Northwell Health has begun rolling out the use of Microsoft Teams, a cloud-based communication platform, for secure messaging between clinicians at the New Hyde Park, N.Y.-based health system.
The rollout began with Glen Cove (N.Y.) Hospital, where clinicians in the telemetry, brain injury and coronary care units were the first to use the platform to exchange secure messages about patient care. The New Hyde Park-based Cohen Children's Medical Center has also started using it for clinical purposes, while Northwell's emergency management teams use the app to create instant video meetings with leaders in situations requiring immediate attention.
The systemwide rollout of the platform, which is currently used by about 8,300 Northwell clinicians, will continue into early 2020.
The Microsoft Teams app is used only on mobile devices that meet Northwell's security standards, including password and encryption protocols. Patients are informed about clinicians' use of the messaging platform to improve communication and enhance care.