Interactive voice response (IVR) is an automated system that many healthcare facilities already benefit from. IVR provides a cost effective way of managing medical appointments and delivering important information to patients.

Beyond these common uses, IVR can also be employed to handle inbound calls and collect valuable patient feedback. The result is efficient information flow and appointment handling, while easing the pressure on medical staff.

Automated phone systems like IVR provide two major benefits for healthcare facilities.

• Time saving - all too often, highly trained medical staff are required to help out with administrative duties. Nurses should be providing valuable care, not fielding phone calls or arranging appointments. Administrative tasks, like processing bills and patient records, can be eased by IVR, freeing healthcare professionals to focus on care provision, not admin.

• Cost saving - IVR means reduced costs too, as routine phone calls are handled by an automated system rather than a paid employee.

These benefits help healthcare facilities ensure better quality care for patients. The use of an automated system also provides the privacy required for the handling of sensitive patient information and medical records. IVR systems can be easily implemented to carry out a range of essential services:

Providing Patient Information

Automated phone calls can be used to provide patients with useful information - including everything from clinic opening hours to test results. IVRs are a cost-effective way to answer frequently asked patient questions quickly and efficiently, which patients appreciate.

Managing Appointments

IVR systems allow patients to respond to automated messages at the touch of a button, making it incredibly easy for them to confirm an appointment or request a new one. One of the many benefits of efficient IVR is that it results in a reduction of the number of no-shows, as it’s easier than ever for patients to keep you informed.

Managing Inbound Calls

Using an IVR phone tree, inbound calls can be routed to the correct department or pre-recorded information message automatically. This helps healthcare facilities save even more valuable time, money and human resources.

Healthcare is a patient-centred industry, and it’s important to get feedback from patients who use services in order to find out where problems lie, improvements can be made, as well as where service is excelling. This kind of feedback research can be costly and time-consuming, but IVR allows a way to automate research collation affordably. Rather than fielding calls to patients or posting feedback forms, a simple push-button IVR text survey allows patients to rate services quickly and easily.

As well as reducing the number of appointment no-shows, IVR systems have the ability to help healthcare facilities listen to their patients, keep patients more informed and improve services too.