The Role of Advanced Contact Center Operations in Improving Patient Care Outcomes in Healthcare Organizations

Healthcare providers handle many patient calls every day. These calls include appointment bookings, questions about medicine, billing issues, and medical advice. For places like Urban Health Plan (UHP), which has 43 locations in a city setting, the communication system must manage large call volumes. It needs to be accurate and quick to help patients with urgent needs.

UHP used an old system called Mitel MiVoice Connect. This system became outdated and limited how many calls they could take. It could not grow or add new features easily. This caused delays for patients trying to get help and made communication less efficient. Because of this, UHP had trouble handling many calls correctly, which affected patient experience and health results.

Many healthcare providers in the United States face similar problems with old communication systems. These systems cannot keep up with growing numbers of patients or changing healthcare needs. If a contact center is not strong enough, calls may be missed, wait times can get long, and questions might go to the wrong place. These problems slow down patient care and make operations less effective.

Upgrading Contact Center Operations: The Urban Health Plan Example

Forerunner Technologies helped Urban Health Plan change their communication system. The goal was to move from the old Mitel MiVoice Connect to a newer Mitel MiVoice Business platform. This new system supports more users and manages patient interactions better.

The new platform can support 1,049 SIP devices and 1,351 users. This includes contact agents, medical staff, and support workers. With this upgrade, all UHP staff stay connected through one system. This reduces isolated communication and improves the flow of information.

Key improvements include:

• Large-scale user support: More users can access the communication tools, including agents, supervisors, and healthcare providers.
• Contact center enhancements: Thirty agents and two supervisors can handle calls better. Supervisors get real-time call data and reports using Brightmetrics tools. This helps managers decide on staffing and call routing.
• Advanced SIP trunking: Installing 300 SIP lines improves call quality and reduces dropped calls and wait times.
• Comprehensive staff training: Forerunner Technologies trained agents and supervisors on the new system. This helped staff adjust quickly and keep service high during and after the change.

These changes made UHP operate more efficiently. Patient communication improved, and staff could respond faster to questions. UHP’s investment in a reliable system means they can handle more demand without losing service quality.

Why Efficient Contact Centers Matter for Patient Outcomes

Contact centers are usually the first way patients contact healthcare organizations. Efficient contact centers are not just about technology. They are about how well the system meets patient needs. When they work well, contact centers help with:

• Timely access to care: Patients can schedule appointments or get medical advice quickly to reduce treatment delays.
• Reduced patient frustration: Shorter wait times and clear communication stop confusion or missed messages.
• Improved follow-up: Contact centers keep track of patient calls and send important reminders and instructions.
• Better resource allocation: Call data helps managers organize staff and workflows better.

At UHP, making contact centers efficient is part of how they manage patient care. They know that good communication directly affects health results.

AI-Driven Communication and Workflow Automation

Integration of Artificial Intelligence and Automation in Contact Centers

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and automation are becoming important in healthcare contact centers. These tools can handle simple questions, route calls smartly, and manage scheduling with less human work.

UHP is planning to add AI solutions next in their communication upgrade. This will include allowing patients to use text, chat, or email along with voice calls.

Some benefits of AI and automation in healthcare contact centers are:

• 24/7 availability with virtual assistants: AI chatbots answer common questions outside office hours, freeing human agents for harder tasks.
• Intelligent call routing: AI looks at the caller’s need, urgency, and history to send calls to the best agent. This improves response time.
• Automated scheduling: AI can book, cancel, and remind patients about appointments automatically, reducing work for staff.
• Data-driven decision making: AI analyzes call patterns and feedback to suggest how to improve workflows and training.
• Error reduction: Automation cuts down mistakes from manual data entry and keeps communication consistent.

Healthcare leaders who use AI in contact centers must reorganize work to balance human decisions and machine help. Staff also need training to use AI tools well with regular methods.

Practical Considerations for Healthcare Administrators and IT Managers

Setting up advanced contact center systems with AI takes careful planning and resources.

• Assessment of Existing Systems: Before upgrading, healthcare groups must check what their current systems can and cannot do. This helps find which areas need the most work, like call handling or reporting.
• Vendor Selection and Partnership: Working with technology partners like Forerunner Technologies helps create solutions that fit healthcare needs. These partners know clinic workflows and make sure systems work well together.
• Training and Change Management: New systems mean more than installing equipment. Staff must learn new tools and processes. Good training lowers resistance and keeps service steady.
• Ongoing Support and Maintenance: Communication systems must keep improving to meet future patient needs. Vendor support helps fix issues quickly and add new features when needed.
• Data Privacy and Compliance: Healthcare communication must follow HIPAA and other rules to protect patient information. Providers must check that vendors keep data safe.
• Measuring Impact: Using reporting tools like Brightmetrics helps track how well the contact center works, patient satisfaction, and workflow results. These numbers guide future upgrades.

Specific Implications for Healthcare Organizations in Urban Settings

Urban healthcare groups like UHP face special challenges. They see many patients, have varied socio-economic groups, and need to coordinate complex care. Upgraded contact centers can help by:

• Handling callers who speak many languages with flexible call routing and support options.
• Managing large outreach efforts, like public health campaigns or vaccine scheduling.
• Reducing missed appointments through reliable reminders and patient engagement tools.

The Bronx, where UHP works, is a crowded and diverse area. It needs flexible healthcare communication that can meet many needs at once. Advanced systems with multiple communication channels and AI automation serve these communities better.

Future Directions for Contact Center Operations in Healthcare

UHP’s work with Forerunner Technologies shows key trends for healthcare providers thinking about communication upgrades. These include:

• Moving from separate voice systems to unified platforms that support voice, video, chat, and email.
• Adding AI to automate workflows and improve patient communications.
• Planning for growth to support more users and devices.
• Using data analytics to make better decisions and improve patient experiences.
• Providing solid training and ongoing support for lasting improvements.

By preparing for these changes, healthcare groups can better meet patient needs, cut down on administrative problems, and support better health outcomes.