A Captive Audience

On-hold callers compose a larger audience than many healthcare organizations may realize. A CNN survey estimated that the average American spends approximately 60 hours per year waiting to speak to a live person. Once a call is placed on hold, an average of 43 seconds passes before that call is fielded. This is an excellent time to promote extra services, features and other information that differentiates one organization from its competitors.

Telemarketing Magazine conducted surveys showing that 25% to 40% of callers make purchases based on information they heard while on hold. AT&T research found that 25-30% of callers have purchased additional products or services based on an on-hold sales suggestion. US West Communications determined that on-hold messaging generates a 12% increase in requests for products and services mentioned during the waiting period.

Stay on the Line!

If promotional and additional revenue opportunities do not capture the attention of healthcare providers, improved call abandonment rates certainly will. The odds are stacked against providers who resist hosting on-hold entertainment. AT&T evaluated the abandonment patterns of on-hold callers, and the results discourage on-hold silence. Studies found that 80% of callers with silence on hold hang up within one minute.

Other researchers have discovered similar tendencies toward on-hold call abandonment. In their survey, CNN noted that without music or messages, 70% of callers on hold will hang up and 35% will not call back. The North American Telecommunications Association reported callers with silence on hold will abandon their calls in less than one minute, and 90% hang up within 40 seconds. Callers listening to information while on hold will remain on the line for up to three minutes longer.

Choosing the Industry Leader

Once the decision is made to employ on-hold messaging, providers have a multitude of options from which to choose. Vox On-Hold, TeleVox’s on-hold messaging system, continues to present the most comprehensive solution to healthcare providers, offering system flexibility, personalized productions and technical superiority. Vox On-Hold includes message libraries tailored to specific healthcare specialties, and custom messages can be professionally written and recorded to reflect a provider’s unique image and personality.

After incorporating systems such as Vox On-Hold, healthcare organizations are able to provide a much more informative and entertaining experience for on hold callers. The increased caller retention from on-hold messaging is paying great dividends within the competitive healthcare industry.

A Captive Audience

On-hold callers compose a larger audience than many healthcare organizations may realize. A CNN survey estimated that the average American spends approximately 60 hours per year waiting to speak to a live person. Once a call is placed on hold, an average of 43 seconds passes before that call is fielded. This is an excellent time to promote extra services, features and other information that differentiates one organization from its competitors.

Telemarketing Magazine conducted surveys showing that 25% to 40% of callers make purchases based on information they heard while on hold. AT&T research found that 25-30% of callers have purchased additional products or services based on an on-hold sales suggestion. US West Communications determined that on-hold messaging generates a 12% increase in requests for products and services mentioned during the waiting period.

Stay on the Line!

If promotional and additional revenue opportunities do not capture the attention of healthcare providers, improved call abandonment rates certainly will. The odds are stacked against providers who resist hosting on-hold entertainment. AT&T evaluated the abandonment patterns of on-hold callers, and the results discourage on-hold silence. Studies found that 80% of callers with silence on hold hang up within one minute.

Other researchers have discovered similar tendencies toward on-hold call abandonment. In their survey, CNN noted that without music or messages, 70% of callers on hold will hang up and 35% will not call back. The North American Telecommunications Association reported callers with silence on hold will abandon their calls in less than one minute, and 90% hang up within 40 seconds. Callers listening to information while on hold will remain on the line for up to three minutes longer.

Choosing the Industry Leader

Once the decision is made to employ on-hold messaging, providers have a multitude of options from which to choose. Vox On-Hold, TeleVox’s on-hold messaging system, continues to present the most comprehensive solution to healthcare providers, offering system flexibility, personalized productions and technical superiority. Vox On-Hold includes message libraries tailored to specific healthcare specialties, and custom messages can be professionally written and recorded to reflect a provider’s unique image and personality.

After incorporating systems such as Vox On-Hold, healthcare organizations are able to provide a much more informative and entertaining experience for on hold callers. The increased caller retention from on-hold messaging is paying great dividends within the competitive healthcare industry.

