The Transformative Power of Technology That’s Revolutionising Health and Patient Care

Technology is playing a significant role in driving efficiency in healthcare. Avoira is supporting the industry by partnering with Zebra technologies to enable healthcare providers to  enhance delivery and improve patient care.

Avoira understands the Healthcare industry. Mobile devices coupled with our software are an ideal solution for healthcare providers who need to manage patient data securely and in compliance with regulatory requirements.
Avoira are telecommunication solutions provider and a registered reseller of Zebra Technologies. By working in partnership with the healthcare industry to utilise devices and  software from Zebra we can enhance patient safety, ensuring the right patient receives the right care, medication and treatment through accurate identification and tracking.
At Avoira, our goal is to bring people together through technology. We believe in creating meaningful conversations, promoting faster business growth, and instilling confidence in communication. With over 40 years of experience, we provide comprehensive and seamless telecom solutions without any technical complexities. Our solutions are customised and tailored to meet our client’s unique connectivity needs.

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Ensuring a Jolly Christmas Event

Organising a safe and successful Christmas event requires effective communication and careful planning. The critical communications team at Avoira recognise that managing and coordinating a critical communications strategy during a Christmas event is crucial to ensure the safety and success of the event. So, we have put together this step-by-step guide to help you ensure that everyone can enjoy the festivities with peace of mind.

Planning

Clearly define your critical communication objectives:

• Are you primarily concerned with safety, guest satisfaction, or both?
• Ensure everyone knows their roles and responsibilities.
• Assemble a dedicated team, including a communications coordinator, spokesperson, and support staff.
• Develop an emergency plan that outlines the specific steps to be taken in various critical situations, such as accidents, severe weather, and other emergencies.
• Provide regular updates to staff and attendees regarding stock replenishment, schedule changes, weather alerts, or other important information.
• Decide on the communication channels you will use.
• Most communication goals can be fulfilled with the effective use of digital two-way radios.

Read more in the full article…

How is technology driving efficiency in the Healthcare Industry?

Avoira plays a central role in supporting the healthcare industry, we partner with Zebra technologies to enable healthcare providers to enhance delivery and improve patient care.

With over 40 years’ experience Avoira understands the Healthcare industry. Mobile devices coupled with our software are an ideal solution for healthcare providers who need to manage patient data securely and in compliance with regulatory requirements.

Why use Avoira?

Avoira are telecommunication solutions provider and a registered reseller of Zebra Technologies. By working in partnership with the Healthcare Industry to utilise devices and software from Zebra we can enhance patient safety, ensuring the right patient receives the right care, medication and treatment through accurate identification and tracking.

What are the devices?

Zebra is well-known for its barcode and radio-frequency identification (RFID) devices.

These products provide the perfect solution for the healthcare industry. The devices correctly identify patients, track medical equipment, manage inventory, and ensure medication is administrated accuracy.

These devices include.

Mobile Computers:

Zebra manufactures rugged mobile computers and tablets that can be used by healthcare professionals for tasks such as patient data entry, medication verification, and accessing electronic health records (EHRs) at the point of care.

Label and Wristband Printing:

Zebra’s label and wristband printing solutions are used in healthcare settings for patient identification, medication labelling, and specimen tracking.

Real-Time Location Systems (RTLS):

Zebra offers RTLS solutions that can help hospitals and healthcare facilities track the real-time location of patients, staff, and equipment, which can improve operational efficiency and patient care.

Asset Tracking and Management:

Zebra’s technology can be used to track and manage medical equipment, such as infusion pumps, wheelchairs, and defibrillators, to ensure that they are available when needed and to reduce loss or theft.

Temperature Monitoring:

Zebra provides temperature monitoring solutions that can help healthcare facilities monitor the temperature of vaccines, medications, and other temperature-sensitive items to ensure their integrity.

What benefits do the devices bring Healthcare?

These devices are uniquely designed specifically for healthcare providers. These devices can withstand frequent disinfection, batteries are easily changeable and fast charging with a long battery life.

The use of printers, healthcare labels, wristbands, and scanners efficiently manage workflows and minimise mistakes. Devices can track medical supplies, optimise patient identification, and manage inventory.

These devices provide clinicians with real-time access to patient information, enabling faster decision-making and improved outcomes.

How Can Zebra Healthcare Technology Solutions Improve Healthcare Compliance?

Zebra products allow healthcare providers to better manage patient data securely and in compliance with HIPAA regulations by assisting with the automation of compliance-related tasks such as data management, risk assessments, and audits.

These solutions help ensure regulatory requirements are met, compliance is achieved, and patient privacy is maintained.

