{"id":16686,"date":"2025-03-26T08:30:32","date_gmt":"2025-03-26T07:30:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/teamwire.eu\/en\/blog\/2025\/03\/26\/communication-in-healthcare-business-messenger\/"},"modified":"2026-03-25T11:02:21","modified_gmt":"2026-03-25T10:02:21","slug":"communication-in-healthcare-business-messenger","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/teamwire.eu\/en\/blog\/communication-in-healthcare-business-messenger\/","title":{"rendered":"Healthcare Communication: Business Messenger \u2013 Helpful Tool and Lifesaver"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Communication in the healthcare sector is stagnating. In hospitals, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes and care facilities for example, it is highly fragmented and characterized by outdated technologies<\/strong>, data silos and media disruptions.<\/p>\n

Yet fast and simple communication is essential to improve patient care<\/strong> and relieve the burden on nursing staff<\/strong>. This is where digital communication solutions, above all a business messenger, show their potential.<\/p>\n

Following the guiding principle of the telematics infrastructure (TI)<\/a>, business messengers not only connect employees by enabling real-time communication via text, voice, and video<\/strong>. They can also network third-party systems<\/a> with existing IT and solutions across institutions.<\/p>\n

Status quo: Consumer messengers are everyday communication tools<\/h2>\n

The workforce in hospitals, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes, and care facilities works predominantly on the move.<\/p>\n

That’s why it needs a digital communications solution available as a mobile and desktop app,<\/strong> and can also be used for internal crisis communications<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Obvious options are consumer messengers such as WhatsApp, Signal, or Telegram.<\/p>\n

In fact, using so-called consumer messengers, developed for private purposes, is common practice among physicians. A study by the European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA)<\/a> shows that around 90% of participating physicians routinely send and receive medical data via messenger; 80% of them via WhatsApp.<\/p>\n

However, privacy and security laws<\/strong> prohibit the use of such unauthorized apps. Consumer messengers are not suitable for compliance-compliant information exchange<\/strong> in the medical field.<\/p>\n

As shadow IT<\/a>, they offer gateways for unauthorized access and hacker attacks that, in the worst case, cost human lives.<\/p>\n

Alternative to WhatsApp & Co.<\/h2>\n

A messenger for hospitals and care facilities must not only be GDPR-compliant<\/strong>, but also fulfill numerous technical security requirements<\/a>:<\/p>\n

End-to-end encryption<\/strong>, anonymization of user data, and processing via servers in Germany<\/strong>, preferably in an IS0-27001-certified<\/strong> data center or on-premise hosting.<\/p>\n

In addition, the app should be centrally controllable via a professional administrator dashboard<\/a> and allow the distribution of individual users and rights<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

It is also important that it has open interfaces that allow third-party systems to be connected<\/strong> as needed. Ideally, the messenger has an interface to HL7 FHIR (Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources). This communication standard enables smooth data exchange between different systems (interoperability)<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

At the same time, it is essential that the app can be operated intuitively<\/strong> via a clear user interface.<\/p>\n

Relevant business functions geared towards typical use cases in healthcare are also an absolute must.<\/p>\n

8 trend-setting use cases for digital communications in healthcare<\/h2>\n

The following scenarios show how a secure messenger can support healthcare communications:<\/p>\n

1. Sharing information about patients<\/h3>\n

A business messenger can automatically create a patient group chat<\/strong> that includes nurses and doctors.<\/p>\n

Such a chat enables\u00a0easy sharing of photos, videos, and documents.<\/strong> It also allows the care team to discuss via text and voice messages in real time<\/strong>, for example, when the next treatment is scheduled or when the medication dosage changes.<\/span><\/p>\n

Full encryption and integrated image editing functionality<\/strong> ensure the security and anonymity of patient data and\u00a0<\/span>smooth healthcare communication.<\/p>\n

2. Shift changes<\/h3>\n

If the entire team uses a group chat, handover processes<\/strong> can be easily coordinated. This ensures that all relevant information is passed on in a structured and seamless manner.<\/p>\n

Shift schedules<\/strong> can also be managed digitally and shared with colleagues.<\/p>\n

In addition, logging in and out with different accounts or, in the case of larger institutions, connecting the app to the UEM system enables multi-user capability<\/strong>, so several users can use the same mobile device. This, too, is part of modern healthcare communication.<\/p>\n

3. Emergency situations<\/h3>\n

Alarms<\/strong> are essential to inform selected teams or the entire organization during a critical incident, such as a patient emergency or fire alarm.<\/p>\n

Acknowledgement features, signal tones, color highlighting<\/strong>, and read receipts facilitate awareness and coordination.<\/p>\n

A live location feature<\/strong> can transmit the live location of the nursing staff involved. For stationary care, an IoT interface<\/strong> connected to a medical meter or emergency button allows the nursing staff in charge to receive the triggered alarm directly to their mobile device.<\/p>\n

4. Family and patient queries<\/h3>\n

Using a WhatsApp for Business interface<\/strong>, family members and patients can communicate with selected people from healthcare institutions. This makes it easy to make inquiries and quickly obtain information.<\/p>\n

Hospitalized patients can also use this interface, for example, to make automated queries<\/strong> about the hospital menu and select meals via chatbots.<\/p>\n

5. Exchange with institutions and service providers<\/h3>\n

Two technological approaches enable smooth communication in the healthcare sector:<\/p>\n