Healthcare call centers perform significant functions such as connecting patients with caregivers and managing scheduling, billing and triage requests. Even though the call center plays such a crucial role, it is often neglected and undervalued when it comes to technology. Even after the adoption of electronic health records (EHR) most call centers in healthcare continue to be the primary way for patients to access healthcare, even though most patients do not want to apply their phones for such tasks. Call center automation can enhance efficiency by reducing call volume and allowing patients to connect with providers through their preferred channels.
Automation enables patients meetings according to your own schedule and complete intake and registration forms when and where it is most convenient for them, giving patients greater control over their care experience. Implementing automated solutions based on digital technologies means healthcare systems can rely less on call centers. If you want to reduce your organization’s dependence on call centers, three proven steps can facilitate you achieve this.
Step 1: Identify workflows with the highest return on investment (ROI) potential
Research shows that most patients do not want to make an appointment by phone. However, over 70% of call center turnover is due to scheduling, rescheduling and cancellation of meetings.
Analyze the current volume of incoming and outgoing calls. Exploit this as a reference and segment into different categories for high volume calls. Using this trend data, calculate the total time spent on each call type to apply as an overall proxy for the potential return on your automation investment.
With this initial data, assess what percentage of your current call volume can be automated. For example, can calls coming into your call center be redirected to a self-service tool? Along with this analysis, you should evaluate the following factors that contribute to the overall value of call management with automation compared to staff:
● Complexity: How simple or arduous is it to train agents to perform the task effectively? Can the task be broken down into repeatable, standardized steps? Manual patient verification may require staff access to multiple systems and fine handling to maintain privacy compliance, while automation technology can quickly and accurately verify patients using voice recognition.
● Impact on the patient: What value does a human touchpoint add or subtract from the interaction? Patients may not see much of a difference in receiving appointment reminders via a phone call or voicemail compared to an automated text message, but may prefer to speak to a human for payment reminders if they have a huge outstanding balance.
● Cost of error: How much value is lost when agents make mistakes? Consider how, for example, front-end registration errors can lead to back-end denials that are costly to resolve.
● Performance difference: How much more or less efficiently can a person perform a workflow? Artificial intelligence (AI) tools can be more right than trained staff in selecting the appropriate insurance plan for billing.
The table below shows three workflows that healthcare systems typically start with to establish effective contact center automation.
Step 2: Find the right automation partner and create an implementation plan
When it comes to healthcare automation and artificial intelligence technology, choosing the right partner is crucial. The ideal call center automation partner will work seamlessly with your IT department. They will work closely with your implementation team to consider all perspectives and will not take a transactional approach to call center automation. Instead, the emphasis will be on building long-term relationships based on mutual development and success.
Below are five areas to pay attention to that can facilitate ensure a glossy implementation.
● Project planning: A detailed project plan should include key tasks, schedule, and responsibilities. This will be a guide to facilitate set expectations and keep your project on track.
● Technical rating: Carefully review your existing infrastructure and identify any technical limitations that need to be addressed before implementation.
● Data migration: Healthcare call centers often handle highly sensitive data such as patient records and billing information. It is necessary, and sometimes even regulated, to ensure that data can be transferred between systems without loss or damage. Exploit a strict data mapping process to determine how data from the aged system will fit into the up-to-date one.
● Integration with existing systems: The call center automation platform you choose must work seamlessly with your EHR. Other key tools such as customer relationship management (CRM) software should not be forgotten, as protected health information (PHI) must flow securely between systems to maintain compliance.
● Equal care for patient and staff experience: Automations that make a patient’s life easier but still require manual administrative work on the part of staff only solve half the problem.
Contemporary health care systems need technologies that provide a highly personalized patient experience on the front end while eliminating administrative work on the back end.
Step 3: Measure the impact and over time measure your call center automation
Even the best-planned call center automation program can be improved upon implementation. The most successful healthcare systems apply an iterative approach, which means focusing on the highest priority workflows that will deliver the most value first.
After implementing priority automations, collect patient and staff feedback. Surveys and focus groups can facilitate identify technology or training issues. Any issues identified should be prioritized for service. Collecting basic data such as call duration, first call resolution rate and agent idle time also helps management determine the effectiveness and efficiency of implemented automation.
Here are some key performance indicators (KPIs) to consider when assessing call center automation:
● Patient satisfaction
● Average Handling Time (AHT)
● Call volume
● Call rejection rates
● Saves agent or staff time
Transforming patient access through call center automation is not just a technological upgrade, but a strategic initiative that redefines the patient experience and operational efficiency. By identifying workflows that generate high ROI, partnering with the right automation experts, and taking an iterative approach to improvement, healthcare organizations can move from model of care to model of care.
This reduces the burden on call centers and allows agents to focus on the most complicated patient challenges to better build patient loyalty. Automation also gives patients the convenience and control they crave, ultimately leading to greater satisfaction, reduced costs and better access to care. Following these three basic steps can transform healthcare call centers from bottlenecks to breakthroughs.