Patient-centric channel deployment
September 30, 2021 • 3 minute read

How to Create a Patient-centric channel deployment

Patients today are involved in their healthcare journeys more than ever before. Therefore, convenient and patient-centered experiences are required to meet expectations, like self-service scheduling, billing, and appointment reminders. 

Healthcare organizations that have digitally transformed are reaping the benefits. According to Forrester, a well-executed proactive mobile messaging plan can improve show rates for appointments as well as reduce phone calls.

Another healthcare organization saw a 20% increase in appointment attendance by sending out text reminders and obtaining confirmations.

Optimizing patient experience leads to increased patient engagement and satisfaction, ultimately lowering operating costs and improves revenue. Healthcare organizations can achieve this by utilizing Conversational AI and leveraging an omnichannel strategy.

How can Conversational AI improve patient engagement?

With a patient-centric approach, technology is required to support quality experiences at scale. Can you remember a time when you tried to schedule an appointment, only to spend your time digging through a menu tree or waiting in a long queue? Or you had to repeat your reason for calling to multiple different agents?

Conversational AI applications can provide an omnichannel patient care experience that is personalized and maintains context as patients move across channels. So whether patients are scheduling appointments, paying bills, or responding to appointment reminders, they can pause and then easily pick up the conversation where they left off, on a different channel.

If at any time the conversation needs to be transferred to a customer service representative, the entire context of the patient’s conversation moves with the patient so the agent can easily pick up and continue to resolve the issue in an efficient manner. This means patients don’t have to repeat their issue a second time.

Breaking Down an Optichannel Patient Experience

Conversational AI can improve patient experiences, but without channel strategy, the technology can fall flat. Healthcare organizations must understand the customer journey and design the technology implementation in a way that supports the entire experience.

Read on to learn best practices that healthcare organizations can focus on to reach an optimized and patient-centric channel approach. 

Utilizing Patient Portals & Digital Assets

For the most productive interactions, incorporate text options within a voice conversation to provide access to existing digital assets, such as mobile applications and patient portals. For this to happen, the Conversational AI solution must be integrated across existing business systems. 

Create Access to Ideal Patient Communication

Patients like convenience. So, it’s important to give patients the ability to get things done on their own terms, whether it’s before, during, or after business hours. By allowing patients to choose their preferred method and time of contact, they will feel more valued and supported by your organization.

Improve Agent Productivity & Engagement

Allow live agents to focus on the more complex tasks that require empathetic patient communication, while a virtual agent takes over repetitive and data-driven tasks, such as scheduling appointments or billing. 

To learn more about optimizing your patient’s choice of communication, read our eBook on channel optimization. 

Want to learn more? Let’s talk.