How Can Healthcare Technology Solutions Enhance Patient Care?

Zebra Technology can improve patient care by enabling healthcare providers to access patient information quickly, track patient progress, and monitor patient health in real time.

Wearable devices track patients’ vital signs and transmit the data to healthcare providers. This data can then be used to adjust treatment plans and monitor patient progress.

What does real time tracking do?

Real-time tracking enables healthcare facilities to track the location and movement of patients, staff, and equipment in real-time, enabling enhanced patient safety and improved operational efficiency.

How do I find out more?

Call us today and as to speak to a member of the critical communications team today on 0333 001 5151.

Connecting Beyond Voices

Communication plays a critical role in public sector organisations, impacting on everything from emergency response to community engagement.

It’s fundamental to human interaction and advances in technology have had a profound impact on the way we connect and communicate.

Clear, robust and reliable communication is also critical to the smooth running, safety and security of public services, those who provide them and those they benefit. It impacts everything from emergency response to community engagement.

Technological advances mean two-way digital radios have emerged as powerful tools that address the ever-evolving communication needs of various public sector organisations.

To be clear, we’re not simply discussing “walkie-talkies” here. The latest twoway radio systems offer an array of powerful, integrated functions beyond voice. These include SMS messaging, GPS location tracking, telemetry, Bluetooth functionality, PBX telephone interconnectivity, potent task management tools and much, much more.

They can be seamlessly harnessed to business-critical applications and yield invaluable management insights, empowering organisations to enhance efficiency, productivity and safety.

Digital Radio Does More

The sophistication of today’s digital radio technologies empowers managers not just to deliver reliable and effective communication, but to refine and optimise business performance.

When Avoira harnessed Motorola’s MOTOTRBO two-way digital radio with CARPS – a sophisticated clinical task management system – it empowered Sodexho to revolutionise domestic, cleaning and portering services at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust.

This solution not only enabled the automatic logging, routing and tracking of tasks, but allowed Sodexo to radically streamline the whole process by empowering clinical staff to instruct porters directly. This “self-service” system removed the need for busy nurses to telephone helpdesks to book tasks, and, frustratingly, often be put on hold.

The solution also captures an impressive range of metrics for performance measurement, with every call and status change logged and time stamped. These allow quick and easy generation of management reports to inform operational practices and maximise productivity.
Whilst CARPS is a healthcare specific solution, the integration of the latest digital radio technologies with other task management systems can offer similarly powerful benefits to administrative and facilities managers.

The fact that radios can now incorporate features such as incredibly accurate multi-constellation GP tracking, lone worker alarm and man down functions also makes them ideal for safety-sensitive locations and roles. Those may range from prisons and secure health facilities to pretty much any public building requiring security patrols.

Complete Signal Coverage

Equally important as the quality and power of digital radio systems, is the expertise necessary to design and implement an effective solution.

Ensuring site-wide network coverage can be challenging. It’s important to get it right because any “deadspots” may not only impact operational efficiency, but the safety of staff.

Strategic deployment of antennas and repeaters can ensure radio signals cover otherwise hard-to reach areas such as lifts and basements.

With such a wide choice of two-way radio systems on the market, securing impartial, expert consultancy advice will also more likely yield specification of best-fit technologies, independent of vendors’ own sales agendas.

Public Sector Procurement - Perfected

Understanding and experience of how the public sector works is also crucial.

It’s a topic in which Avoira are expert having served an enormous variety of public sector organisations, spanning primary, secondary, further and higher education, emergency services, local and central government, healthcare and transport.

As such we’ve have earned inclusion on numerous public sector procurement frameworks, including Crown Commercial Service (CCS), enFrame, ESPO, Crescent Purchasing  consortium, Jisc, KCS Procurement Services and Procurement Assist.

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Introduction

Help is at hand for financial services firms as they prepare for the introduction of a new regulatory regime this summer. Xdroid, the sophisticated AI-powered interaction analytics solution, can greatly ease compliance with the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) Consumer Duty rules.

The clock is ticking fast on the launch of the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) new Consumer Duty regulations.

Financial services firms have until 31 July to subscribe to the new rules when applied to new and existing products or services which are open for sale or renew.

The new regime presents quite a challenge.

In an interview with Investment Week, the FCA’s executive director of consumers and competition, Sheldon Mills noted the “scale of reform” and the “substantial changes” it demands.

Further, the FCA’s guidance states:

Show the evidence

Talking to compliance professionals we’ve found that concerns lie not so much with adhering to the FCA’s outcomes-focused framework, but in providing the evidence that they’re doing so.

