The Importance of Frictionless Self-Service at the Healthcare Digital Front Door
Today, the digital front door is the first touchpoint that connects patients to a health system. The quality of this healthcare front door, the ease with which consumers can accomplish tasks or connect to the providers and departments they need, informs a patient’s impression of the health system brand. The digital front door can take many forms — phone, portal, website, chatbot, etc. However, despite the omnichannel alternatives, the majority of healthcare consumers prefer the voice channel (calling on the phone), as their primary method of accessing care.
Older or disabled patients often struggle with patient portals. Remembering a username and password or receiving a text to authenticate the session can be challenging. Regardless of the way consumers choose to connect to care, people young and old want to be met where they are, not forced to use a method they’re not comfortable using. The phone should provide the simplest method of “knocking” on the digital front door. After all, the voice is the most natural user interface, and speaking is the easiest way for most people to communicate. However, when the voice channel is neglected, hospitals and clinics with high volumes of callers struggle to provide patients with fast and easy access to care.
Implementing conversational AI at the digital front door is the solution for health systems to deliver a modernized caller experience that is easy and stress-free for both patients and call center agents. Generative IVR (Interactive Voice Response) and IVA (Intelligent Virtual Assistant) technologies allow patients to self-serve on the phone by using their voices to quickly access care. Voice-driven self-service goes beyond simply improving the experience for callers; it provides a much-needed helping hand to staff. When routine calls are handled with a virtual assistant, it frees up contact center agents to help patients with more complicated issues. Agent can work at the top of their skillset, creating the most efficient business operations with the right balance of AI and human support.
Parlance delivers conversational AI technology that is purpose-built for healthcare’s digital front door. When health systems incorporate our generative IVR and IVA solutions, hospitals and clinics deliver highly personalized service, remove friction from patient calling experiences, automate routine call routing with ease, and enable staff to perform tasks faster and with greater efficiency. Health systems only get one first impression, and Parlance solutions ensure that your digital front door will always provide a great one.
By Ali Karasic
