Hospitals and healthcare clinics are among the most complex technological ecosystems to manage. Staff and patients demand timely, secure, and dependable communication, while administrators often face shrinking budgets and increased regulatory oversight.
Today’s hybrid unified communications (UC) platforms are uniquely positioned to address these challenges. They allow healthcare organizations to optimize their infrastructure and investments while maintaining data security. Modern features offer valuable integrations that streamline workflows, support frontline workers, and empower collaboration across dispersed teams. Let’s take a closer look.
Maintain Greater Control and Dependability with On-Premises UC
If there is one reason why over a third (37.5%) of healthcare organizations report exclusively using on-site deployments and another 12.5% rely on single-tenant private hosted cloud solutions, it is security and dependability.
For today’s healthcare leaders, protecting sensitive data from hackers and ensuring mission-critical communications systems are always running are top priorities.
As we saw from the recent CloudStrike incident, communications continuity and building robust technology systems are paramount. Across the country, hospitals and health systems were impacted by the software-related event, with the American Hospital Association (AHA) reporting clinical procedure delays, diversions, and cancellations.
On-premises UC solutions allow healthcare organizations to maintain greater control of their data. By hosting the infrastructure within their physical environment, they have complete oversight over their patients’ electronic health records (EHRs), financial data, and other confidential details.
Hybrid Cloud Solutions: Balancing Modernity and Security in Healthcare
I commonly hear the argument that on-site UC platforms lack the flexibility of cloud-based unified communications as a service (UCaaS), but that oversimplifies the diagnosis. Healthcare tech stacks are complicated. They often depend on legacy systems connected to custom integrations that support everything from EHR management and patient communications to specialized equipment and digital monitors.
In these complex ecosystems, there must be a delicate balance between leveraging modern solutions and maintaining data oversight.
This has healthcare leaders increasingly looking at integrated private or hybrid cloud solutions that provide agility with end-to-end encryption. This tailored approach to migration allows organizations to identify where it makes sense to move to the cloud or stay on-prem. For example, the core on-site platform can remain intact at a central location. At the same time, new clinics or mobile units can utilize an integrated hybrid cloud solution that keeps providers securely connected with their patients and colleagues no matter where they are.
Hybrid Cloud ensures the control of on-premises UC while delivering the go-anywhere scalability of SaaS. For this reason, it is no surprise that Frost & Sullivan projects hybrid deployments to dominate the UC market – 80% by 2026.
Support and Safety for Frontline Workers
Frontline workers are integral to our healthcare system, and their communication needs are unique. Most doctors, nurses, and support staff are constantly on the go, which means they need access to adaptable and versatile solutions that empower a positive patient experience and streamline workflows to make knowledge sharing more efficient.
Security is also a concern. Healthcare workers know challenging situations, but increasingly, they face situations where personal safety could be at risk. Last year, 81% of US nurses experienced workplace violence, including physical abuse and verbal threats.
That sobering statistic is why there is a further focus on the security of healthcare professionals in the workplace. While this requires multiple layers, technology does play an important role. Versatile and fully integrated multi-modal UC solutions like DECT handsets have built-in security features that provide dependable and responsive communication in threatening situations. Critical communications and notification systems can be vital in keeping everyone safe, informed, and connected during emergencies.
Adapting to Regulatory Changes
Healthcare is one of the most highly regulated industries worldwide, and for good reason. Trust between medical professionals and patients is integral to ensuring proper care, which is why strict controls over sensitive patient information exist. Several regulations, including HIPAA, GDPR, and Kari’s Law, are in place to ensure data is safeguarded and the public has direct access to emergency services.
Laws and regulations are constantly evolving and can be specific to certain states and regions, so technology needs to be able to adapt when required. Because on-prem and private cloud solutions are custom-built, updates can be deployed quickly to ensure compliance with changing regulations or legislation.
Enhancing Healthcare Communications through Tailored UC Solutions
With many factors at play when optimizing your legacy solution or moving to the cloud, you must work directly with a trusted and experienced UC provider. Doing so will help deliver responsible migrations that minimize downtime and disruption. It will also ensure that the unique requirements of deploying modern communications solutions in a healthcare setting are fully considered.
Modern UC solutions can create exceptional patient and provider experiences tailored to every healthcare organization’s objectives when aligned with their specific needs while ensuring reliability, security, and compliance.
About Luiz Domingos
Luiz Domingos is an innovative and passionate technology executive with more than 20 years of experience and an extensive record of leading global R&D, product management, and project teams to deliver disruptive and high-quality enterprise communication and collaboration solutions, contact center and network management products, and cloud services to the market.
As Mitel Chief Technology Officer and Head of Large Enterprise R&D, Luiz leads the company’s technology vision and strategy, fostering introduction of new technologies, portfolio innovation, and implementation of highly reliable and scalable products.
Throughout his career, Luiz has held key positions at Siemens, Unify, and Atos driving the delivery of new products, vertical offerings, and complex solutions across a wide range of technologies. Prior to Mitel, Luiz served as Chief Product and Technology officer for Unify, where he managed the complete Unify portfolio and was responsible for the development and launch of disruptive cloud solutions.