5 Common Challenges in Healthcare Call Centers and How to Overcome Them

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Healthcare call centers are a lifeline between patients and the critical information, services, and support they need. From scheduling appointments to handling urgent inquiries, they operate under unique pressures, including high call volumes, 24/7 availability, and the need to protect sensitive patient data. 

When patients call, over half of them expect their concerns to be resolved during the very first call. Meeting these demands requires more than a traditional phone system.

As a customer communication and intelligence platform, Aircall is designed to streamline healthcare communication with advanced features like real-time analytics, seamless integrations, and secure, HIPAA-compliant operations. 

Accordingly, cloud-based systems can help you overcome the most common challenges healthcare call centers face.

Key Challenges in Healthcare Call Centers

Healthcare call centers are a vital link between patients and healthcare providers, from scheduling appointments to fielding urgent medical queries. 

But with this responsibility comes a unique set of challenges. 

1. Managing High Call Volumes Without Compromising Quality

High call volumes are one of the most persistent challenges in healthcare call centers.

During flu season, COVID-19 surges, or other health crises, call centers experience a sharp uptick in patient inquiries. Patients might call for vaccination appointments and test results. Emergencies like natural disasters or public health emergencies can cause an immediate surge in calls, which can overwhelm existing resources.

As a result, patients are forced to wait on hold for extended periods, which can cause frustration and erode trust in the provider. Delayed responses can also cause missed appointments, unaddressed concerns, and even negative reviews.

A recent study shows a clear correlation between wait times and customer satisfaction. Specifically, decreased wait times are linked to an improved perception of care. Having the resources in place to make sure that patients are placed on hold for as little time as possible is key to boosting their overall satisfaction.

For staff, the results are equally critical: overburdened agents can experience burnout, leading to errors or missing work.

Fortunately, implementing Aircall’s call-routing systems and queue management tools can significantly reduce wait times and improve staff satisfaction by directing incoming calls to the most appropriate agents based on predefined criteria. Offering online appointment scheduling and digital check-in services, or integrating virtual care services, can further allow patients to receive the care they need without the wait.

2. Ensuring Accurate and Timely Patient Communication

Navigating issues like insurance plans, coverage specifics, and billing concerns is a frequent challenge. Patients often seek clarity on their financial responsibilities, coverage limitations, and the nuances of their policies. Further, 88% percent of healthcare appointments are scheduled over the phone. 

Coordinating inquiries and appointments requires aligning patient availability with provider schedules—a process that can be both intricate and demanding. Urgent care needs, follow-up visits, and specialist referrals further complicate the task, adding multiple layers of logistical complexity. 

Test results present another challenge. Sharing and interpreting medical results involves accurately conveying sensitive information, often requiring agents to provide clear explanations while addressing patients' concerns. This process frequently necessitates collaboration with medical professionals to ensure patients receive thorough and accurate guidance.

All of this complexity can have an impact on the average handling time (AHT) in call centers. 

AHT takes in the total duration of customer interaction, including: 

• Talk time

• Hold time

• After-call work

In healthcare call centers, the benchmark for handling time, excluding wrap-up, comes out to around 3 minutes and 22 seconds. However, complex questions can prolong this duration even further and lead to longer wait times for other callers.

Integrating systems like CRMs or patient management software can be a game-changer in reducing AHT. Specifically, integrating knowledge bases with call center software allows agents to quickly access up-to-date patient records, streamline communications, and reduce errors. 

3. Navigating HIPAA Compliance and Data Security

In the United States, complying with the HIPAA is mandatory for companies dealing with protected health information. HIPAA establishes strict standards to safeguard patient data. Every aspect of communication—administrative, physical, and technical—must comply to ensure the confidentiality of this data. 

That said, protecting patient data privacy and security can be a challenge in a high-call-volume environment, and the transmission of sensitive information over phone calls requires secure communication channels to prevent unauthorized access. Healthcare organizations must take proactive measures to secure patient data during phone calls, ensuring sensitive information is protected at every stage of the communication process. On top of that, the storage of call recordings and data, coupled with the rise of telehealth services and remote patient monitoring, means call centers must now secure data across multiple platforms and devices.

Solving these issues requires the implementation of a few best practices:

• Adopt end-to-end encryption for all communications – Sensitive information shared during phone calls, emails, or chats, will remain secure from interception. 

• Implement multi-factor authentication – For system access, this can improve security by requiring agents and administrators to verify their identity through multiple layers. 

• Establish secure data storage practices – Healthcare call centers should use secure, HIPAA-compliant cloud cloud call center solutions for storing call recordings and patient data. Platforms that are purpose-built will include the proper safeguards such as automatic encryption, regular backups, and detailed audit trails to monitor access and modifications.

