January 29, 2016
Call centers always seem to get a bad rap, and maybe there's a reason for that. Think about it: No one calls when they're happy. There’s usually a problem involved, and an unhappy caller on the other end. But that should just give staff members a reason to be empathetic and help the caller out.
Now, for one segment of the market, there is a new financial incentive as well.
In a recent article on MediaPost.com, writer Daniella Koren examined call centers in the healthcare industry and explained why they must pay special attention to ensuring that customers have a positive experience when they call.
Koren notes that “The Affordable Care Act stipulates that CMS (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services) withholds one percent of reimbursements to hospitals in the U.S. each year. This one percent is redistributed as a reward to top-performing hospitals and withheld from poor performers. Thirty percent of what determines whether a hospital is a top or poor performer is based on that hospital’s Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) score.”
The HCAHPS is based directly on what patients say; they fill out the survey. And if they had a bad experience on the phone, you can be sure they’ll say so.
With that in mind, Koren listed five suggestions to make the call center more effective and help it achieve a better score:
Listen: “”Call center staff should listen carefully to patients,“ Koren says, ”ask follow-up questions if necessary, and offer help based on what the patient has said."
Reference Previous Calls: “”When speaking with patients who call frequently, call center staff should be able to quickly review past calls to better determine the patient's needs," she advises.
Always Follow Up: Once a call is over, the conversation should continue. “Before ending the call,” Koren suggests, “schedule a time to call the patient to follow up on that day’s call, or to remind them if they have an upcoming office visit or prescription renewal.”
Make the Most of Patient Outreach: Communication is an integral part of the patient care continuum, and patients should be informed about seasonal vaccinations, health events in their community, and screening tests they should undergo.
Don't Underestimate Post-Discharge Calls: “”Post-discharge calls encourage patients to take an active role in their own care and can help build relationships with new patients who have received care and been discharged,“ Koren says. ”These follow-up calls also confirm that patients understand and are following their medication instructions."
Customer care doesn't end when the phone call ends. In fact, the call can be the start of a new chapter. Make sure it counts.