Navigating Disruption
Empowering Change
CASE STUDY: REGIONAL HOSPITAL'S RADIOLOGY AND
CRITICAL CARE CLINIC FACILITIES
Challenge:
Improve Customer Satisfaction and Operational Efficiency
Solution: Call Center Operations Analysis and Technology Implementation
Due to the passing of the Affordable Health Care Act, the required implementation of the Electronic Medical Record (EMR) systems, the Healthy Home Initiative and strict adherence to services provided to Medicare and Medicaid patients, hospitals are now required to provide more complex statistics that address patient satisfaction in order to receive government reimbursables.
One recent hospital call center review involved an operations analysis and implementation of the recommended changes for their radiology department. Results decreased abandoned call percentages from 80% to 3-5%, decreased average answer time from 15 minutes to 30 seconds, decreased customer complaints to 7-10 a day to 0-2 per month and the development of training and cross-training programs that reduced stress for employees, increased their empowerment which resulted in patient satisfaction increases.
Another review involved an operations analysis that resulted in a technology solution for the call center that serviced clinic patients. Patients were not notified of upcoming appointments which resulted in a 50% no show factor and revenue loss. The inbound call environment was stressful as patients had unusually long queue times and they were upset when they finally reached an agent. Statistics were not available. Patients complained that they never received call backs.
Recommendations were a new cloud telephone technology implementation, appointment reminder software, revisions to staffing and employee schedules and operational changes. Results were measurable and an there was an increase in patient satisfaction - abandoned call percentages from 14% to 2-3%, average speed of answer from 1 minute 44 to 16 seconds, Service Level from 45% in 104 seconds to 88% in 16 seconds and a 20% increase in appointment confirmations.