Call centers are a cost-effective way to substantially increase the quality and level of service to the institution's customers. In an article written for the Journal of Healthcare Information Management, Gerard Nussbaum writes that when call centers are properly deployed, they can actually help reduce costs.

As health care institutions implement call center technology, areas in which benefits are seen include 1) patient relationship transactions such as appointment scheduling and prescription refills; 2) business support transactions such as insurance claim updates and eligibility information; and 3) general information such as visiting hours and travel directions.

People Resources as Important as Technology

People resources must be designed as carefully as the technology, Nussbaum stresses. Selecting call center agents for aptitude, attitude and availability is critical. Unlike many major call center environments which view agents as interchangeable, health care agents must be thoroughly trained in the call center applications, the healthcare information systems in use, the institution's and specialty-practice protocols, and in customer service.

Call center agents have a high burnout rate. However, there are various techniques to help minimize agent burnout and turnover. These techniques include an ergonomic work station, regular breaks, use of part-time shifts, rotating personnel off the phone to other tasks during the day, providing opportunities for advancement, involvement in call center design changes, and contests or rewards.

Key technology involved in the call center set-up include the telephone system itself or private branch exchange (PBX), automatic call distributor (ACD), skills based routing (SBR), integrated voice response (IVR), computer telephony integration (CTI), fax on demand, and web integration.

Although the up-front costs may be high, call centers are cost-effective means to substantially increase the quality and level of service to the institution's customers. By reducing the frequency with which front-line clinical and administrative personnel are interrupted by phone calls, the call center can help control staffing costs and make clinical personnel more effective.

Call centers have much to offer health care in terms of improving customer satisfaction, enabling new initiatives, controlling costs and enhancing collections. Institutions that desire to pursue the benefits of call centers must create a team to investigate and manage the process. They must include clinical, administrative, telephony and information systems personnel as call centers cross many organizational boundaries. Outside expert help can often make the difference between success and failure for large call center projects.


Hamilton HMC is a management consulting firm specializing in healthcare. The firm helps clients become better competitors in delivering healthcare through strategic, information technology, facility, and operations planning and implementation. Hamilton HMC has offices throughout the United States and is a division of Kurt Salmon Associates, Inc., the world's leading management consulting firm committed exclusively to healthcare, retail and consumer products industries with offices globally.