A Captive Audience

On-hold callers compose a larger audience than many healthcare organizations may realize. A CNN survey estimated that the average American spends approximately 60 hours per year waiting to speak to a live person. Once a call is placed on hold, an average of 43 seconds passes before that call is fielded. This is an excellent time to promote extra services, features and other information that differentiates one organization from its competitors.

Telemarketing Magazine conducted surveys showing that 25% to 40% of callers make purchases based on information they heard while on hold. AT&T research found that 25-30% of callers have purchased additional products or services based on an on-hold sales suggestion. US West Communications determined that on-hold messaging generates a 12% increase in requests for products and services mentioned during the waiting period.

Stay on the Line!

If promotional and additional revenue opportunities do not capture the attention of healthcare providers, improved call abandonment rates certainly will. The odds are stacked against providers who resist hosting on-hold entertainment. AT&T evaluated the abandonment patterns of on-hold callers, and the results discourage on-hold silence. Studies found that 80% of callers with silence on hold hang up within one minute.

Other researchers have discovered similar tendencies toward on-hold call abandonment. In their survey, CNN noted that without music or messages, 70% of callers on hold will hang up and 35% will not call back. The North American Telecommunications Association reported callers with silence on hold will abandon their calls in less than one minute, and 90% hang up within 40 seconds. Callers listening to information while on hold will remain on the line for up to three minutes longer.

Choosing the Industry Leader

Once the decision is made to employ on-hold messaging, providers have a multitude of options from which to choose. Vox On-Hold, TeleVox’s on-hold messaging system, continues to present the most comprehensive solution to healthcare providers, offering system flexibility, personalized productions and technical superiority. Vox On-Hold includes message libraries tailored to specific healthcare specialties, and custom messages can be professionally written and recorded to reflect a provider’s unique image and personality.

After incorporating systems such as Vox On-Hold, healthcare organizations are able to provide a much more informative and entertaining experience for on hold callers. The increased caller retention from on-hold messaging is paying great dividends within the competitive healthcare industry.

The consequences of flawed or incomplete member records can be extremely costly. According to a study by independent research group Dynamic Markets, 77% of U.S. organizations acknowledge that bad contact information is affecting their bottom line. TDWI estimates that poor data quality costs U.S. businesses more than $600 billion in missed revenue opportunities each year.

When combined with the percentage of inaccurate mailing addresses, organizations that insist on communicating through direct mail accumulate enormous printing and postage costs for mail that will never reach its intended target. Undeliverable-as-addressed (UAA) mail is estimated to cost U.S. businesses more than $1.5 billion per year, and according to the United States Postal Service, 93% of UAA mail is caused by changes of address.

Erroneous member data does not have to be a persistent problem. For organizations looking to amend and enhance records in a cost-effective manner, the SmartAppend database management service has proven to be an invaluable tool. The database management service updates information overnight to increase contact accuracy and reduce the expenses associated with failed member contact.

Streamlining Operations

In a 2003 Medical Laboratory Observer feature, Nancy Ham and Jeffrey Boothe point out the benefits of using an application service provider (ASP) for lab results delivery, noting that such systems increase efficiency by providing a lab with “a level of outsourcing for many of the network operations necessary.”

How much time can be saved by automating the delivery process? A July 2006 Dermatology World article highlights one practice that has experienced a significant increase in productivity. Prior to implementing an automated system, leaving messages and returning phone calls required nurses to make 10 manual calls to achieve the results of one automated call. Hours of staff time are devoted to phone calls and coordination of mailings – time that could be better spent on other office tasks. Providers who automate lab results delivery have experienced increased efficiency across many front-office operations.

Cost is another major issue in lab results delivery. If the practice is using mail as a means to deliver patients’ lab results, there are ever-increasing postage and printing costs associated with these mailings. Statistics vary based on volumes, but industry averages have shown per-piece mail costs that range anywhere from 50 cents to a dollar. When large quantities of tests are being performed, these costs can have both an immediate and long-term impact on a practice’s bottom line.

