Telekom/T-Systems is continuing to drive digitalization in the healthcare sector. With the TI-Messenger, the Bonn-based telecommunications group is bringing a secure and interoperable communication solution to hospitals. The service enables direct and privacy-compliant coordination among nursing staff, physicians, and external service providers. Information is shared in real time. This improves workflows and saves time in day-to-day clinical operations.
The TI-Messenger is the interoperable messaging service of the telematics infrastructure. It enables the secure sending of texts, photos, documents, and voice messages. Telekom is the manufacturer and provider of the solution. The service is provided as software as a service. Onsite installation is therefore not necessary. "This relieves the burden on IT, and the system is always up to date thanks to automated updates," explains Heckert, COO T Health.
Access is simple via the desktop PC browser or via mobile devices. Integration into existing systems is possible. Chat groups facilitate the quick coordination of teams.
The benefits are immediately apparent in everyday clinical practice. The emergency department clarifies bed occupancies in real time with the wards. A night nurse can report an elevator failure directly via the TI-Messenger. All colleagues on the night shift are immediately notified via group chat.
With the TI-Messenger, we are taking communication in healthcare to a new level. Hospitals benefit from faster coordination and reduced communication overhead. This is to the benefit of patients. Whether it's a quick second opinion on a sonography or a follow-up question about medication, the TI-Messenger saves long waiting times through fast real-time messaging.
"We have designed our version of the TI-Messenger so that bots or AI systems can be integrated without any issues," says Heckert. Hospitals can, for example, integrate a duty roster bot that answers questions such as "Who is on duty on Ward 3 tomorrow?" Or a knowledge bot that, upon request, provides information such as the phone number for endoscopy or outlines the procedure for transferring a patient to the intensive care unit. The AI delivers answers based on the stored clinical guidelines.
The TI-Messenger also improves collaboration across sector boundaries. During discharge management, queries can be clarified directly with the treating physicians. Care transitions become easier. Findings are coordinated more quickly among all parties involved. This creates seamless and efficient processes.
The TI-Messenger reduces workload through fewer phone calls and media disruptions. Decisions are made more quickly. The quality of care improves.
The technological basis is the Telekom partner solution Element Server Suite Pro. This forms the backend for Matrix-based communication. The solution is highly secure and is also used by governments and the military. It is high-performance, resilient, and scalable. It can be used in both large facilities and smaller hospitals.
The close collaboration with the company Element—the developers of the Matrix standard—is the special ingredient of the TI-Messenger environment. "No other TI-Messenger provider is supported by the developers of the Matrix standard while simultaneously offering an ISO-certified backend in a sovereign cloud," says Uwe Heckert.
Product, operations, maintenance, and updates come from a single source. Deployment takes place in the Open Sovereign Cloud. All data is processed exclusively in Germany. The data centers are certified in accordance with ISO 27001, BSI C5, and DIN EN 50600. This keeps digital communication in the healthcare sector secure and sovereign.
Telekom is a gematik-approved manufacturer and provider of the TI-Messenger. Thanks to the gematik standard, all stakeholders in the healthcare sector can communicate across sectors and also with insured individuals, regardless of the TI-Messenger provider.
