Improving Patient Experience with IVR: A complete overview

The IVR system, typically deployed for call centres to handle large call volumes, has now been found to be extremely beneficial in the healthcare industry too. 

In this article, let us assess its uses, advantages and overall impact in the healthcare sector.

What is IVR in the Healthcare Industry?

The IVR, also known as Inte­ractive Voice Response­, is often referred to as a telephone connected to a “talking computer". 

This system allows automation of patient interaction to meet more demands, resolve issues and answer queries with the help of voice recognition or dialling allocated numbers on the phone keypad directed by the system.

‍For example,‍

A patient calls the IVR number of XYZ hospital.

IVR Voice: 

Thank you for calling XYZ Hospital. 

[Background Music]

IVR Voice: 

Please say or press 1 for,

Booking an appointment

Please say or press 2 for,

For billing and insurance-related questions

Please say or press 3 for,

Information about our hospital's facilities and services

Please say or press 4 for,

For any other inquiries or to speak with a customer support representative

[Caller says or dials 1 to book an appointment]

[Background Music]

IVR Voice: 

Please say or press 1,

If you are a new patient seeking to book an appointment

Please say or press 2, 

If you are an existing patient and wish to schedule a follow-up appointment

Please say or press 3,

For all other inquiries or to speak with a customer support representative

[Caller selects option 2]

IVR Voice: 

Please say or press 1,

If you want to book a new appointment

Please say or press 2,

If you need to reschedule your appointment

Please say or press 3,

To cancel an existing appointment

[Caller selects option 2]

IVR Voice: 

A link to book your new appointment dates has been sent via SMS to your registered mobile number.

[Hold Music]

IVR Voice: 

Thank you for choosing [Hospital Name]. 

[Background Music]

[End of IVR]

Advantages of using IVR in the healthcare industry

Automation of routing and call answering

• Receptionists no longer need to constantly inte­rrupt their duties when an incoming call arrives.
• A professionally produce­d voice,

- Takes the calle­r's greeting

- Offers assistance­ by asking them questions 

- Directs them to the appropriate­ extension

Some IVRs are­ so well-execute­d that callers often mistake the­m for actual human interaction!

Provide simple information

• IVRs have the­ capability to provide information and facilitate customer transfe­rs seamlessly.
• This allows administrative or me­dical staff members to focus on their core­ responsibilities.

Secure online payments 

• The ability of IVRs to se­amlessly integrate with billing manage­ment software is a significant advantage­ in their functionality.
• Patients have­ the convenient option to se­ttle their bills ele­ctronically, bypassing any need for direct inte­raction.
• While patie­nts enjoy the convenie­nce of making secure and private­ payments with a simple dial, they can be­ assured that their financial information remains comple­tely confidential.

Available at all times for emergencies

• Emerge­ncy services through IVR around the clock can e­liminate the need for a staff me­mber to handle calls outside re­gular hours.
• These­ calls are carefully evaluate­d before being conne­cted to the on-duty physician or nurse, irre­spective of their location.   
• In this way, no additional staff or infrastructure is needed, as patients can reach their doctor directly in an emergency.

Save Time and Money with IVR

• Agents/staff can focus on other important tasks as an IVR takes over much of the repetitive phone work that traditionally takes up a lot of time and effort.

Effective ways to use IVR in healthcare

In healthcare and hospitals, interactive voice response (IVR) systems have been successfully used for a variety of purposes, including:

Medication and health information

• IVR can be used by patients taking prescription medications by dialling a phone number to receive information about a specific medication.
• Information may include relative cost, generic alternatives, possible side effects, and recommended drug combinations.

For example, Customers can be provided with digital options to confirm vaccine eligibility and then proceed to schedule appointments.

• IVR systems can also demonstrate how certain medications work. Patients can communicate how they feel while taking a particular medication and how well it works at certain intervals by making a simple phone call.
• Physicians can receive a report after processing this data documenting the effects of the medication on their patients, and they can then decide whether to increase or decrease intake in the first few months to improve patient health, knowledge, and satisfaction with the health plan.
• A caller can also enter the correct code and retrieve information from a library of health information on a variety of topics.

Prescription refill

• IVR automates repetitive patient activities that require the most resources. 

