As the healthcare industry becomes increasingly complex, administrators will need to leverage next-generation solutions to enhance collaboration between physicians, patients and stakeholders. By using cost-effective technologies like unified communications, healthcare organizations can boost efficiency.

Video conferencing, in particular, is forecast to become increasingly important in the evolving healthcare industry, according to a new report by research firm Ovum. This is largely because video conferencing applications have the unique ability to positively impact physician and patient satisfaction because of their ability to mimic face-to-face interactions. When the solutions are properly integrated with other collaboration tools, video conferencing will play a vital role in the development of electronic health initiatives.

“Ovum believes that there will be considerable uptake of video conferencing due to the evolution of healthcare delivery,” Ovum senior analyst and report co-author Cornelia Wels-Maug said. “The increasingly central role of information and communications technology will improve outcomes, allow remote consultations and save costs.”

Ovum noted that the growing use of video conferencing is making healthcare more equitable, allowing individuals from remote regions to have a face-to-face discussions with physicians, regardless of their location. As a result, medical advice and diagnoses can be affordably delivered to more individuals around the globe, leading to better patient care.

The adoption of video conferencing it also leading to the development of specialized treatment networks, Ovum reported. By using video conferencing and other unified communications applications, professionals who would otherwise be unable to collaborate with other experts can work together from multiple locations.

“Interaction between healthcare professionals, care providers and patients, as well as training and education, can be facilitated easily with video conferencing,” Wels-Maug said.

A separate report by the New York Times noted that healthcare needs to overcome transparency issues for physicians to deliver high-quality service to patients. By leveraging specially designed video conferencing applications, healthcare professionals may be able to communicate with individuals on a broad range of topics.

“Video conferencing solutions must be tailored to various usage scenarios, ranging from disease-specific diagnosis and treatment between a care provider and patient to consultation between professionals,” Ovum principal analyst Charlie Davies said.

As unified communications systems and applications advance, more healthcare facilities will likely leverage next-generation tools in an attempt to enhance patient-physician collaboration.