How to Choose a SIP Service Provider for Your Medical Practice

You can secure a commercial-grade phone service for your medical practice. A SIP provider can help you achieve this goal. 

First, however, it helps to understand the communications technology. As a practitioner, you know the importance of improving communication and productivity. 

Interest in SIP trunking is on the rise. Like others, you probably want to know more about a business SIP trunk service such as voice over internet protocol (VoIP). 

SIP trunking is the foundation for VoIP and several other communications technologies. A SIP service provider can help you reduce costs, improve network efficiency and consolidate VoIP services. 

What Is SIP Trunking? 

Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) is your connection to a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN). It works over an internet connection rather than a traditional landline service. 

The technology enables you to integrate several services. For instance, using SIP trunking, you can incorporate internet protocol (IP), phone service and private branch exchange (PBX). You may also want to merge other communications technologies. 

By consolidating services, SIP trunking can help you save considerable costs. It can also improve your scalability and the management of your virtual network. It can also provide your team with redundancy, ensuring reliable uptime.
SIP trunking enables you to funnel voice and data communications over the same channel. You can also significantly reduce how much bandwidth your organization uses. 

You’ll improve your return on investment with lower upfront costs. These benefits are what make SIP trunking a foundation for modern communications. 

For these and more reasons, you should consider SIP trunking for your medical practice.

Leveraged Advanced Features With SIP Trunking 

A SIP trunk provider will connect your organization’s VoIP service to your PBX system. They will also connect you to a PSTN. 

A SIP trunking service will enable your network to support advanced features. These advanced features may include: 

• Customized sessions and systems
• Determining the capability of inbound systems
• Establishing sessions
• Locating network users
• Managing sessions
• Reporting user availability
• Terminating sessions
• Transferring sessions
• Other advanced features 

Your SIP trunking service provider will set up features based on your organization’s unique needs. These features will play a vital role in facilitating internal and external communications. 

What Is SIP Used For? 

SIP trunking is a communications framework. It enables organizations to consolidate data, internet, voice, and other communications services. 

This practice is called unified communications (UC). It offers the benefits of lower cost and easier network troubleshooting. 

The technology is also a forward-thinking resource. In other words, it’s scalable. 

SIP trunking can grow along with your practice. For example, many physicians want to expand their telemedicine practice, especially rural practitioners. In the current climate, however, telemedicine also may prove beneficial for urban practitioners. 

The technology is backward compatible. For instance, your practice may currently use a high-speed cable network. 

Soon, you may want to upgrade to a fiber-optic network. With SIP trunking, you can do this seamlessly. 

Is SIP Trunking HIPAA Compliant? 

There are several things that the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) looks at to determine HIPAA compliance. The phones used by your practice must each have a unique user ID and authentication. SIP trunking enables you to comply with this rule with the phone number or the serial number of the phone. 

Your system must also support various user classes. You must limit the access control of different users. 

You must also maintain audit logs that contain the metadata of authenticated users. Furthermore, your system must use encryption to keep sensitive communications secure. 

Qualified providers also have further internal obligations to the OCR. They must fulfill them to remain in compliance with HIPAA regulations. 

Working With A SIP Service Provider 

As with all organizations, cybersecurity is becoming increasingly important. For medical practitioners, HIPAA compliance is equally important. As a practitioner, you must remain vigilant regarding both responsibilities. 

A competent SIP trunking provider will take proactive steps to reduce your exposure to risk. They will ensure the continuity of your business. They will also work to prevent cybersecurity problems, eavesdropping, and other security threats. 

Best in class SIP providers invest heavily in security. They also protect your organization’s network against known threats. Common threats include Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS), ransomware, and spamming attacks. 

An experienced and capable SIP provider can also help you recover from a cyberattack should one ever occur. 

Taking Your Practice To The Next Level 

You can’t count on every SIP service provider to deliver the same excellent service. You must weigh your options carefully. 

You must ensure that patients and employees have a positive experience with your SIP trunking deployment. Accordingly, you must choose an experienced SIP trunking provider who can meet all your organizational needs. 

You may want to cut costs and improve efficiency. Alternatively, you may wish to provide customer-centered care. SIP.US can help you successfully navigate a systemwide communications upgrade and meet your objectives. 

Contact one of our friendly SIP trunking specialists today at (800) 566-9810 to find out how to take your practice to the next level in unified communications.