. Lessons can be taken from opposite sides of the pond. Technology already exists to solve some of the communication problems, helping to create a more patient-centered future of healthcare and a safer and more efficient process for staff.
In the coming years, new technologies will be applied to diagnosis, analysis and testing, as well as to this fundamental change in communications that will truly transform the way hospitals operate.
As healthcare professionals adapt to these new technologies, I look forward to seeing UK and global hospitals move the patient experience into the digital age.
Sahil Rekhi is the Managing Director of RingCentral, EMEA.