Streamlining Customer Service Interactions to Match Patient Desires Via the Contact Center
When dealing with a medical issue or billing concern, timely and efficient service is crucial for patients. A strenuous process, like repeatedly explaining the same issue over the phone, can frustrate patients and may cause them to seek other providers. The contact center plays a vital role in the patient experience, but it needs to adapt to changing times. Some prefer talking to a human, while others appreciate a quick chatbot response. In today's fast-paced world, healthcare should follow suit.
At the AWS Summit Washington, DC 2025, panelists discussed the potential of Amazon Connect to enhance patient experiences and make staff workflows more manageable.
☛ Curious about revamping your customer service strategy? ☛
In 2022, Jupiter Medical Center in Florida switched to Epic as its primary Electronic Health Record (EHR) solution. However, it still relied on several pre-access apps for scheduling, registration, and authorization.
"Our patient satisfaction scores weren't impressive, and we weren't partnering well with our physician clinics," said Shane Faullin, Director of Analytics and Automation at Jupiter Medical Center.
Besides using outdated communication solutions, they lacked any outbound functionality.
"After implementing a transformational product like Epic, we needed something equally powerful on the communication side to complete the solution," Faullin noted.
They decided to collaborate with AWS, primarily due to its ecosystem and development opportunities for further expansion with new features and functionalities, unlocking the data they collected.
☛ Interested in transforming healthcare customer service with Amazon Connect? ☛
Jupiter Medical Center established an outbound calling campaign with Amazon Connect. The dialer makes calls without errors, and once connected, transfers the patient to an agent. Amazon Connect tracks the number of attempts made and records the actions taken. This information aids the organization in prioritizing patients who could not be reached and in verifying if they have incorrect or outdated contact info.
Previously, it took approximately 30 seconds to connect to an operator at Jupiter Medical Center's call center. There was no data on the reasons for the calls, and the overall experience was subpar. With Amazon Connect, callers are routed appropriately—be it for directions or speaking with someone—ensuring they reach the correct destination.
"Since implementing Amazon Connect, we've observed a promising upward trend in our patient experience scores, and there are fewer complaints," Faullin emphasized. "Our contact center is like our front door, and we emphasize on creating a phenomenal experience there for our patents."
Another advantage is that, instead of using a patchwork of solutions across the main hospital campus and outpatient clinics, Amazon Connect offers a unified, seamless patient experience.
"Whether someone calls our main hospital or one of our other facilities, they'll experience a uniform feel and know they'll receive proper care," Faullin added.
Sunil Menon, Senior Business Development Specialist for Customer Experience Engagement, AWS
Unifying the Patient Experience with Amazon Connect
Patients should encounter a delightful experience regardless of their preferred channel, said Sunil Menon. Amazon Lex, an integrated AI service, can interpret patient intent and offer self-service options like appointment scheduling or information retrieval.
"If they don't need to talk to an agent, they can easily address their concerns without waiting in a queue," Menon explained. "If they require escalation to an agent, the information communicated, including context and intent, will be conveyed through their journey." An omnichannel experience is fundamental for a seamless patient experience.
The other benefit is the streamlined agent experience. When patients are escalated to an agent, having contextually relevant and personalized information available makes it easier for the agent to provide superior services. Menon praised Jupiter Medical Center for its successful outbound campaigns that play a significant role in reducing preventable readmissions and enhancing patient care.
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"It's essential to have contextual and personalized information to empower agents," Menon concluded. "They can adopt a proactive approach towards care, ensuring patients receive high-quality services."
In the future, healthcare organizations could leverage Amazon Connect to revolutionize their customer service strategies, enhancing both patient experiences and staff workflows, as demonstrated by Jupiter Medical Center.
By implementing Amazon Connect, healthcare providers can offer a unified and seamless patient experience across various channels, enabling self-service options for health-and-wellness inquiries, while also prioritizing timely and efficient service in a rapidly advancing science-focused world.