4. Supporting Multilingual and Diverse Patient Populations 

Serving patients with diverse language needs and cultural backgrounds presents a significant challenge for healthcare providers. Miscommunication due to language barriers can lead to misunderstandings, delays in care, and decreased patient satisfaction. Additionally, cultural differences may impact how patients interpret information or engage with healthcare teams. 

Aircall’s flexibility is key to addressing these challenges. 

Its ability to integrate with translation tools and multilingual support systems allows healthcare providers to offer personalized care in various languages. By enabling seamless communication with interpreters or automatic translation services, Aircall ensures that all patients, regardless of their language or cultural background, receive accurate and timely information. This adaptability not only improves patient outcomes but also fosters trust and inclusivity in healthcare environments, ultimately enhancing the patient experience and ensuring equitable care for all.

5. Improving Team Collaboration and Staff Training 

Communication breakdowns between call center staff and healthcare teams can significantly impact support quality, leading to delays and errors. Aircall’s real-time call monitoring and analytics tools help bridge this gap by:

• Enabling better collaboration

• Offering actionable insights

• Optimizing workflows

These features empower teams to address issues promptly, enhance decision-making, and streamline operations, ultimately boosting efficiency and improving the patient experience.

That said, retaining trained staff is just as important as maintaining efficient communication.

The industry is characterized by alarmingly high turnover rates, with averages between 30% and 45%, leading to increased recruitment and training costs, not to mention potential disruptions in service quality.

What makes the job especially difficult compared to other call center work is that staff need to possess specialized knowledge of healthcare policies and terminology. Agents are required to know their way around complex medical information, insurance protocols, and regulatory compliance. At the same time, the regulations surrounding the field are constantly changing.

The demanding nature of the role, combined with the need for specialized expertise, contributes to job dissatisfaction and burnout among call center agents. With a staggering 63% of call center agents reportedly experiencing burnout, it is no surprise that such an environment places strain on remaining employees and compromises the quality of patient interaction.

Continuous education and certification are important for equipping call center agents with the skills to stay afloat. Certification courses require the completion of training modules, passing rigorous exams, and sticking to professional codes of conduct. Programs like the Certified Call Center Manager and accompanying certifications can be valuable tools to keep agents trained and on point to provide the best experience possible.

6. Leveraging Technology to Enhance the Patient Experience

Outdated technology poses significant challenges for healthcare call centers and hinders the ability to deliver efficient and effective patient care. 

Specifically, legacy systems often lack the flexibility and integration capabilities required to meet modern healthcare demands. Add up all the inefficiencies, and these technology limitations can result in: 

• Reduced call quality

• Poor call routing

• Increased security risks

Old technologies also struggle with maintaining analytics essential to performance monitoring and optimization. Without real-time data insights, call centers struggle to identify bottlenecks, assess agent performance, and make informed decisions.

Upgrading to advanced call center technology—such as cloud-based phone systems, AI-driven solutions, and chat integrations—can resolve patient issues more quickly and improve overall satisfaction. 

Aircall’s suite of tools enhances the patient experience by enabling faster, more reliable communication, ensuring patients are quickly connected to the right healthcare providers, reducing wait times and improving response efficiency.

How Aircall Helps Overcome Common Challenges for Healthcare Call Centers

Healthcare call centers face plenty of challenges: managing high call volumes, complex queries, and modernizing technology, all while complying with strict regulations. These difficulties, compounded by high staff turnover and technical limitations, can strain operations and compromise patient care.

Aircall offers a customer communication and intelligence platform solution to address these challenges. With features like call routing, interactive voice response, live monitoring, and easy integration with healthcare management systems, Aircall is the perfect tool to optimize call handling and improve efficiency.

If you're ready to discover how this solution can be the answer to the difficulties in managing a healthcare call center, start your free Aircall trial today.

Sources: 

NIH. Call Center Performance Affects Patient Perceptions of Access and Satisfaction.

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8177735/ 

Healthcare Success. 14 Ways to Reduce Long Patient Wait Times.

https://healthcaresuccess.com/blog/healthcare-marketing/long-patient-wait-times.html 

CNBC. Most stressful part of doctor’s visit: The wait, says survey.

https://www.cnbc.com/2016/04/05/most-stressful-part-of-doctors-visit-the-wait-says-survey.html 

US Dept. of Health and Human Services. Summary of the HIPPA Privacy Rule. https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/for-professionals/privacy/laws-regulations/index.html 

ZIPPIA. 45 Crucial Call Center Statistics [2023]: Metrics, Performance KPIs, And Industry Data.

https://www.zippia.com/advice/call-center-statistics 

Teal. Getting Certified as a Call Center Manager. https://www.tealhq.com/certifications/call-center-manager 

Published on December 19, 2024.