Accuracy and Security

While practices and patients value expedient delivery, consistency and accuracy have become no less important. In response to a 2003 survey, Karen Davis, president of The Commonwealth Fund, found that “frequent error, miscommunication and wasted resources from duplicate tests, delays and conflicting information are common problems in health systems.” Automated lab results delivery gives providers uniformity in message content and documentation to ensure that patients are receiving their results.

Ham and Boothe address another important advantage of automation: privacy of lab results. When comparing automated and manual delivery, “oral and physical methods will be the most challenging, because they leave the most room for human error.” While HIPAA regulations have taken great strides to protect patients, they have also further reduced a healthcare provider’s margin of error when delivering lab results and other sensitive patient information. Automation offers password-protection to meet HIPAA requirements and maintain each patient’s privacy.

Industry-Leading Technology

LabCalls, TeleVox’s lab results delivery system, has emerged as the leader in lab results delivery and a cost-effective response to these concerns. Patients are given secure, HIPAA-compliant access to results, using a unique PIN to retrieve their information at any time via touchtone phone or Internet connection. Providers then receive reports letting them know which patients retrieved results. LabCalls users have expressed significant improvements across numerous categories, including staff time, delivery expense, documentation and patient satisfaction.

A Pew Internet and American Life Project study1 released in May 2005 found that 95 million American adults use the Internet to find healthcare information. Research compiled by Yale-New Haven Hospital2 shows just how far the industry has come in the online arena over the last several years; their monthly number of website users skyrocketed from 4,930 in 1999 to 87,667 in 2004. Among many demographics, even those less inclined to be Internet-savvy, the Internet has surpassed more traditional media in search popularity. The Kaiser Family Foundation3 provided an example of this, indicating that 24% of Americans age 50-64 go online for health information versus 21% each for books and TV.

From a practice’s perspective, hooking current and potential patients to delve deeper into the site is an objective that is just as important as heavy website traffic. “Sticky” websites share many of the same elements. First is aesthetics, the visual and audio traits that make a patient want to continue visiting the site. Graphic and interactive elements help with visitor retention – animated diagrams of procedures, before-and-after photos and even patient games all serve to help patients become more comfortable with a practice online. Functionality is essential as well, marking the difference between a website full of fluff and one that actually serves a purpose. Information that can be used to engage patients includes an overview of services and available treatments, links to health information and biographical information about doctors and staff. Proper website maintenance also plays a significant role, as slow-loading pages and outdated information discourage patients from further exploring practice online.

So what can be done to give practices a strong, informative presence on the Internet? WebPlusTM, TeleVox’s award-winning web service, leads practices to the cutting edge in online patient information while providing a number of exclusive features and benefits. Each of TeleVox’s custom-built websites is created completely from scratch to match the unique personality of a practice. Practices are guided through each step of the process by a team consisting of an account manager, copywriter and web developer, whose support ensures a stress-free experience throughout the life of the relationship. As part of the WebPlus service, a practice can request unlimited changes and updates to the site, and they benefit from ongoing maintenance and support. TeleVox provides hosting, e-mail for the entire staff, domain name registration and search engine optimization, increasing visits to your site when patients search for healthcare information.

Overall, the healthcare industry has invested in the World Wide Web as a critical part of the care and service provided to patients. More importantly, patients are making the Internet their first stop in the search for providers and other healthcare information. Practices who are absent from the online community are falling farther behind the curve and losing potential revenue and referrals in the process.

A Pew Internet and American Life Project study1 released in May 2005 found that 95 million American adults use the Internet to find healthcare information. Research compiled by Yale-New Haven Hospital2 shows just how far the industry has come in the online arena over the last several years; their monthly number of website users skyrocketed from 4,930 in 1999 to 87,667 in 2004. Among many demographics, even those less inclined to be Internet-savvy, the Internet has surpassed more traditional media in search popularity. The Kaiser Family Foundation3 provided an example of this, indicating that 24% of Americans age 50-64 go online for health information versus 21% each for books and TV.

