ConnectOnCall daytime call solution
streamlines prescription calls, increases
patient satisfaction
Carolina Health Specialists - Weekday Assist case study
Metrics at a glance
"Our goal was to better serve our patients by removing the frustration of waiting on hold or having to call back. Our new prescription refill line is a win-win for our patients and our staff. ConnectOnCall enables our operations team to handle a higher volume of calls, while efficiently completing all medication requests successfully. Due to the overwhelmingly positive feedback and results, we’ve recently implemented an overflow line with ConnectOnCall."
Challenge
Long hold times and a high call abandonment rate
Carolina Health Specialists, a large multi-specialty practice with five locations, was seeking a solution to handle peak call periods, increase productivity, and better serve their patients. With an overall increase in call volume, the practice’s operations team was struggling to handle patient calls in a timely fashion. Due to long wait times and/or a busy signal, the practice was experiencing a high rate of abandoned calls and patient dissatisfaction with the practice’s general availability.
Solution
Implementing Medication Refill Line
Carolina Health Specialists turned to ConnectOnCall, an athenahealth marketplace partner, to reduce call hold times for patients and to improve efficiency. After determining the largest percentage (25%) of calls were for medications, ConnectOnCall worked to implement a solution to handle prescription refills. Now, patients can quickly leave a voicemail without waiting on hold. ConnectOnCall matches the patient in athena, documents the call, and automatically creates an athena patient case.
Results
$27,000 saved on costs; 2,500 more calls handled/month
With the new prescription refill line averaging 500-600 calls a week, the call operations team now has the bandwidth to service 2,500 more callers (16% more) per month. Additionally, the operations team can focus on calls that bring in more revenue for the practice (e.g. new appointments) while improving the patient experience. Now, it takes the call operators only 30 - 60 seconds, 40-70% less time to complete the full medication request. By implementing ConnectOnCall’s daytime phone solution, Weekday Assist, Carolina Health is able to handle peak call periods without hiring additional staff, translating to $27,000 in annual savings.
Specialty: Large multispecialty
EHR Provider: Athena
Practice size: 42 practicing providers
Locations: 5