Utilising Microsoft Teams in healthcare
Microsoft Teams has emerged as a powerful solution that helps many workers in the healthcare industry with reliable, secure, and efficient tools for communication and collaboration. This article shows how Microsoft Teams is transforming healthcare. It highlights features of secure messaging, virtual consultations, shared devices, and better collaboration.
Table of contents
- Secure messaging for sensitive data
- Virtual consultations and classes
- Shared devices for better flexibility
- Improving collaboration in healthcare with Microsoft Teams
- Subscription options at a glance
- The future of healthcare
Secure messaging for sensitive data
The privacy of patient data is paramount within healthcare.
Microsoft Teams offers healthcare professionals secure messaging, ensuring sensitive information is shared in line with regulations such as the Data Protection Act (DPA) 2018 in the UK, or the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) in the US. With IT administrators having the option to enable end-to-end encryption to safeguard their conversations further.
Healthcare professionals can chat one-on-one to discuss patient care. They can also invite other care team members to join the conversation, share files, and collaborate on documents when needed.
Additionally, Microsoft Teams allows IT administrators to implement message retention policies.
Configuring the correct retention policies ensures that communications are stored for a specified duration to comply with organisational and legal requirements while safeguarding patient confidentiality.
Data retention policies dictate how long information (for example, messages, files, call records, etc.) is kept before being deleted or archived. These policies help organisations manage data effectively, ensure compliance, and protect sensitive information.
Virtual consultations and classes
Virtual healthcare has progressed from a niche practice to an indispensable element of patient care, transforming the way the industry functions as a whole. Microsoft Teams, as one of the most prominent video-conferencing applications, plays a key role in supporting healthcare professionals and improving patient care.
Teams has helped by facilitating virtual appointments for patients and can help by keeping meeting notes and video recordings for later review.
Patients can also receive text reminders and join virtual appointments directly from their mobile devices, ensuring a smooth and hassle-free experience.
NHS England has adopted Microsoft Teams not only as a platform for virtual appointments but also as a powerful collaboration tool for professionals, enabling more flexible and efficient working practices.
Microsoft Teams seamlessly integrates with certain Electronic Healthcare Record (EHR) systems, allowing healthcare professionals to launch virtual appointments or consultations directly from the EHR interface.
This streamlines workflows, enabling healthcare professionals to access patient records, test results, and treatment plans during appointments without switching applications. With the Teams EHR connector, providers can collaborate more efficiently, ensuring faster, higher-quality care for patients.
Beyond patient consultations, Teams also facilitates virtual classes and training sessions for healthcare workers. This can help to provide training sessions that would not normally be available face-to-face.
Being able to continue to have access to learning resources and collaborate with colleagues remotely can help to foster a positive work culture.
Shared devices for better flexibility
In many healthcare settings, tablets and computers are often shared among team members across different shifts or departments. To simplify this process, IT administrators can enable Shared Device Mode (SDM), which allows healthcare teams to seamlessly share devices without compromising security.
With SDM enabled, users only need to sign in once to a compatible app. This grants them access to other apps that support SDM without repeatedly entering their credentials. When their session is complete, the sign-out process clears all personal data, preventing it from being displayed to the next user.
By streamlining device usage, Shared Device Mode helps healthcare professionals save time and focus on what matters most—providing quality patient care.
Improving collaboration in healthcare with Microsoft Teams
Microsoft Teams offers a centralised platform where doctors, nurses, specialists, and administrative staff can work together more efficiently. By utilising the basic features of Microsoft Teams, users can share files and collaborate on documents in real-time and video call, making it easier to stay connected from anywhere.
These features can be particularly helpful in the case of remote consultation when doctors seek second opinions from other specialists in different locations.
A study conducted by Forrester Consulting found that Microsoft Teams users save 4 hours per week thanks to co-authoring, version control features, and the ability to search documents, conversations, and names in one unified platform. Meetings conducted via Microsoft Teams are also more reliable with high audio-video quality, resulting in less time spent addressing setup and call quality issues.
Subscription options at a glance
Healthcare organisations can mix subscription licenses with Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Teams to address diverse roles within their workforce. For instance, frontline healthcare workers may use plans tailored for mobility and quick communication, while IT staff or administrators may need more advanced plans for robust security and compliance features.
| Plan | Best for | Key features | Starting price |
| Microsoft 365 E3 + Microsoft Teams Enterprise | Large healthcare organisations | Advanced security, compliance tools, full Office apps, and Microsoft Teams collaboration | £35.30 per user a month |
| Microsoft 365 E5 + Microsoft Teams Enterprise | Organisations requiring robust security measures | Advanced threat protection, eDiscovery, Microsoft Teams Voice | £54.60 per user a month |
| Microsoft 365 F3 | Frontline healthcare workers | Limited Office apps, Microsoft Teams communication, and compliance basics | £6.60 per user a month |
Healthcare organisations may qualify as nonprofit, or discounted pricing through Microsoft’s tailored programs.
The future of healthcare
Healthcare is at a turning point where new technology meets significant challenges. Patients today want care that’s easy to access and feels tailored to them. At the same time, the industry is grappling with rising costs and workforce burnout.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the stepping stone to more efficient workflows, elevating both healthcare working environments and patient care experience.
For example, AI chatbots within Microsoft Teams can handle routine patient inquiries for appointment scheduling or answering frequently asked questions about services. This frees up healthcare professionals to focus on more complex and urgent tasks.
Virtual assistants can manage patient queries, ensuring they are directed to the right departments or healthcare professionals. This reduces wait times and improves patient satisfaction.
In addition, Microsoft Teams comes with an option to include Copilot. This AI-powered assistant supports real-time transcription and translation services during virtual appointments, breaking down language barriers and enhancing care accessibility. Copilot enables smarter meeting recaps by summarising discussions, identifying action points, and generating follow-ups, which are particularly valuable during meetings.
Final thoughts
Microsoft Teams gives healthcare professionals a secure, flexible space for communication and learning.
Whether through virtual consultations, secure messaging, or improved team collaboration, Microsoft Teams enables healthcare workers to focus on what matters most—delivering excellent patient care.
At Texaport, our Microsoft-certified experts are here to help you maximise the potential of Microsoft Teams, ensuring seamless, secure, and efficient communication within healthcare organisations. Learn more about how Texaport offers bespoke IT support for healthcare, or contact us today to explore what we can do for you.
