Artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer a trend of the future. More than 55 percent of businesses are using AI to improve and perfect business operations, and 46 percent are utilizing it for customer relationship management.
An increasing number of consumers are on board with AI, too. An estimated 75 percent of customers use multiple channels — including AI — in their ongoing client experience.
Although not the first industry to adopt AI technology, healthcare is making up for lost time. Roughly 94 percent of healthcare businesses utilize AI or machine learning in some capacity, and 83 percent of healthcare organizations have implemented an artificial intelligence strategy.
Top of the list for many healthcare organizations is conversational AI. In this blog, we will outline exactly what it is, how it is being employed in healthcare and how it can benefit your business.
What is Conversational AI in Healthcare?
Conversational AI consists of computer systems that communicate with users through natural language user interfaces involving images, text, and voice. It automates more natural, human-like interactions between computers and users. In addition to being equipped to provide a more flexible conversational flow, conversational AI technology learns from information gathered and is built to understand patterns of human behavior.
By combining advanced automation, AI, and natural language processing (NLP) to enable comprehension of and response to human language, voice-enabled conversational AI can be used by healthcare providers to respond to common patient questions, streamline some administrative tasks, and more. It achieves this by generating clear answers that mimic human interaction and asking follow-up questions if necessary.
Not all chatbots utilize AI. Unlike conversational AI solutions, rules-based chatbots map out conversations based on user input and only answer queries that fit into pre-set questions and/or comments. They follow a decision-tree matrix to guide users toward a specific action or answer and often provide robotic-like responses, which can result in a frustrating interaction and a negative patient experience.
Applications of Conversational AI in Healthcare
Using voice-enabled conversational AI achieves more than reducing workload for healthcare organizations. It offers convenience and ease of use for patients, both central tenets of healthcare consumerism. Examples include:
1. Answering Common Patient Questions
Patients sometimes have questions that do not require a medical professional. A voice-enabled conversational AI solution can answer frequently asked patient questions about symptoms, treatments, medications, preventive measures or preparations for an upcoming appointment or procedure. Patients receive an immediate answer without having to schedule an in-office visit, and healthcare organization staff can focus on more high-touch tasks.
2. Symptom Checking
Healthcare organizations of any size can use conversational AI tools to guide patients through triage questions to assess urgency. Based on symptoms described in a logical sequence by the patient, the tool can be utilized for step-by-step diagnosis and suggest how the symptoms should be managed or recommend consulting a clinician in-office. Such solutions provide 24/ availability for patients and reduce the burden on healthcare staff.
3. Appointment Scheduling and Reminders
Patient no-shows and cancellations are costly for healthcare organizations, but they can be mitigated through self-scheduling and automated appointment reminders. Through voice-enabled conversational AI, patients can conveniently schedule or reschedule an appointment with their preferred provider at the location closest to them.
These AI solutions access up-to-date physician schedules and other real-time data, so the information given to patients is always accurate. Another use is sending proactive and personalized appointment reminder notifications, thereby streamlining the entire process.
4. Medication Management
Prescription medications offer an effective method for treatment, but many patients do not take their prescriptions as direction – even those with chronic illnesses. In addition to being associated with higher rates of hospital admissions, suboptimal health outcomes and increased morbidity, medication nonadherence is estimated to be linked to 125,000 deaths annually.
By using voice-enabled conversational AI to remind patients to take their medicine, alert them when a refill is needed or recommend over-the-counter (OTC) medications based on their profile, healthcare organizations can alleviate medication non-adherence and improve outcomes.
5. Automation of Administrative Tasks
Physicians and other healthcare provider staff are responsible for multiple administrative tasks which limit the amount of time they are able to spend with patients. Employing voice-enabled conversational AI helps to reduce their administrative burden by handling common patient interactions, conducting the employee training process and reducing paperwork. Staff can spend more time with patients and be more productive, increasing staff and patient satisfaction.
6. Multilingual Support
By providing multilingual support through voice-enabled conversational AI, healthcare organizations can overcome language barriers and increase access to more patients. They also are more easily able to promote patient engagement and gain a competitive edge over other healthcare organizations.
3 Benefits of Revmo’s Conversational AI in Healthcare
Conversational AI enables patients to procure quick and accurate information without having to speak to someone in their provider’s office. Some studies have shown advantages of the use of conversational AI in different healthcare settings, such as enabling behavior change, coaching to support a healthy lifestyle, helping breast cancer patients and self-anamnesis for therapy patients.
Then there’s the cost savings. Based on AI-driven use cases, physician practices could save three to eight percent of costs, amounting to between $20 billion and $60 billion in savings.
Other advantages of utilizing voice-enabled conversational AI in healthcare include:
1. 24/7 Accessibility and Convenience
Immediate responses to healthcare questions and concerns increase patient satisfaction. Voice-enabled conversational AI tools are able to assist patients 24/, providing them with the convenience and access they prefer and mitigating gaps in care.
2. Enhanced Patient Engagement and Education
When healthcare providers effectively educate patients, those individuals better understand their health conditions and choices and are actively engaged in their care. Patient education is especially important in chronic disease management, where it helps with self-management.
Adopting voice-enabled conversational AI to deliver customized messages that contain relevant patient education, health information and navigation support empowers patients to make informed healthcare decisions. This personalized communication engages patients by being able to provide meaningful guidance and information, all without waiting in an overwhelmed call queue.
3. Increased Safety of User Data Collected Over Voice Calls
Healthcare organizations implementing a voice-enabled conversational AI solution like the one offered by Revmo ensure that they follow industry best practices such as not storing patient data within the large language model (LLM) and developing a strategy that avoids any security and policy-associated problems. Every piece of data in transit or at rest is encrypted using industry-leading methods, and regular backups ensure that healthcare data is never lost.
Why Switch to Revmo from Rules-Based Chatbots?
Revmo Assistants are on 24/7 to maximize meaningful conversations with your patients, and our multilingual capabilities further enhance those conversations. The Assistants call and educate with hyper-personalized conversations specific to your healthcare organization at unlimited capacity to improve patient satisfaction and drive more revenue.
The Revmo platform also seamlessly transforms your patient engagement strategy from reactive to proactive. Leverage the platform’s power to reduce your staff’s burnout and turnover while you maximize your return on investment — contact us today!
