Supporting the Healthcare Sector with Microsoft Teams
The UK’s healthcare sector is currently facing some of its biggest challenges yet. In order to help minimise the impact of COVID-19, it’s essential for healthcare organisations to have the right technology in place that enhances the NHS’ services and keeps productivity at its highest.
Microsoft Teams is a versatile online platform that can allow your organisation to communicate, have virtual meetings with patients and colleagues, securely send files and keep on top of things.
In the following blog post, we’ll look at the various ways Microsoft Teams can support the NHS though this turbulent time and streamline procedures so that your workforce can spend more time doing what really matters.
Take appointments online
With the latest government advice – self-isolation is key for those experiencing symptoms and for the most vulnerable. Therefore, for the safety of patients and staff, it’s important to virtualise any meetings where possible. Video calls can be a safe and effective way of meeting patients and helping with any health issues or routine check-ups. It can also save both healthcare professionals and patients a huge amount of time, especially when either side may be required to travel.
Microsoft Teams enables healthcare professionals to securely and confidentially video or voice call patients. Patients don’t even need to download or sign up to Teams, just add their email address and they’ll be sent a link to join the call from their web browser.
Use the calendar to manage appointments
The Microsoft Teams calendar can be used to set up and manage all video appointments with patients. Microsoft will also be releasing a bookings tab within Teams that gives healthcare organisations the ability to schedule, manage, conduct virtual visits and assign appointments to specific doctors and nurses. Enabling the organisation to focus on giving effective and quality care by saving time and hassle for both patient and healthcare professionals. Healthcare organisations can get early access to this feature by completing this form.
You can also find out more about the Bookings feature in this blog post.
Health Bot with Teams Integration
The Microsoft Health Bot is a conversational healthcare experience powered by AI technology. It gives patients the ability to access trusted healthcare services and information. The health Bot takes any in-bound requests from patients and then asks them about any symptoms they may be experiencing through a survey format. Based on the results, the Bot will assist in either contacting an employee in your organisation or scheduling an appointment – freeing up more time for your staff while also maintaining their safety.
Watch the video below to see how it’s done.
Communicate with your colleagues
Every single day the state of the pandemic is evolving, therefore it’s crucial that staff within the healthcare sector are kept up to date and communication channels are open. In Microsoft Teams, your workforce can chat to their colleagues or create groups relevant to certain departments or projects. They can also create a team to securely send files and documents, as well as chat and stay up to date on any news.
There are further apps within Teams that you can download to enable better and clearer communication within your organisation. For example, you can pin apps to your side menu bar and add a tab for a specific website that you want your organisation to be able to easily locate and reference.
Video meetings and conferences
Keeping up to date with news within one organisation is crucial, but also maintaining good communications with other organisations and Trusts can be equally as affective. Especially during a rapidly changing environment that healthcare is currently experiencing. With Microsoft Teams you can hold a virtual meeting with over 10,000 people. Enabling Trusts and healthcare organisations to virtually meet and discuss any changes or challenges.
Access and review patient data in Teams
You can download the Corolar ConnectedCare App (C3A) in Microsoft Teams which allows you to easily and securely access patient data, including medications, procedures, lab results, radiology results, clinical notes and more. The C3A app accesses the data from EHRs like MEDITECH, Epic, Cerner and more.
Therefore, you can check records, video call patients and consult another staff member all in one place.
For more information on Microsoft Teams for healthcare, download our infographic here.
If you have any questions about Microsoft Teams or would like to know more, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us. You can email us at [email protected].
