Introduction of Microsoft Teams at the University Hospital Basel

About the customer

The University Hospital Basel (formerly Kantonsspital Basel) is one of Switzerland's leading medical centers with high internationally recognized standards and is the largest healthcare center in Northwestern Switzerland. At the end of 2020, the hospital employed over 7,600 people. This also makes it one of the largest employers and one of the largest training centers in the region. The close collaboration between the University Hospital Basel and the oldest university in Switzerland and the leading global life science companies in Basel guarantees interdisciplinary treatment concepts and innovations in all medical specialties at the highest level. This transfer of knowledge also benefits teaching and research as well as education and training to a great extent.

The project

At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the USB was also faced with the challenge that many employees were suddenly working from home where work permitted. Traditionally, working from home was not a priority. The new situation required flexible communication channels that had to be available quickly. Meetings had to be held efficiently online. Security and data protection were always key issues. Microsoft Teams was rolled out across the entire organization within a few days. Configuration guidelines ensured that only the communication options were used.

The pandemic presents us with major challenges and in the search for a communication solution to ensure fast and secure interaction and communication between all relevant parties, Microsoft Teams was the answer to these challenges.

Sören Wulff

Head of UC & Collaboration at University Hospital Basel (USB)

Why was Microsoft Teams chosen as the communication tool?

At the beginning of the pandemic, there was a need to reach as many workstations as possible in the home office easily and efficiently. The focus was on communication via online meetings. As the basic requirements were already in place at the time (a Microsoft 365 tenant with the corresponding licenses), it was possible to implement Microsoft Teams within a few days. Appropriate policies and authorizations ensured that Teams was only used for the intended purpose.

Microsoft Teams for healthcare organizations

What tasks can Microsoft Teams support the healthcare sector with?

Microsoft Teams offers a range of telehealth features that are useful for hospitals and other healthcare organizations. Teams features are currently being developed to support hospitals in the following tasks:

Communicate confidently throughout the care team
Better teamwork
Shift management can be coordinated
Care coordination and cooperation

This functionality is part of Microsoft Cloud for Healthcare. Find out more about using this solution, which combines functions from Azure, Dynamics 365 and Microsoft 365 in Microsoft Cloud for Healthcare.

Microsoft Cloud the healthcare sector

Improve access to care by enabling secure collaboration and communication between patients and clinicians with chat, video, voice and healthcare tools in a single hub that supports compliance with HIPAA, HITECH and more. Use highly secure, workflow-integrated virtual visits into the continuum of care and expand services to more patient encounters and medical specialties.

The future of healthcare

How modern technologies support the healthcare system in helping people.

The electronic patient file and electronic prescription, advances in telemedicine and access to digital health applications are examples of the continuous development of digitalization in the healthcare sector. During the Covid-19 pandemic, digitalization projects in the healthcare sector were accelerated and consistently driven forward. For the healthcare sector, this means optimizing existing solutions, making them accessible to more patients and increasingly introducing and implementing further digital options in order to lead the healthcare sector into a digital future. For example, online appointment booking, chat consultations and health check-ups via apps may eventually become widespread - the possibilities are endless.

Together with our partner innobit, we are working together to advance digitalization in the healthcare sector. Microsoft has set itself the goal of working with partners on solutions to achieve new successes in the fight against life-threatening diseases and to meet the challenges posed by demographic change with technological solutions.

Denise Richard

Client Executive Healthcare at Microsoft