Avaya aids healthcare SMEs

Small and mid-sized healthcare organisations are turning to IP telephony-based unified communications solution, Avaya IP Office, to improve patient care, provide best-in-class service, and operate more efficiently, says TMCnet.

Avaya IP Office 6.0 features new unified communications capabilities that deliver enhanced user experiences to employees in any location.

These capabilities include advanced collaboration tools using voice, instant messaging, presence and video to drive a more productive and flexible workforce

At the American College of Healthcare Executives' annual conference on healthcare leadership, Alfred Spector, Google vice-president of research and special initiatives, said patients should control their electronic health records (EHRs), reports iHealthBeat.

According to Spector, patients should be able to add, change or delete information, as well as decide who can view their EHRs.

He said patients should be able to correct errors or annotate information entered by their doctor and that patients should have the right to conceal certain information from physicians when seeking a second opinion that is "not biased by the original diagnosis".

While insurers scramble to keep up with the changes and stay abreast of developments as a result of the latest US healthcare reforms, insurers are looking at the next steps, and technology is definitely a factor, states InsuranceNetworkingNews.

“The reform goes well beyond point solutions,” says Elizabeth Hart, principal, healthcare solutions at Pegasystems. “This is going to impact all departments, and organisations need technology that allows them to reposition themselves for this and other seismic changes in the industry.”

To address this, Pegasystems unveiled its Individual Sales Process Manager for Healthcare, the most recent in a growing suite of solutions designed to increase efficiency and speed innovation for healthcare organisations.