Besides providing excellent medical treatment to patients, it’s fair to say that effective communication is a key part of any Medical Practice’s success. From communication between staff to handling a vast number of patient calls and triaging patients over the phone, a reliable phone system is crucial to the success of any practice. Gone are the days of having a simple handset that can make and receive calls, modern telecoms solutions also come with an array of features and services to make communication simple and effective.
So, you’re looking for a new phone system for your medical practice but you’re not sure where to start… This short post is going to outline the different systems available, as well as their benefits, in order to make choosing the right system for your practice a breeze…
What is the Best Phone System for Medical Practices?
There are three main types of telephone systems available:
- Digital phone systems
- Internet (VoIP – Voice over Internet Protocol) or cloud-based systems
- Hybrid phone systems (the best of both worlds)
Digital Phone Systems for Medical Practices
A digital phone system is a physical telephone system that is located somewhere in your practice. It’s a small box that is usually mounted on a wall or placed in a cabinet. It connects to your phone lines and all the handsets you have in your building. One benefit of a digital phone system is that it’s very reliable, however, it’s restricted to physical phone lines (digital or analogue phone lines) meaning it’s not particularly future-proof.
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Internet (VoIP) Phone Systems for Medical Practices
An internet phone system, also known as a VoIP or cloud-based phone system, is a virtual phone system that is not located in your medical practice. Instead, it’s located in a data centre somewhere in the world. One benefit of VoIP systems is that they can save money on call charges, however, if your internet connection goes down, or is too slow at certain times of the day, you will not be able to use your phones.
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Hybrid Phone Systems for Medical Practices
The hybrid system is a mixture of a digital phone system and an internet (VoIP) phone system. The system will be located in your practice and offers flexibility with your choice of cordless and fixed handsets. One benefit of a hybrid phone system is that they offer more reliability than any other phone system. If one type of line fails, it can automatically route calls in and out from a backup line.
The Hybrid Phone System is the Best Phone System for Medical Practices
As well as being the most reliable phone system you can buy, hybrid phone systems also offer a range of other useful features for medical practices:
EMIS & SystmOne Integration
Integrate your business phones with your computer for instant access to your practice management software, eg EMIS or SystmOne. Have patients’ files appear as soon as they call in to give a more professional and personal experience, whilst allowing seamless data protection confirmation. Patients’ files are linked to their phone numbers saving you time taking multiple steps to confirm their identity. This integration also allows simple Click To Dial from a PC, saving doctors valuable time each call when triaging or making telephone appointments.
Call Waiting
Rather than patients hearing an engaged tone whilst your team is on the phone, your phone system will automatically greet your patients for you. It’ll notify them that your team are currently busy on the phone and then play some music or important announcements while they wait. This feature will also tell them where they are in the queue, allowing them to know they’ll be able to speak to you. Keep your patients interested and on the line, rather than them becoming frustrated at the wait and hanging up.
Call Recording
Have all inbound and outbound calls recorded instantly and automatically. Calls are stored in the cloud and can be accessed from any device at any time. Use these recordings to resolve patient disputes, monitor your team’s patient handling and train new team members.
Auto Attendant
An auto Attendant allows you to give your patients a message before you’ve answered the phone and direct them to the correct person to handle their call. For example, your message might say ‘If you are calling to book an appointment please press 1 or to request a repeat prescription please press 2’. Not only will this save both your patients’ and your teams’ time, but it also provides a more professional caller experience for your patients.
Live Wallboards & Automatic Email Reports
Monitor how your practice is handling inbound and outbound calls. See all of your call statistics from one simple to view wallboard or automatic daily, weekly or monthly email reports. View average wait times, number of calls answered and missed, as well as individual staff performance statistics.
So there we have it, a look at the best phone system for Medical Practices. Interested in getting a medical phone system set up at your practice? Simply drop your details in the form below and one of our communication consultants will be in touch to discuss your options and answer any questions you may have…