From a practice’s perspective, hooking current and potential patients to delve deeper into the site is an objective that is just as important as heavy website traffic. “Sticky” websites share many of the same elements. First is aesthetics, the visual and audio traits that make a patient want to continue visiting the site. Graphic and interactive elements help with visitor retention – animated diagrams of procedures, before-and-after photos and even patient games all serve to help patients become more comfortable with a practice online. Functionality is essential as well, marking the difference between a website full of fluff and one that actually serves a purpose. Information that can be used to engage patients includes an overview of services and available treatments, links to health information and biographical information about doctors and staff. Proper website maintenance also plays a significant role, as slow-loading pages and outdated information discourage patients from further exploring practice online.

So what can be done to give practices a strong, informative presence on the Internet? WebPlusTM, TeleVox’s award-winning web service, leads practices to the cutting edge in online patient information while providing a number of exclusive features and benefits. Each of TeleVox’s custom-built websites is created completely from scratch to match the unique personality of a practice. Practices are guided through each step of the process by a team consisting of an account manager, copywriter and web developer, whose support ensures a stress-free experience throughout the life of the relationship. As part of the WebPlus service, a practice can request unlimited changes and updates to the site, and they benefit from ongoing maintenance and support. TeleVox provides hosting, e-mail for the entire staff, domain name registration and search engine optimization, increasing visits to your site when patients search for healthcare information.

Overall, the healthcare industry has invested in the World Wide Web as a critical part of the care and service provided to patients. More importantly, patients are making the Internet their first stop in the search for providers and other healthcare information. Practices who are absent from the online community are falling farther behind the curve and losing potential revenue and referrals in the process.

Streamlining Operations

In a 2003 Medical Laboratory Observer feature, Nancy Ham and Jeffrey Boothe point out the benefits of using an application service provider (ASP) for lab results delivery, noting that such systems increase efficiency by providing a lab with “a level of outsourcing for many of the network operations necessary.”

How much time can be saved by automating the delivery process? A July 2006 Dermatology World article highlights one practice that has experienced a significant increase in productivity. Prior to implementing an automated system, leaving messages and returning phone calls required nurses to make 10 manual calls to achieve the results of one automated call. Hours of staff time are devoted to phone calls and coordination of mailings – time that could be better spent on other office tasks. Providers who automate lab results delivery have experienced increased efficiency across many front-office operations.

Accuracy and Security

While practices and patients value expedient delivery, consistency and accuracy have become no less important. In response to a 2003 survey, Karen Davis, president of The Commonwealth Fund, found that “frequent error, miscommunication and wasted resources from duplicate tests, delays and conflicting information are common problems in health systems.” Automated lab results delivery gives providers uniformity in message content and documentation to ensure that patients are receiving their results.

Ham and Boothe address another important advantage of automation: privacy of lab results. When comparing automated and manual delivery, “oral and physical methods will be the most challenging, because they leave the most room for human error.” While HIPAA regulations have taken great strides to protect patients, they have also further reduced a healthcare provider’s margin of error when delivering lab results and other sensitive patient information. Automation offers password-protection to meet HIPAA requirements and maintain each patient’s privacy.

Industry-Leading Technology

LabCalls, TeleVox’s lab results delivery system, has emerged as the leader in lab results delivery and a cost-effective response to these concerns. Patients are given secure, HIPAA-compliant access to results, using a unique PIN to retrieve their information at any time via touchtone phone or Internet connection. Providers then receive reports letting them know which patients retrieved results. LabCalls users have expressed significant improvements across numerous categories, including staff time, delivery expense, documentation and patient satisfaction.

But do the operational benefits of the “no news” approach outweigh the potential drawbacks? With the emergence of automated technologies in efficiently contacting patients with normal results, the answer is a resounding “no”. Leading technology allows patients to quickly and securely access their results via phone or Internet with minimal involvement on the provider side. Thus, there is no longer an advantage to the reactive “no news” approach, and providers can use simple normal results reporting to increase patient satisfaction and greatly reduce risk of malpractice.

