The Health industry in Australia is under increased pressure to provide services whilst finances are being constrained. This is no more evident than in the Public Hospitals where Governments around Australia are restricting health budgets whilst there is an increasing demand for services influenced by an aging population and increasing cost of private health care. To meet this demand public hospitals are forced to examine their budgets to claw back non-essential expenses.

One area of focus is the cost of telecommunications. An efficient and reliable telecommunication service is the lifeblood of any organisation and its operation is essential to a modern public hospital. However, this vital but expensive overhead can be separated into essential and non-essential services. For example, whenever the service relates directly to delivery of health care it is essential to the operation of the Hospital and should remain part of overhead expenses. However, where the relationship is not directly linked to health care the service should be examined closely with the view to remove the expense from hospital overheads.

Such a non-essential service is the provision of telephone services to patients. There is no doubt that this service is convenient for patients and it is expected but should the hospital carry the burden of providing the service?

Today the telephone has become the ubiquitous device for communication. People have the expectation that a telephone service will be provided wherever they are located, especially in modern organisations such as hospitals. Communication with family and friends is an essential part of providing patients with comfort and assurance during their sickness and the emotional turmoil associated with a hospital stay.

What does the hospital save? The hospital can benefit in the following areas:
  • Reduced capital cost of providing infrastructure for non-essential telecommunication services;
  • Reduced annual service charges for supporting non-essential telecommunication services;
  • Eliminate the cost of repairing and replacement of missing bedside telephone handsets;
  • Eliminate administration cost of settling disputes over patient telephone fees and charges;
  • Where infrastructure has already been provided, recover the cost of providing these services;
  • Reduced carrier charges by separation of non-essential carrier expenses from essential hospital operational expenses;
  • Reduce demand on hospital switchboard staff by provision of patient direct dial service for incoming calls;
  • Control of telephone access to patient during rest periods and after hours;
  • Ability to ban telephone calls to nominated patients.
Why not use mobile telephone?

Whilst mobile telephone services is a great technology it is not suited to a hospital patient telephone service for four reasons:
  1. There is no control over when a mobile telephone will ring and disturb all patients within a ward.
  2. Mobile telephones require recharging which can be inconvenient if no power outlets are readily available, they make a disturbing alarm when the battery level is low and during recharging they are an additional drain (i.e. expense) on the hospital's power.
  3. Before connection to the hospital power supply hospital engineering must certify all power equipment.
  4. Mobile technology has the potential to interfere with other sensitive health systems.
Current Telephone and Television sites

This service is already installed in major hospitals in Western Australia, South Australia and Victoria. HTR has the human resources on the ground in these hospitals to support its comprehensive patient entertainment service. HTR staff look after the patient regarding these services thereby removing this responsibility from the hospital staff. HTR staff cohesively work with the hospital staff to the benefit of the healthcare provided to patients.

The HTR patient telephone service features:
  • Patients can self register at their bedside extension;
  • Registered patients receive an initial credit advance to allow immediate use of the service;
  • HTR Representative will visit the patient and arrange additional credit and collect fees;
  • The amount of prepaid credit is stored for each patient;
  • Patients are automatically connected to requested telephone numbers;
  • The call type is checked - local, STD, IDD, mobile and ISP - and compare the call against charge tables;
  • Deduct call charges from available credit;
  • When credit expires advise the patient and disconnect the call;
  • HTR representatives advised when patients register;
  • Comprehensive reports available to HTR;
  • Connect incoming calls directly to registered patients without operator intervention;
  • Provide voice mail for callers when the patient is not available - e.g. busy, no-answer or rest period;
  • Provide access to hospital emergency services from bedside telephones;
  • HTR provides and services telephone handsets;
  • HTR Representatives and Ward Clerks can disable telephone access to nominated patients;
  • Incoming calls are redirected to voicemail during rest periods and after hours;
  • Modem access is provided for connection to the internet, for Email collection;
  • Should an incoming call enter the extension in lieu of the patient ID the system will attempt to connect;
  • HTR provides a bedside user guide for patients;
  • When patient move beds they can re-register at the new bed without loosing credits;
  • When patients leave the bed (e.g. discharged) they can de-register to preserve their credit for up to 6 months.
 



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