The healthcare industry faced significant challenges in recent years, many of which stemmed from the global health crisis. From securing patient data to delivering enhanced patient experiences, healthcare organizations have leaned into the power of technology to help them deliver safe, secure, and effective healthcare experiences.

In the American Medical Association’s (AMA) 2022 survey results, nearly 85% of physician respondents said that they are currently using telehealth to provide patient care. The survey results also indicate that 75% of respondents reported that their healthcare organization is motivated to continue using telehealth practices.

Patient care isn’t the only aspect of healthcare that benefits from technology.

A recent survey from McKinsey & Co indicates that 45 percent of healthcare support staff work remotely. The survey further breaks down this statistic, reporting that 31 percent of healthcare support staff work remotely full-time, and 14 percent work remotely part-time, averaging 2.8 days of remote work each week.

To embrace these changes to patient care, patient experience, and hybrid work for providers, healthcare organizations must be equipped with the right technology that supports patients, families, and staff members.

We have gathered key takeaways from customer stories in the healthcare industry to demonstrate how Webex supports effective virtual care and hybrid work experiences for healthcare organizations around the world.

Leverage technology to deliver effective patient care

Technology continues to help healthcare organizations deliver safe and effective care. In recent years, technological advancements have even enabled healthcare providers to provide remote care support.

One World Surgery is a non-profit organization that provides free clinical consultations to people with long untreated injuries and other medical conditions.

When travel restrictions were in place during the pandemic, surgeons were unable to travel to One World Surgery’s surgery center in Honduras. One World Surgery was determined to find a way to equip its surgeons with a video communication platform.

By working with Webex and RealWear, One World Surgery seamlessly connects frontline doctors in Honduras to doctors in the U.S. with niche surgical expertise—all in real-time.

Here’s how it works: Doctors at the surgery center wear a RealWear headset, built with high-resolution and voice activation capabilities, allowing a remote physician to stream live video of the procedure through a Webex Meeting. This capability allows the doctors to communicate treatment options and share insights as if they were collaborating in the same operating room.

To promote a convenient and clean surgery environment, the Webex Expert on Demand solution provides a hands-free experience, as the operating physician can control the camera with voice controls.

Beyond the pandemic, One World Surgery staff members see opportunities to use this technology to connect patients to remote specialists. Additionally, the virtual observation capability opens educational opportunities for students by allowing medical school and postgraduate students to observe rare medical cases and surgeries.

Adopt safe and secure hybrid work practices

In response to the pandemic, many healthcare organizations found themselves asking a similar question: how can we transition some of our teams to a remote work model to promote safety while maintaining security and privacy?

Integrated Care Services 24 (IC24) is a vital component of health services in the UK. IC24’s NHS 111 telephone service is its most well-known service, as it helps prioritize medical responses and coordinate patient workflows across local general practitioners, emergency departments, and specialists.

In 2019, IC24 contact centers received 1,060,127 calls and handled 565,016 cases outside of business hours.

“We make sure the patient gets the right care at the right place at the right time,” says IC24 CIO, David Brown. “We can help reduce the strain on other parts of the healthcare system.”

There was a heightened need for IC24’s telephone services, but the call center’s in-person office could not remain open due to social distancing requirements. IC24 had to figure out a way to get its call center agents up and running on call center from their homes.

By working with Tesrex, a Premier Cisco Partner, IC24 was able to transition its call center operation to a remote setup.

Tesrex and Cisco worked closely with IC24 to launch Cisco Unified Communications Manager (UCM), the Webex App, and Cisco Packaged Contact Center Enterprise to support safe and secure communication between IC24 staff and patients.

IC24 successfully navigated a pivot to remote work, and even when demand surged and calls doubled, IC24’s average CSAT scores increased by 11%.

Additionally, out of 1,200 total staff members, 600 staff members—including management and clinicians—are now equipped to work remotely.

“The Webex Suite is the collaboration solution that unites us all. We’ve been able to bring people together, wherever their location.”

– James Howes, Head of Infrastructure & Telephony, IC24

Following the deployment of Webex for remote work, IC24 has also added Webex Room Kits and Webex Boards to its head office in Ashford. Cisco devices have delivered an enhanced meeting experience for both in-person and virtual meeting participants.

“Previously, when everyone was in a conference room, people raise their hands to vote on an issue,” Howes says. “This time in Webex, you record the debate, the vote pops up with Slido, and everyone clicks to vote.”

Create meaningful patient experiences

Patient experience encompasses the wide range of interactions patients have within a healthcare system, making it a key priority for healthcare organizations.

In an Intensive Care Unit (ICU), patients are experiencing life-threatening diseases and injuries which requires a delicate balance of welcoming and limiting in-person visits from patients’ loved ones.

When all ICUs had to halt in-person visits in 2020, Wollongong Hospital decided to look for a virtual solution that would allow patients to connect with their loved ones remotely. When exploring other solutions, Wollongong found that many device and platform providers would require patients to hold a device or sign into their account. Given the severity of patients’ illness and injury within the Wollongong ICU, they continued their search for a platform that could power a seamless communication experience for patients and their loved ones.

Wollongong Hospital joined forces with technology adoption partner Taleka and solutions provider Citrus Solutions to create a custom communications app, HowRU, powered by Webex.

After working closely with the Wollongong ICU staff and patients’ families to understand how the solution would be used, the Citrus Solutions team built automations into Webex to create HowRU which allows patients and families to connect in just a few steps.

The solution is delivered through a device that is secured to a mobile and adjustable stand for hands-free operation.

When a patient’s loved ones create an account, a space is created in Webex, and all family members are invited by email to join. Once the space is open, ICU staff can leave the room and allow the patients and their loved ones to have a private and confidential experience. HowRU allows family members and patients to connect over video, share messages and images, play music, and more. The Webex space can be opened at any time by the patient or ICU staff members, supporting a seamless patient experience.

“HowRU is customized for busy hospitals. Family and patients can connect very easily and flexibly. The patient care experience is improved through the connection and support of family,” Dr. Kathleen Thomas, Intensive Care Advanced Trainee, Wollongong Hospital, says.

Deliver enhanced healthcare experiences with Webex

These powerful stories demonstrate why healthcare organizations around the world trust Webex to power safe and secure healthcare experiences that benefit patients, families, and staff members.

To find out how Webex can support your patient experience and secure hybrid work at your healthcare organization, get in touch with our team of healthcare experts here.

Additional Customer Stories:

• Grand River Hospital sets a high bar for virtual care with Webex
• How Financial Services Organizations Use Webex to Improve Customer Experience and Hybrid Work
• Building a better healthcare ecosystem with cloud technology

The post How Webex supports virtual care around the world first appeared on Webex Blog.