Average Speed to Answer (ASA) is a critical metric for any call center, for a healthcare call center it’s critical to patient satisfaction. Unfortunately, many providers struggle with long ASA times due to staffing challenges, especially during peak call hours. With an ASA benchmark in healthcare of a minute or more—well beyond the industry standard of 28 seconds—patients often abandon their calls before speaking to an agent. In fact, 60% of patients will hang up if they don't get an answer within one minute. This results in missed opportunities for care, lost revenue, and a decline in patient satisfaction.
Healthcare call centers face unique challenges that make managing call queues difficult. Agents handle complex workflows that require longer handling times, reducing the number of calls they can process. At the same time, fluctuating call volumes during peak times—such as before work, during lunch breaks, and in the late afternoon—further complicate staffing decisions. These busy periods are often too short to justify hiring additional staff, making it difficult to consistently meet the high service expectations of patients.
Increasing staff to cover peak call times might improve ASA temporarily, but it's not a long-term solution.
Simply adding more agents can drive up costs without addressing the root causes of long wait times. A better way to address the problem is through automated patient access systems like conversational IVRs. Conversational IVRs are designed to handle a wide range of patient needs immediately, from scheduling appointments to answering general FAQs. These systems are equipped to understand natural language, allowing them to resolve simple queries and tasks without requiring a live agent. This reduces the wait time for patients and frees up agents to focus on more complex issues that require personalized attention.
By leveraging AI-driven technologies, healthcare providers can eliminate ASA as a key metric entirely.
Our internal data showed that by automating the patient verification process, we were not only able to eliminate speed to answer entirely but also improve overall handling times by more than 20%. By using AI to automate common, low-touch tasks such as appointment management or answering general FAQs, we can also reduce overall call volumes by nearly 10%, preserving agent hours for more complex, high-value interactions.
This results in faster response times, shorter wait times, and fewer abandoned calls, all of which contribute to a better overall patient experience.
Patients expect timely service, and AI makes that possible—ensuring they feel heard and valued, not frustrated by delays. By embracing AI-powered solutions and conversational IVRs, healthcare providers can eliminate long wait times, allowing patients to get the care they need quickly and efficiently. This not only enhances the patient experience but also improves clinical outcomes. Today ASA no longer needs to be a primary metric for satisfaction. Instead, organizations can focus on delivering fast, accurate, and personalized care, streamlining access to improve the patient experience and foster loyalty.
The future of healthcare is here: more efficient, cost-effective, and patient-friendly than ever before.
Tell your patients the wait is over and connect with an Envera solutions consultant about strategies for improving the access experience at your practice today.
