The Cost of Not Updating a Healthcare Facility’s Phone System

Doctors, nurses and medical professionals alike know that, in healthcare, every second counts. Providing care for patients quickly and efficiently becomes especially important when tending to those in critical condition. For this reason, routines are established to help things run as smoothly as possible. Understandably, healthcare professionals may not be keen to change, especially learning a new phone system. 

Although implementing and learning a new phone system may sound like more work for medical staff and administrators, a new phone system can both significantly improve the efficiency of medical professionals and drastically reduce costs for healthcare practices.

Improved Efficiency with UC

Mobility

One area in which a new phone system offers improved efficiency is mobility. With a Unified Communications (UC) phone system, health professionals are offered mobility capabilities like none they may have experienced before. For example, the Switchvox Softphone allows staff members to use their Switchvox phone extension with any of their personal devices. This not only gives staff greater flexibility but also ensures that medical staff can be reached no matter whether they are walking in and out offices or simply on a lunch break. The Switchvox Softphone extension also gives healthcare professionals the privacy of not having to give out their personal phone number, all the while offering the same capabilities as their desk phone, including call controls, visual voicemail, call recording, conferencing and more.

IVRs

The benefits of Unified Communications for healthcare professionals are not just limited to increased mobility for professionals like doctors and nurses on the go, but also extend to front desk staff and IT administrators. For instance, Switchvox UC gives IT administrators the option to employ Interactive Voice Response (IVR) for daily office operations. Using an IVR, IT administrators can set up easy-to-follow menus for patients to reach the appropriate department or create custom routes based on caller ID information. This gives IT administrators a faster and simpler way to direct call flows and change call options. IVRs also lessen the workload of front desk staff by automating things like appointment confirmations and cancellations. Having an IVR reduces patient waiting time and ensures that no patient calls are missed. In a field where reputation is key to keeping patients, an IVR helps gives both small and large medical practices a more professional look and feel. 

Long-term Cost Savings of UC

Harnessing the mobility capabilities of Switchvox as well as the professional look and feel of an IVR are just a few of the tangible ways that a UC phone system can improve efficiency among medical practices. However, the benefits of a new UC phone system extend beyond just improved efficiency and include long-term cost savings and flexibility. One way that a UC system can save your practice money is by consolidating multiple phone systems into one and integrating with existing infrastructure. Specifically, Switchvox has helped healthcare practices like Cullman Primary Care Group who was operating multiple different phone systems consolidate into a single unified system. Likewise, the Switchvox UC platform is compatible with all SIP-based hardware, allowing you to make use of your existing phone system technology.

Upgrading to a new phone system can be difficult when you’re operating on a tight budget. Fortunately, Switchvox was built with flexibility in mind and offers the option of deploying on-premise equipment or connecting to a cloud-hosted phone system. This gives you the freedom to opt for an upfront capital investment in on-premise equipment or a monthly subscription to hosted cloud phone service. 

Along with a flexible cost structure, a UC solution like Switchvox will save your organization money down the road with its long-term flexibility and functionality. Switchvox comes all features included, so you don’t have to pay added costs when you want to add functionality. Best of all, Switchvox is regularly updated with the latest advanced features to enhance the functionality of your phone system and ensure your practice stays on the cutting edge.


If you’re ready to experience the benefits of Unified Communications but still apprehensive about a new deployment and training, rest assured. Switchvox is both easy to install and learn. In fact, Switchvox Cloud comes with pre-provisioned phones, making for a truly easy installation experience.

Regardless of whether you choose hosted cloud or on-premise deployment, local partners are happy to come on site to help design and implement your Switchvox deployment. Not to mention, Switchvox users enjoy 24×7 tech support and free online training to help you implement and learn your new phone system.

Click here to learn more!

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