Dr. Patrick Barta, a Maryland psychiatrist in a private solo practice, isn’t sure whether prescribing by Skype is a good idea or not. But it’s not Skype, an untested healthcare communication medium that’s the problem, but unresolved issues about methodology. “I find it hard to believe that if I were to spend 90 minutes talking to someone on Skype that I haven’t done a reasonable evaluation,” says Barta, who says there are key clinical questions for patients that need to be addressed before prescribing, whether it’s face-to-face or over the Internet.
But it’s this sort of ethical and legal dilemma that is just one of the issues revolving around the use of VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) for healthcare providers. Physicians have been taking a hard look at VoIP as an alternative to costly traditional phone systems, but a serious obstacle has been the lack of clear information of what happens to transmissions (data packs) from VoIP phone systems as well is whether there are ways that voice data can be assured to meet HIPAA standards.
As with other technologies, the healthcare industry lags behind other sectors in the adoption of VoIP, with a 23 percent adoption rate, versus 33 percent among U.S. businesses. “In many ways, this reflects concerns regarding VoIP’s ability to hold up in a communications-intense environment where its stability can mean life or death in some cases,” says Diane Myers, directing analyst for VoIP at Infonetics Research.
But for those who have made the switch, like Raleigh Medical Group, an independent multi-specialty group in Raleigh, N.C., moving from an obsolete, expensive-to-maintain traditional phone system to VoIP has helped ramp up efficiency in patient-care. The system, which is hooked up to a call center computer, allows users to manage calls, set up conferences, and play or forward a voicemail messages with a click of a mouse. Cynthia Cox, practice administrator, says, “The flexibility of the VoIP enabled us to schedule appointments, conduct conference calls, and handle other administrative matters.”
Michael Oeth, CEO of Junction Network, a provider of VoIP business phone systems, says, instead of like traditional phones, which are location-based, with VoIP, phones act more like e-mail clients. “Wherever you have Internet access, you can get your phone calls. Calls can be routed using time-of-day rules,” says Oeth.
Best practices for VoIP include having enough broadband Internet bandwidth, with a second broadband connection for redundancy and load balancing. “Come up with a call-flow plan ahead of time,” says Oeth. “Work out how you want different types of calls answered. What happens when a patient calls in after hours? Who checks voice mails? As long as you plan your switch to VoIP in detail you can be up and running quickly and painlessly.”
Although VoIP is a very dynamic system, giving physicians flexibility, Lior Blik, CEO of nIThealth/nITconnect, an IT solutions partner for enterprises and the healthcare industry, says there is a high upfront cost not just for the phones, but for other equipment and proper wiring. “Before making the investment, have a disaster recovery plan, and understand all of your needed expenses, as well as response times for fixing or solving phone problems,” says Blik.
The bottom line: despite the newness of the technology, Gartner Research concludes, based on quality and quantity of the benefits, VoIP is inevitable. “VoIP can benefit all businesses, but especially doctor's offices,” says Oeth of Junction Networks. “It’s time to answer the call of VoIP.”
