April 2023 Summaries

HIMSS 2023 highlighted the severe staffing shortages in healthcare, with over 100K nurses leaving the field and 800K planning to do so. This has led hospitals and healthcare systems to focus on improving patient outcomes while dealing with these challenges. Digital technologies are seen as crucial for this, but simplifying their usability is the next challenge. Patients want digital channels, even in rural areas, as well as low-tech options as a fallback. Alternative paths of patient communications, such as text messaging, can help address issues like patient churn, missed appointments, and care plan adherence.

The text discusses the pros and cons of managing a Session Border Controller (SBC) in-house versus outsourcing it during a Microsoft Teams migration. It explains that while outsourcing can make the process easier and less expensive, some businesses may choose to manage their SBC in-house for various reasons such as legacy systems or existing contact center platforms. The text also provides information on what is required for a Teams Direct Routing migration and describes how an SBC works within Microsoft Teams. It concludes by encouraging readers to consider their options carefully based on their specific needs and circumstances.

Every year, around 240 million 911 calls are made in the US. To ensure that these calls reach the right emergency services provider, a complex ecosystem of emergency providers and regulations is in place. Emergency call systems have been improved over time with new laws like Kari's Law and MLTS regulations prompted by RAY BAUM’s Act. However, following a multi-carrier 911 outage in September 2020, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced specific guidelines to improve emergency services infrastructure reliability. The FCC 22-88 Report and Order requires service providers to adopt procedures to notify Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) of network outages or potential outages. This regulation aims to create robust risk mitigation strategies, reduce potential disruptions in emergency services, and ensure that citizens can rely on the 911 system during emergencies.

Chief Information Officers (CIOs) are facing various challenges in the rapidly evolving landscape of digital transformation. These include accelerating cloud migrations, bolstering resiliency and business continuity, rolling out new platforms and AI capabilities, optimizing call costs and operational efficiencies, and managing communications globally. To address these issues, CIOs should consider solutions that offer clear migration paths, multiple layers of redundancy, easy integration with existing tech stacks, real-time analytics, and centralized management portals for global communications. Adopting a unified approach to managing different platforms and capabilities can help enhance customer and employee experiences while mitigating potential economic challenges.

A 2023 survey by Bandwidth revealed that over 81% of patients' communication expectations have changed since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Texting emerged as the preferred channel for relaying bite-sized information, while phone calls remained the most preferred channel for to-and-fro communications with providers. Patients value convenience and ease of accessibility at every point of their care cycle and are no longer interested in jumping hoops to meet their needs. Healthcare providers should adapt to these changing communication preferences by understanding channel preferences, building options into their communications, and integrating reliable communication APIs.

On April 3rd, 1973, Martin Cooper made the first cell phone call using a two and a half pound device. The conversation was between him and his rival at AT&T, Joel Engel. This event marked the beginning of mobile telecommunications as we know it today. In 1983, Motorola released a smaller model costing $3,500 to $4,000. Prior attempts at cell phone calls were made in the 1940s with AT&T's Mobile Telephone Service (MTS), which used VHF radio communications and weighed 80 pounds. Today, telecommunications has advanced significantly, allowing for various forms of communication beyond voice calls.