Report by Parlance: As health systems undertake digital transformation initiatives, they often make the mistake of prioritizing portals and chatbots and neglect the phone, the dominant means of consumer communication. The voice channel has become outdated and inefficient in most hospitals and clinics. CIOs must modernize it.
Three signs that the phone remains essential in healthcare:
1. 72% of consumers still pick up the phone first when they want fast customer service. [CFIGroup]
Billions have been spent on digital health transformation efforts such as online portals and web-based communication, and 67% of leaders anticipate increasing this spend. However, most people still pick up the phone first when they want quick service.
2. 71% of Gen Z’ers agree that live phone calls are the quickest way to solve a customer service matter. [McKinsey]
The youngest adult generation chooses the voice channel for complex service needs. They’re also 35-40% more likely to call a business than millennials.
3. Over 200 new diseases are found and named annually, affecting an estimated 6-8% of the population. (OMIM)
With the consistent onset of new illnesses and the rapid advancement of treatments, hospitals and clinics will never see a decrease in patient demand. People call their medical providers to seek help with complex and urgent issues, as they should.
Given the wide array of unique medical issues and questions patients have, access to human support will always be necessary.
Investments in omnichannel communication have not diminished voice channel demand and live agents have a hard time keeping up. Healthcare organizations must digitize the voice channel with conversational AI to improve patient experience and business operations. IVAs (intelligent virtual assistants) automate routine tasks like routing and verifying callers, answering FAQs, and scheduling appointments. This removes the burden of excessive call volume from agents’ workloads, so they can provide better experiences for patients.
Integrating conversational AI allows health systems to meet patients where they are and save money, no matter the volume of demand. Improving self-service and automating routine calls clears the way for patients who urgently need to talk to a person and prevents healthcare organizations from alienating patients and losing revenue.
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