As hospitals and health systems strive to provide an outstanding patient experience while also navigating revenue cycle challenges, conversational AI is emerging as a game-changing technology that helps in both areas.
SARA (Supervised Autonomous Revenue Associate) is Meduit’s conversational AI tool that’s helping streamline the payment process for patients right now – literally. Whether you’re reading this at 11:00 am or pm, SARA takes calls 24/7/365 to give patients the control they desire over their payment journey.
Research indicates that patients today want the freedom to choose when, how, and with whom they make their payments, whether it’s an automated system or a live representative. SARA, as a self-service option, enables patients to execute a variety of tasks on their own schedule, contributing greatly to a more gratifying payment process.
“We basically train SARA as an entry-level service representative,” says Doug Marcum, Meduit’s Sr. VP of IT. “SARA is aware of the customized baseline of rules we build for each client and can leverage them in a conversation. If a patient asks to speak with a person at any point, we immediately interrupt and transfer the caller to a human representative.”
24/7 accessibility is only one of the many benefits that conversational AI tools like SARA offer providers and their patients. Others include the following:
Consistent Customer Service – SARA provides the same service to every single person, every single time. SARA can detect the emotion of a caller and whether they’d be better served by a live representative. However, as you’d expect from machine-generated AI, SARA has the same disposition for every call.
Multi-modal Interactions – This capability allows SARA to engage in a voice conversation with a patient until it reaches a certain complexity level, at which point SARA will text the patient a link to a portal for additional service. Using multi-modal communication in this manner allows SARA to execute and complete more tasks without transferring callers. Meduit is a multi-modal pioneer in the RCM space.
Faster Access to a Representative – Patients who want or need to speak to a customer representative can get there faster because SARA handles all the simple calls, freeing staff to handle more complex questions. In an industry that’s consistently challenged by staffing shortages, conversational AI tools like SARA help providers optimize their existing staff members.
Accelerated Cash Flow – SARA’s 24/7 capabilities allow for more transactions to take place after hours, while also reducing the number of voicemails and callbacks awaiting staff the following day. The revenue SARA generates after closing is equivalent to having multiple full-time employees working shifts after-hours.
More than ever, revenue cycle success for hospitals and health systems is contingent upon providing an excellent patient experience – from the level of care provided through the ease and efficiency of the payment process. Conversational AI and tools like SARA offer patients the convenience, accessibility, and control they desire, translating to more satisfaction and better outcomes. For providers, conversational AI can streamline processes, mitigate staffing challenges, and expand revenue-capturing windows.
With all its benefits, it's easy to see why conversational AI is being hailed as a transformative technology for healthcare RCM. As it advances, it will become an even more beneficial choice for providers wanting to significantly improve patient engagement and satisfaction with a single tech-powered solution.