Increasing Patient Satisfaction

Research confirms the idea that proactively communicating results (even normal ones) helps relieve patient anxiety. A March 2005 study found that 90% of patients want to be notified of ALL test results, regardless of whether the results are abnormal. In her book “Improving Patient Satisfaction Now: How to Earn Patient and Payer Loyalty”, Anne-Marie Nelson offers a lighthearted but eye-opening perspective on the “no news” approach:

“Was the mole malignant? Is the pregnancy developing normally? Is the PSA normal? Think about how you would react to such unnerving questions if you were the patient, then think about how you would deal with worrying about them over a long holiday weekend, while your doctor is out of town or while the lab results make their way across town by wagon train from lab to office.”

Reducing Risk of Malpractice

A July 2009 study reviewed medical records of over 5,000 randomly selected patients and found that 7.1% of the time (about one out of every 14 occurrences) patients were never informed of their abnormal test results. In some practices, that rate ranged as high as 26.2%. Practices with the lowest reporting failure rates had standard procedures in place to notify patients of ALL results – normal or abnormal. In response to these findings, Lawrence P. Casalino, MD, PhD, of the Weill Cornell Department of Public Health wrote:

“In many cases, physicians and their staff told patients that ‘no news is good news’ – meaning they should assume their tests are normal, unless they are contacted. That is a dangerous assumption.”

The study recommends that providers 1) notify patients of ALL results even if they are normal, 2) document the notification and add it to the patient’s file and 3) instruct the patient to call the office if they are not contacted within a certain amount of time. Such systematic processes will greatly reduce the chances of an error and the likelihood of a lawsuit down the road.

To learn more about how “no news is good news” has become an unacceptable means of communicating normal test results, contact TeleVox at 1-800-644-4266. LabCalls, TeleVox’s lab results delivery system, provides patients with secure, convenient access to their results while delivering detailed reports to providers for documentation.

The Text Messaging Boom

When it comes to the growing popularity of text messaging, the numbers tell the story. According to In-Stat/MDR, nearly 30.2 billion text messages were sent in the U.S. in 2004. An August 11, 2005 USA Today article displayed the rapid growth of text messaging among Americans, climbing from 2.8 billion per month in 2004 to 5 billion per month in 2005. There are over 142 million cell phones in use in the U.S., and more than 90% are text capable.

Proven Results

A recent study examined the effectiveness of text messages as appointment reminders and their impact on patient no-show rates. The study consisted of nearly 4,500 subjects visiting five outpatient clinics within a two-month period. The first group included 2,151 patients (1,382 with mobile contact telephone numbers). These patients were sent SMS reminders three days prior to their appointment. The no-show rate for this group was 14.2%. In the second group consisting of 2,276 patients, 1,484 provided mobile contact telephone numbers. These patients were not reminded with text messages, and this group’s no-show rate was 23.4%. In this particular study, delivery of SMS appointment reminders to patients eliminated 39.3% of the no-shows that would have resulted without the text messages.

Cost-Effective and Timely Contact

Another advantage of text messaging is its relatively low cost when compared to manual telephone calls or mailed communication. Manual telephone contact with patients requires many hours of expensive staff time, and only a limited number of calls can be completed within a given timeframe. Letters and postcards involve high levels of postage and printing costs, and personnel are often involved in the coordination of these mailings. The delays associated with mail delivery make time an issue as well.

SMS patient communication solves both time and expense problems for healthcare organizations. HouseCalls, TeleVox’s automated messaging system, can deliver phone, e-mail or text messages for a fraction of the time and cost of more traditional methods. TeleVox maintains a delivery capacity of nearly 100,000 messages per hour, and this ability to quickly distribute messages makes SMS and HouseCalls ideal tools for efficient appointment reminders and reduced no-show rates.

Exclusive SMS Technology

SmartText, HouseCalls’ text messaging feature, offers a number of additional benefits to both healthcare organizations and patients. Reminders can deliver appointment-specific information, including patient name, date, time and location. Each text message displays Opt-In/Opt-Out capabilities and confirmation options for patient convenience, and providers receive reports detailing the result of each attempted text message.