The Healthcare industry has been under a lot of scrutiny over the past couple of years, but as we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic it may be time for surgeries and hospitals to look at how they use technology.
That’s a simplistic take on a sector that is increasingly under pressure, however there are areas in which technology can alleviate pain points when it comes to delivering treatment to patients.
Such improvements are hinted at in the popularity of telemedicine and virtual consultations since the pandemic. According to a recent report, over three quarters of people using virtual consultations said that they would be happy to continue to use the technology to provide their healthcare.
When it comes to implementing technology into healthcare organisations, understanding is the key to success according to Jürgen Engelhard, Business Development Manager at Mitel.
“Healthcare organisations do have various needs when it comes to improving their communication and collaboration internally and externally,” said Jürgen Engelhard. “In my experience, the most important element is understanding the different aspects that different Healthcare organisations need.
“That’s not to say there isn’t technology in the sector now. Healthcare and Pharmaceutical organisations do collaborate with each other to improve the treatment of their clients and digitising patient data, for example.
“Digitalisation is one of the main challenges for the entire sector, including both internal and external communication. Patients need to get secure support via contact centers, video calls, or chats, and the staff also need to be able to work remotely, which has been more important than ever with COVID-19.”
Barriers to Adoption
The digital transformation within healthcare is particularly difficult due to the intensity of the job, and the regulations that need to be adhered to.
Engelhard acknowledged that these challenges are things that the solution needs to overcome, rather than doctors and nurses getting used to the system that is being implemented.
“The key aspect of any solution is the intuitive usage which will convince the people that need to work with new technologies of its value. For example, thanks to AI, Voice Recognitions technology people could easily document their work on the fly”
“But given the lack of people in the sector, this technology won’t be accepted if it will increase the pressure and workload on the users, especially compared to traditional working methods. The introduction and the process of convincing the entire healthcare organisation to change to a new way of working will be one important aspect Mitel overcomes, together with its system integration partners.
“Privacy is something else that needs to be considered beyond the doctor-patient relationship, as records are shared between staff and facilities. Partners must ensure regulatory compliance and patient privacy, with a range of healthcare communications solutions that are independently certified to comply with regulations for physical and technical requirements.”
Partnering for Global Success
Mitel has recently expanded its long-term partnership with Ascom, a global solution provider focused on healthcare ICT and mobile workflow solutions. The Ascom and Mitel collaboration provides a fully integrated healthcare solution based on Ascom UniteSuite including Ascom`s Nurcecall system and Mitel`s PBXes with IP-DECT base stations and DECT/WiFi mobility.
According to Britta Hanley, Head of Global Strategic Partners at Ascom: “For Ascom and Mitel partners, this allows us to expand our offerings with a fully integrated vertical solution which opens new opportunities for Mitel’s installed base as well as establish new projects together. Our solution will access segment expertise beyond voice calling in Healthcare, Long-term-Care and Enterprise segments, and provides a unique opportunity in collaboration in Ascom`s regions regarding deployment and support on the healthcare solution.”
According to Drazen-Ivan Andjelic, General Manager for Alpine, Eastern Europe & Israel at Mitel: “Our long-term partnership and cooperation will continue to feed our shared future success. Together with our regional partners and customers, especially in the areas of mission-critical, real-time solutions for highly mobile, ad hoc, and time-sensitive healthcare environments.
“Mitel is today the market leader in several European countries and regions, like the Nordics, Germany or Switzerland for elderly care institutions. In Germany over 15,000 sites of elderly care homes are in operation, and Mitel has, as a vendor, the most installed solutions in place.
“In Switzerland more than 30% of the market, and over 1,000 partners are selling the Mitel solutions, and in Sweden Mitel supports Region Stockholm which is one of Europe’s largest healthcare providers, serving the majority of the Stockholm regions with mission critical communication. Our latest success is in France, where we provide the Parisien hospitals with a leading UC&C healthcare solution supporting around 16,000 users.”