“Many Independent Financial Advisers (IFAs) and other financial services firms are understandably wary of the reforms because of their scale and reach,” says Kevan Thorn, Principal Consultant at IFA compliance specialist IFA Consultancy.

“However, in my experience, by and large they are already doing what they need in terms of achieving the kind of good customer outcomes the FCA seek.

“What does need attention is how they collate evidence to demonstrate good practice if required by the regulator. They need to show, for example, that they are able to identify and effectively support vulnerable customers.”

Sharron Titterington, Head of Compliance & HR at specialist broker Principal Insurance agrees. “The requirements and aims of Consumer Duty are not difficult for staff to understand, it’s the evidencing.”

She points out many brokers still rely on manual monitoring of randomly selected sample calls, which is both time-intensive and lacking in rigour.

That situation is further complicated by the requirement to ensure parity of outcomes across all channels. All communications should be “equally effective, regardless of the channel used”.

Whilst the FCA says it does not expect firms to capture every communication –calls, digital and face-to-face – it’s Consumer Policy Manager, Richard Wilson notes that this will be the best way to confirm they are understandable.

Principal Insurance is just one regulated firm to turn to Xdroid, a powerful omni-channel interaction analytics solution, to support implementation of Consumer Duty and the company’s wider business needs.

“Xdroid slots into Consumer Duty in so many ways,” says Sharron. “It can capture, transcribe, analyse and score every communication. It’s highly accurate, self-learning and our staff are very engaged with it.”

Her comments are echoed by Avoira CX Consultant Sam Goundry, who says:

“Xdroid’s technology allows for quick identification of potential vulnerability and a variety of high-risk call types, such as the provision of incorrect information or advice, and customer dissatisfaction.

“Using real time prompting, the technology can empower agents to influence conversations live in the moment, whilst notifying a manager when appropriate. This ensures customers receive the best possible experience and outcome.

“The detailed post call reporting also highlights any trends and allow the senior leadership team to make informed decisions on opportunities for further improvement.”

Outstanding Understanding

The sophistication of the software also means it can support key tenets of the Duty, such as confirming consumer understanding.

“Xdroid can pick up on things like hesitations, ums and ahs, and flag to the agent that a customer may not understand what’s been explained,” she reports.

The company is also working with Avoira to enable Xdroid to identify the “characteristics of vulnerability” cited under the Duty. This will embrace around 100 potential vulnerability indicators, including financial issues, caring responsibilities, learning difficulties, physical disabilities, long-term illness and mental health concerns.

“We are working with Avoira to incorporate tags within Xdroid which will raise flags with agents and their supervisors. This will enable us to better identify and support vulnerable customers and demonstrate our commitment to delivering best outcomes.

“It’s a powerful technology which opens windows to things which we may not previously have been able to see.”

Metric marker

Xdroid offer many more general benefits which help underpin adherence to Consumer Duty.

For example, the metrics it yields can indicate when an agent or cohort requires new or refreshed training. “Through its agent and management dashboards, Xdroid offers continual assessment of compliance and wider performance,” says Sharron.

“Agents like that feedback and it incentivises them to improve, to beat their score.”

This chimes – in very much a belt and braces way – with the FCA’s guidance that firms should monitor their communications, identify and address issues and then retest.

Live action

Xdroid’s real-time capabilities can also prevent the need for remedial actions, with agents being prompted to take actions to deliver optimal outcomes whilst in dialogue. This clearly empowers enhanced first call resolution (FCR) which is both good for compliance and business.

In terms of operational models, Xdroid is also a technology whose time has come, with so many firms having embraced hybrid and Work From Home (WFH) models. Floor-walkers are no a longer thing.

Principal Insurance, which has adopted the hybrid model, reports the technology actually enables greater compliance.“We are more compliant working from home with Xdroid, than working in the office without it” says Sharron. “It’s like having a team leader on your shoulder, able to provide support to agents when they need it.

“That includes alerting management to potential wellbeing concerns and identifying training needs that enhance service and promote learning.”

How Xdroid powers Consumer Duty compliance:

• Automated QA testing – capture, transcribe, analyse and score all communications.
• Real time capabilities – instant analysis and agent prompting to deliver optimal outcomes.
• Omni-channel – enhance and evidence equal effectiveness of voice digital and text communications.
• Detect customer emotions – track customer sentiment to score satisfaction.
• Enable identification of broad range of customer vulnerabilities.
• Identify and address lack of consumer understanding.
• Empower agents and managers to continually assess compliance performance.
• Identify training requirements.

Want to learn more about how Xdroid could enhance your firm’s regulatory compliance and agent wellbeing, as well as it sales and service performance?

