Effective IVR Prompts: Key to Patient Satisfaction in Medical Practices

When patients call your medical practice, they want a personalized interaction that answers their questions and provides all the information they seek. But if your practice is like many, you may feel overwhelmed by the number of daily calls you receive. Using an IVR system — and leveraging effective IVR prompts — can make this task more manageable.

IVR (interactive voice response) systems guide callers through menus, allowing you to direct calls to other departments and provide self-service solutions easily. Leveraging this system can save your medical practice time while ensuring patient satisfaction during communications.

What Are IVR Prompts?

IVR prompts are spoken menu options that patients hear when they call your medical practice’s main number. These prompts give patients a list of options to help them navigate the phone system.

IVR prompts can:

• Provide information to the caller, such as regular business hours, updates, services, and directions for those who need immediate assistance in a medical emergency
• Direct calls to appropriate departments if a patient does not know the extension for the person they wish to speak with
• Facilitate actions, such as scheduling appointments, rescheduling an existing appointment, or paying bills
• Identify an existing customer’s phone number and greet that person by name

Think of IVRs as virtual contact centers that automatically provide call routing. Once patients complete the IVR script, they will reach the specific department they wish to speak to, saving your customer service team time.

The Role of IVR Prompts in Healthcare Practices

If you own a group practice with two or more physicians, directing calls to the right physicians and departments is an added step that takes up time within your practice. But even if you have a solo practice, you can save time and improve customer satisfaction using custom dynamic IVR prompts.

When patients call your practice, they’ll be greeted by an IVR recording featuring a professional voice and a list of options. Those options may include something like:

• “Press 1 to schedule an appointment.”
• “Press 2 to pay your bill.”
• “Press 3 to leave a message with your physician.”
• “Press 4 to hear our business hours.”
• “Press 5 to connect with an operator.”

Once the patient makes their selection, they may be connected directly to an operator or support staff or hear a prompt like “We are currently experiencing a high call volume. All our agents are assisting other callers” with instructions about how to proceed.

Benefits of Optimized IVR Prompts

IVR prompts provide many benefits for healthcare practices, such as:

• Reducing waiting times and minimizing caller frustration
• Streamlining administrative tasks for physicians and staff members
• Answering questions quickly
• Facilitating easy appointment scheduling and reminders
• Allowing patients to add one particular number to their contacts that can connect them to all physicians and departments in your practice

However, your medical care practice won’t gain these advantages unless you structure your IVR prompts strategically.

Best Practices for Crafting Effective IVR Prompts

Your practice has complete control over your IVR prompts. You must ensure that they reflect your practice and physicians positively, provide callers with the information they need, and promote a positive customer experience.

First, ensure that the messaging is clear and concise.

• Bad: “You can press 1 to connect with one of our physicians, or you can press 2 to leave a message or learn about special events we have coming up.”
• Good: “Press 1 to connect with Dr. Jones’ voicemail. Press 2 to return to the main menu.”

Notice how the focus in the second example is clear and straightforward.

Next, ensure that whoever is recording your IVR scripts uses a professional and friendly tone. You can also use AI programs to read and record the scripts as audio files. Either way, choose the right voice to represent your facility.

Common Mistakes To Avoid

When crafting your messages for your IVR system, be sure to avoid these common mistakes:

• Overly complex menus: Not everyone is familiar with IVR systems, but patients shouldn’t be confused by your prompts and navigation. Keep IVR menus straightforward and intuitive.
• Inconsistent voice and tone: Use one voice throughout the IVR system. Switching voices could confuse patients or portray an unprofessional image of your practice.

Implementing IVR Prompts in Your Medical Practice

Ready to create IVR prompts for your group practice, hospital, or solo practice setting? Here’s a step-by-step guide.

• Assess Needs: Determine your healthcare practice’s requirements. What navigation options do you need to provide, and which could you do without?
• Choose an IVR Provider: Next, choose a reliable IVR service provider that meets your needs. There are dozens of options, so take the time to review the features and services offered by each.
• Design the IVR Menu: Now, plan the structure and flow of your menu. You can even call other healthcare practices to see how they have structured their menus.
• Record IVR Prompts: Once you have determined your menu structure, create clear and professional recordings for the prompts. You can ask one of your staff members to record it or use an AI program.
• Set Up the IVR System: Install the software and hardware according to the instructions from your IVR company.
• Integrate With Existing Systems: You’ll need to connect your IVR system with your practice management software and any other systems you use to manage your operations.
• Test the IVR System: Conduct thorough testing to ensure the system’s functionality and usability.
• Train Staff: Your staff should undergo training and gain the ability to manage and monitor the system to ensure its ongoing performance.
• Launch the IVR System: Finally, you’re ready to launch! Go live with your IVR system and monitor its performance.
• Gather Feedback: Collect patient and staff feedback and make necessary adjustments.

IVR systems are very customizable, so don’t be afraid to personalize your prompts to reflect your services and meet your practice’s needs. For example, if you prefer patients to leave a message with a physician instead of trying to reach them directly, you can direct the caller to voice mail when they press 1.

Weave Can Enhance Your Practice’s Communications

Effective IVR prompts can boost patient satisfaction, whether you own a solo practice, hospital, or group practice. If you currently use an IVR system that doesn’t meet your needs, consider optimizing it using the above tips.

Weave can help you streamline communications in your practice as well. With Weave’s Call Tree, you can easily set up an interactive voicemail system that gives patients access to the answers they need.

Get a demo today to see how Weave can enhance your practice’s communication.