Convincing Leadership to Integrate Your Call Center with Hospital Communication Systems

Hospital communication systems and protocols are crucial for ensuring efficient, safe, and effective patient care. They encompass a wide range of tools, technologies, and established procedures designed to facilitate the secure and timely exchange of information among all stakeholders, including healthcare professionals, patients, and their families.

A hospital’s call center should be included in the overall communication system, but unfortunately, the call center is sometimes an overlooked entity despite its importance as a communication hub. Below, we provide some guidance about how hospital call center managers can convince healthcare leadership and IT staff of the importance of integrating the call center with the overall hospital communication protocols.

Poor communication is a leading cause of medical errors and frustrated patients and employees. Emphasize the massive role call centers play to improve communication challenges in healthcare such as improved patient safety and satisfaction, reduced staff frustration and errors, and admin benefits like reduced costs and enhanced reputation.

Some key points to highlight about patients and staff include:

• Streamlined communication between call center staff and healthcare professionals ensures critical information reaches the right people at the right time, leading to timely interventions and improved patient outcomes.
• Faster response times, accurate information dissemination, and easier navigation of the healthcare system can lead to a more positive patient experience.
• Interoperable call center software eliminates the need for multiple phone calls and information transfers, reducing frustration for patients and staff and minimizing the risk of errors. Centralized communication allows for better call routing, resource allocation, and improved workflow for call center staff and healthcare providers.

Focus on the value proposition for leadership:

• Improved efficiency, reduced errors, and potentially fewer readmissions due to better communication can lead to cost savings for the hospital.
• Call center agents are often the first experience a patient has with a hospital system. Positive patient experiences translate into better HCAHPS scores, which can impact Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements.
• A well-functioning communication system that integrates the call center strengthens the hospital’s reputation for providing high-quality patient care.

Address IT and security concerns:

• Provide assurance that integrating the call center will adhere to HIPAA regulations, compliance rules, and patient data security protocols.
• Highlight how the call center software can scale to meet the growing needs of the hospital.
• Work with IT to ensure a smooth integration process with minimal disruption to existing workflows.

By focusing on the positive impact on patients, staff, and the hospital’s bottom line, along with a collaborative and data-driven approach, call center managers can make a strong case for integrating the call center into the overall hospital communication system.