In healthcare, self-service technology assists patients and provides immediate access to care while reducing hold times for people who opt to speak with a live agent.

Without automated solutions, the only choices are to wait on hold or call back. Conversational interactive voice response (IVRs) and intelligent virtual assistants (IVAs) give callers a third option: easy and efficient self-service following these steps:

1. Greeting  – After being welcomed, the caller uses their own voice to state their need and easily engage with conversational AI.
2. Quick authentication – The technology verifies the patient, if necessary.
3. Recognizing needs  – Callers ask to schedule or change appointments, refill prescriptions, speak to a provider, etc.
4. Task completion  – The automated solution quickly and effectively fulfills the requests, connecting the caller to the requested destination or service line.
   
   

Increased self-service reduces hold times by removing repetitive calls from the queue and giving healthcare agents time for patients and caregivers who need human support. Healthcare consumers who self-serve experience the following benefits:

1. Low-caller-effort  – Straightforward navigation for frictionless interactions.
2. Skipping hold times altogether – Nobody wants to be inconvenienced, especially for tasks and questions that should take one minute or less.
3. Accessibility – Callers with limited time quickly manage their needs, ensuring quick access to necessary care.
4. Autonomy – Patients have more power over their healthcare journey and don’t experience feelings of helplessness or frustration in getting what they need.
   
   

A 2021 Lumeon study found that 90% of patient access leaders consider patient experience the main differentiator for hospitals, with 81% citing access to care as second. By streamlining navigation, health systems improve overall efficiency and patient satisfaction.

Self-service solutions are ideal for healthcare organizations for these reasons:

1. Resource optimization – When automated technologies handle routine requests, live agents have time to offer complex or emotional support to those who need it.
2. Simplicity – IVRs and IVAs seamlessly integrate with existing infrastructure and EMR/EHR systems.
3. Affordability – Conversational AI is effective right away. The solution pays for itself by saving on operational costs and continues to deliver high ROI.
4. Practicality – These solutions fit the hectic health industry environment. They scale based on demand, handle frequent requests that overtake call queues, and simplify complex phone systems to broaden patient access.
   
   
   

About Parlance

Parlance is a conversational AI-powered solution that delivers intuitive voice-driven self-service for callers who know what they want but quickly pivots out of the way of callers who cannot or do not want to self-serve.​​

Parlance improves patient navigation and removes barriers to access. More efficient communication means that healthcare organizations exceed expectations while maintaining profitability. By providing easy, natural interactions, our product delivers high levels of caller engagement, outperforming any other solution on the market. 

 By Maryellen McDonnell