In a “cost center” contact center, handling a patient’s inbound call or chat as quickly and efficiently as possible is the primary (and often only) goal. For most patient interactions, that’s the requirement. But if a high-risk patient with a gap in care, such as a missing cancer screening or blood test, is calling with a question or to make a payment, it’s an ideal opportunity to engage with the patient about that gap, instead of just handling the stated request. That conversation moves from maximizing efficiency and convenience to driving better health outcomes and value. It also unifies communication with patients, since they, too, are likely getting outbound reminders and calls to action.

A modern contact center
Provider organizations already under financial stress might balk at adapting their contact centers to support VBC or population health capabilities, but they should be reassured that it’s possible to incorporate proactive, value-driven processes without disrupting service or spending large amounts of time, resources, or budget.
Modern customer experience (CX) technology makes customer service interactions not just efficient, but also profitable. The best example of that is how digitally savvy retail brands create up-sell and cross-sell opportunities, and tailor experiences based on customer preferences by integrating their contact centers and customer relationship management (CRM) systems.

Of course, healthcare is very different from retail. The call to action is not buying a product but taking the best possible action for the patient. Adapting generic CX technology to healthcare workflows is not simple. But purpose-built healthcare CX solutions have emerged in the last half decade to meet providers where they are, so that they can better connect with their patients.

Integrating EHR systems with modern contact center platforms equips support agents with patient-specific recommendations during conversations and also adapts self-service workflows to be more proactive and personalized. Agents can rely on EHR-based recommendations to close gaps in care without learning new software or being trained in new processes.

Using all touchpoints
Self-help contact center automation streamlines interactions between patients/members and healthcare organizations, allowing agents to focus on more complex tasks that require human assistance. AI-enabled contact centers also equip agents with data and real-time recommendations during calls. Deeper AI self-service frees agents to operate at the “top of their licenses” like their clinical counterparts – only helping patients that truly need a human touch, instead of processing appointment cancellations or payment collections.

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