Optimizing Workflows for Better Patient Service

Optimizing Workflows for Better Patient Service

Your healthcare contact center is a pressure cooker. Patients calling nonstop—some need a referral scheduled, others have care gaps to address, and plenty just need standard help—and your team’s racing to keep up. When workflows falter, it’s a mess - referrals stall,  follow-ups lag, and wrap-up codes turn into a guessing game. If that hits home, you’re in good company—plenty of contact centers are stuck in the same rut.

EDCi’s Continuous Improvement (CI) as a Service is a no-nonsense way to fine-tune those key workflows and enhance the patient experience. Throughout this blog, we’ll explore how these processes encounter obstacles and how EDCi helps them run smoothly.

The Workflow Struggles Slowing You Down

• Referral Delays:
  When a patient calls in needing a specialist referral, the agent often struggles to find the right process. After several transfers and manual entries, the referral is logged, delaying care in the process. Unclear steps and disconnected handoffs make it harder to get patients to specialists quickly.
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• Care Gap Chaos:
  A patient's routine screening may be overdue, but the care gap alert gets buried in a clunky system, often ignored until it’s too late. Alerts for missed screenings or follow-ups get lost in manual tasks, leaving gaps unresolved.
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• Wrap-Up Code Confusion:
  Even simple wrap-up codes can slow things down. Agents often waste time searching for the right code, unsure which one fits the situation. What should be a quick task turns into a frustrating, time-consuming process. Without a clear flow, agents miscode calls, which can muddy your data.  

These delays don’t just waste time—they hold up patient care and leave your agents feeling stressed. When referrals, care gaps, and basic call tracking take longer than they should, it’s time to rethink how things are done. 

EDCi’s CI Model:  Perfecting the Process

EDCi’s Continuous Improvement model focuses on what truly matters – referrals, care gaps, and call center standards – rather than chasing quick fixes.  

Here’s how CI sharpens these workflows:

• Map the Mess:
  EDCi starts by digging into your referral pipeline, care gap outreach, and wrap-up routines. We identify the hold-up—maybe it’s a handoff snag or a cluttered system—and set the stage for fixes.
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• Automate the Essentials:
  For referrals, CI might automate eligibility checks or nudge patients with reminders, eliminating manual steps. Care gaps are streamlined with smart alerts to alert agents at the right time—no more buried tasks. One CI customer realized that a quick text has been shown to boost follow-up rates by 30%.
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• Smart Routing for Referrals:
  EDCi utilizes AI to route referral calls straight to specialists’ schedulers, skipping transfers. Patients are scheduled faster, and your team avoids the relay race.
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• Standardize Wrap-Up Codes:
  CI cleans up the chaos with clear, consistent codes and training. Agents tag calls like “referral completed” or “care gap flagged” in seconds, providing data you can trust. When integrated into Electronic Health Records (EHRs), this can help “close the loop” in the referral process by ensuring all essential patient data is accurately communicated.

With CI, you can empower your team with comprehensive training on the latest technologies and best practices. You’ll also benefit from our team of experienced consultants who provide guidance on maximizing the value of your technology investments – turning frustration into focus.

Real Wins: Patients and Staff Thrive

Thanks to EDCI's routing and automation, referrals that once required three calls a week are now completed in one call on the same day. Patients needing a cardiologist are booked before they hang up, eliminating wait time. For care gaps, an agent receives an alert for a missed mammogram, contacts the patient, and schedules it—all in five minutes instead of leaving it on a to-do list.

One provider has seen EDCi’s CI improve wrap-ups by 70% faster, resulting in a reduction of callbacks. That’s a team with breathing room and patients receiving care, not excuses.

Why Workflow Optimization Matters

In healthcare, delays are more than frustrating—they’re gaps in care. A stalled referral can mean a missed diagnosis or worsening condition, while inaccurate wrap-up codes distort data, masking what’s working or not. Streamlining workflows like referrals, care gaps, and call standards keeps patients on track and your team efficient. Faster referrals build trust, closed care gaps save lives, and accurate data leads to smarter decisions

EDCi’s CI model takes a focused approach, combining automation, strategic planning, expert guidance, and training when necessary. With 24/7 support, you’ll never be left in the dark. It’s not about reinventing the wheel – it’s about enhancing what you already do best.

Take the First Step to Smoother Service

Your contact center should shine, not stress. We encourage you to start small, pick a workflow—like a referral lag—and test a fix with EDCi. You’ll see referrals become faster, you’ll be able to track the wins and roll the solution out wider.

Ready to streamline your operations? Contact us today to tune up your patient service.