For example, A patient can call the IVR number and enter a refill number if they already have a prescription. The system decides if the refill is allowed.

The prescription refill system informs the caller of medication availability and location. 

The patient is advised that a doctor's visit is required if the prescription cannot be filled without calling customer service.

Medical history

• IVR allows users to participate in self-help programmes from home by phone or to fill out surveys that ask for demographic information and medical history.
• The system helps physicians with the patient's medical history records for the first appointment so that therapy time is shortened.
• IVR systems can have a dynamic "conversation" with patients by asking a series of questions that patients answer by dialling the appropriate numbers provided to them by the IVR system.
• This feature is typically used when patients are required to submit monthly reports on their continuous self-monitoring activities.

Medical Transcripts

• Medical records are often required when someone applies for health insurance. These records can be automatically faxed or emailed to a specific number or address when medical offices and hospitals save them in a computer database.
• Callers must dial in and enter a password and security code.

Automated admissions

• IVR systems can be used to pre-register patients for a future hospital stay by dialling their PIN and entering the required information.
• The IVR system may request additional data to complete the pre-admission process.
• Until staff can access this information, the IVR system stores the pre-admission data.

Services for patient accounts

• Hospitals can replace requests of general information by using an automated attendant and messaging system.

For example, When a patient is admitted to a hospital, they are given a room number and a telephone number, much like a guest in a hotel.

The automated attendant system can be used as part of the check-in process and inquire about their status by entering their room number or other information.

• Direct connections to the hospital's computer system allow patient information to be updated in a database. 
• Call processing systems can also be used to relieve staff from answering calls about visiting hours, visiting policies, and directions.‍

Appointment scheduling and reminders

• IVR systems can make it easier to schedule a doctor's appointment. Patients can access it 24/7; callers can be prompted to select an appointment from a list, or they can be connected directly to a senior staff member to schedule an appointment.
• Likewise, a patient who needs to reschedule an appointment can call at any time.
• Data can be analysed by a computer and printed in a report for staff to review.
• The system can be set to call each patient the day before an appointment with a recorded reminder. It automatically calls patients to remind them of upcoming appointments during or after office hours. 
• Patients can press a button on their touchscreen phone to send a short message if they need to reschedule or cancel an appointment.
• IVR systems can send thousands of calls and text messages as reminders, ensuring that missed appointments are minimised and staff availability is maximised.

Lab result notification

• Incoming routine calls are handled through the IVR system, enabling smooth operations.
• Medical professionals can provide patients with convenient, private access to lab test results and important follow-up information on a daily basis without increasing staff.
• Patients can call in at any time, enter their PIN and hear a customised, pre-recorded message with their results.
• A variety of "voice templates" can be pre-recorded in the physician's voice for constant use, or they can be supplemented with a patient-specific message recorded by physicians after they have been evaluated.

‍Dietary requirements

• Patients' dietary needs play an important role in their overall healthcare. Manually entering orders and delivering paper menus is time-consuming and error-prone.
• In contrast to the one- to three-day turnaround required for paper menus, the system uses a just-in-time approach.

For example, patients can enter a code after calling the IVR number and the system can suggest alternative dishes after verifying the patient's information.

SMS reports

• Automated messaging can improve patient health services by sending automated/scheduled SMS about mammograms, screenings, flu shots, vaccination diagnoses, etc.

Conclusion

A well designed IVR created for the healthcare service interacts with callers and allows them to respond naturally. They receive what they need promptly from intelligent, automated responses. 

Organisations get shorter, more enjoyable interactions by doing away with boring or confusing menu prompts.

A good IVR script with a excellent technology helps customers escape a phone maze by helping them with,

• Understanding the caller's intent and responds effectively 
• Routes patient to self-service or other destination quickly
• Routes calls to live agent without much wait time
• Tracks data for performance analysis

Use these 6 tips to design a simple and foolproof script for better customer experience. 

IVR has long been an essential part of healthcare and has become a critical tool for an effective system. The healthcare sector needs technology like IVR to improve customer service and provide patients with better access to health information if it is to continue to grow at this pace.

See how your healthcare organisation can leverage IVR to grow its business and productivity. Book your demo with Alohaa today!