Click here to request a demo or here to email Ian Taylor, Head of CX. Alternatively contact the Avoira team on 0333 001 5151.

Introduction

Ian Taylor, Avoira’s Head of CX, explains how a groundbreaking, AI-powered speech analytics solution is helping financial services firms better identify and support vulnerable customers – and satisfy regulatory demands. 

In its 2020-21 Business Plan, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) placed as a key priority the protection of vulnerable consumers by the firms it regulates. 

The regulator has since put more meat on the bones.  Practical guidance has been issued to highlight the actions regulated firms must take to understand vulnerable customers’ needs and treat them fairly. 

The FCA’s motivation is totally understandable. It wants vulnerable customers to secure outcomes at least as good as those enjoyed by other customers. It also wants to ensure that the actions taken by regulated firms don’t exacerbate vulnerability. 

These are undeniably laudable aims but a necessary by-product is an increased regulatory burden upon the insurance, investment and finance firms which fall under the FCA’s auspices. 

It adds to a growing mountain of process auditing and box ticking which firms must undertake. It’s a hot topic. Steve White, CEO of the British Insurance Brokers Association has reported that “the increasing weight of FCA regulation is the number one issue for BIBA members.” 

So, how can regulated businesses do the right thing by their customers and meet FCA requirements – without drowning in process and paperwork?  

Let me tell you. 

Using Intelligence

Many regulated firms use manual call sampling to provide performance and compliance insights. 

It’s an inexact, time-hungry and yet constrained science. Managers can only listen to a limited number of calls, often acting only after the event. 

In recent years Avoira’s specialist CX team has been championing a highly sophisticated, AI-powered, speech and text analytics solution, Xdroid. This captures, analyses and transcribes every customer communication, in real-time. 

Operating in real-time, Xdroid empowers agents to take appropriate action at the appropriate time.

Not only does it capture keywords but a range of emotions. For example, if a caller is disappointed, uncertain, calm, stressed, happy or unhappy, the software flags it – live on screen. This empowers the agent to take appropriate action at the appropriate time. 

This clearly has substantial commercial benefit. The strengths and weakness of call structures can be assessed against, not a few, but all communications, to enhance sales, renewal and service performance. 

When it comes to identifying vulnerable customers, Xdroid is incredibly useful. 

The FCA talks of vulnerability being a spectrum of risk. This could embrace physical and mental health, poor literacy and/or numeracy skills, life changes, susceptibility to emotional and financial shock…and more. 

There’s a lot in play. One of Xdroid’s many strengths is that it can be taught to identify multiple factors. 

Customers showing signs of risk can be identified and flagged by Xdroid to the Compliance team which can then provide appropriate support.

At Avoira, we’ve been working with many customers who are now identifying potential vulnerable customers based on the language within the call. 

These language identifiers embrace factors like stressful life events, mental health conditions, financial difficulties, physical disabilities, learning difficulties and other high-risk language.  A vulnerability risk score can then be determined based on the combinations of potential vulnerabilities identified by Xdroid. 

 Customers showing signs of risk can be identified and flagged to the Compliance team which can then provide appropriate support, or one step further – which is guiding the agent live in a call, to support the customer in the best way possible and automatically alert a manager where appropriate. 

 Remember, it can do this for every call, whilst generating transcripts and scoring agents on their adherence, or otherwise, to the protocols incorporated with a firm’s call structures.  

 It can also automatically deliver a range of bespoke reports, the factors and parameters of which are specified by the business.  

Evidencing internal and FCA compliance for every call, Xdroid is a compliance manager’s dream.

So, there you go. It does right by the customer whilst evidencing compliance with both internal protocols and FCA regulations for every call.  It’s a compliance manager’s dream.  

It is also invaluable at the other end of the line, helping managers monitor agent wellbeing. Emotional and keyword triggers can provide early warning of stress and distress, again enabling timely intervention to prevent escalation. 

Of course these benefits sit alongside those which often first motivate firms to examine Xdroid: it’s ability to guide more successful sales and service outcomes and deliver objective insights into agent performance.  

As one customer put it, “Xdroid does all the grunt.”  That it does. What’s more, with the FCA shortly set to roll-out a whole raft of new outcome-led, evidence-heavy Consumer Duty regulations, it’s value to financial services firms is only set to increase. 

Want to learn more about how Xdroid could enhance your firm’s regulatory compliance, agent wellbeing as well as it sales and service performance? Click here to request a demo or book a meeting with Ian Taylor, Head of CX. Alternatively contact the Avoira team on 0333 001 5151.