The growth in healthcare information technology spending is a reflection of several major shifts, including an aging population, and advances in communications technology. Healthcare Growth Partners, which performs IT market reviews for the industry, reported that health IT spending grew from $2.8 billion in 2013 to more than $7.1 billion in 2018.
With that growth comes growing competition and new providers to the healthcare industry. The choices for communications solutions can seem overwhelming, but there are a few key benefits to working with a service that can serve as a critical day-to-day as well as emergency communications tool. What should healthcare IT executives be on the lookout for? Here are a few questions they should ask to help get them started:
Is the solutions provider equipped to handle emergencies?
Extreme weather, violent events like mass shootings, a multiple trauma events like structure fires or bus crashes can have an immediate impact on healthcare facilities. Make sure your solutions provider offers pre-programmed templates to get information out when seconds count. Choose a provider that is integrated with FEMA’s Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS), NOAA and the National Weather System (NWS), ShakeAlert early earthquake warnings, and more.
Is the solution flexible and easy to use? Is it mobile?
Hospitals, urgent care facilities, assisted living complexes and more face major challenges, from spread-out workforces to a vulnerable patient population. A mass notification solution needs to be extremely customizable to meet those needs — with unlimited messaging capabilities and admins. The service needs to reach healthcare providers and staff on every device, especially mobile devices. It needs to support email, texts, voice and SMS capabilities. From trying to locate a missing at-risk patient to issuing a notice to thousands of employees at once, the healthcare industry needs to have a solution that is simple and elegant to use. Choose a solution that improves patient care by allowing conference bridging, so that multiple caregivers and staff can communicate without barriers.
Healthcare is a 24/7 industry — does the solution provider offer 24/7 support?
Providing healthcare is a round-the-clock calling. No matter what mass notification solution a hospital or healthcare provider chooses, they should make sure their support will be there when needed.
Some additional resources:
- Learn how hospitals and healthcare institutions use Regroup to save time, money and lives.
- Get more information on how hospitals, assisted living centers and other healthcare organizations are using mass notification tools, and download a free Regroup for Healthcare brochure.
Learn specifics on how individual institutions and companies have used Regroup to help solve their problems, and keep their communities, patients and workers informed and safe.