Integrated communication system and method

• US 20040093257A1
• Filed: 05/31/2001
• Published: 05/13/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Quality Data Management, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Quality Data Management, Inc.
• Inventors: Rogers, William H., Nelson, Eugene C.
• Granted Patent: US 7,509,266 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/7.32
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0203 Market surveys; Market polls
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0282 Rating or review of business operators or products

Abstract

An integrated communication system and method for conducting surveys, and more particularly an at least partially automated and efficient system and method for collecting, processing, and displaying customer satisfaction survey information that enables a product or service provider to evaluate the quality of goods and/or services received based on ratings and reports obtained by performing surveys of customers, employees, and/or staff. The system utilizes survey scripts implementing drill-down questioning techniques to gain insights into the survey participants'"'"' reasons for their opinions. The system processes the raw survey data into useful survey information, such as graphs and charts, for presenting to consumers (i.e., customers) of the survey who may be remotely located. In this way the system and method can be utilized in a quality improvement program.

Claims

1. A system for collecting and presenting survey information comprising:

a connection device connected to an external communication system for connecting said communication system to a survey participant;

a CATI unit connected to said connection device, wherein said Connection device transfers said participant communication connection to said CATI unit when said connection is successful, and further wherein an agent uses said CATI unit to ask said participant manual survey questions;

an IVR unit connected to said CATI unit, wherein said CATI agent transfers said participant'"'"'s communication connection to said IVR unit for conducting an automated survey, wherein said IVR unit accepts oral responses from said participant; and

a database for storing said responses to said manual survey and said automated survey.

2. The system for collecting and presenting survey information of claim 1, further comprising:

a CTI unit, wherein said CTI unit is connected to said connection device to monitor the status of said connection device, and further wherein said CTI unit is connected to said CATI unit to monitor the status of said CATI unit and said agent using said CATI unit; and

still further wherein said CTI unit is connected to said IVR unit to monitor said conducting of said automated survey.

3. The system for collecting and presenting survey information of claim 2, Wherein said CATI agent asks said participant for permission to allow said IVR unit to conduct said automated survey, and further wherein said IVR unit conducts said automated survey according to a pre-determined survey format if said participant assents, and still further wherein said CATI agent performs said manual survey according to said pre-determined survey format if participant does not assent.

4. The system for collecting and presenting survey information of claim 3, wherein said pre-determined survey format uses a drill-down survey technique, wherein a following survey question depends on the answer to a previous question.

5. The system for collecting and presenting survey information of claim 1, wherein said participant may transfer said communication connection from said IVR unit to said CATI unit by using an oral response, and further wherein said CATI agent then conducts said manual survey at the point on said pre-determined survey format where said transfer from said IVR unit occurred.

6. The system for collecting and presenting survey information of claim 5, wherein said conducting of said automated or said manual surveys includes the use of a verbatim, wherein said participant can orally communicate detailed opinions to said IVR unit or said CATI agent, respectively, and further wherein said verbatims are stored in said database.

7. The system for collecting and presenting survey information of claim 6, further comprising:

a processing unit for converting said stored responses to said surveys into survey information;

a presenting unit for presenting said survey information to a consumer.

8. The system for collecting and presenting survey information of claim 7, wherein said survey information is derived from a plurality of surveys derived from a plurality of participants, and further wherein said system presents said survey information to said consumer over a computer network, and still further wherein said consumer must be validated before said system will allow the consumer to access said survey information.

9. The system for collecting and presenting survey information of claim 8, wherein said survey information is available for presenting to said consumer within 24 hours of the completion of the conducting of said plurality of surveys.

10. A system for collecting and presenting survey information comprising:

a connection device connected to an external communication system for connecting said communication system to a survey participant;

a CATI unit connected to said connection device, wherein said connection device transfers said participant communication connection to said CATI unit when said connection is successful, and further wherein an agent uses said CATI unit to ask said participant manual survey questions;

an IVR unit connected to said CATI agent, wherein said CATI agent transfers said participant communication connection to said IVR unit for conducting an automated survey, and further wherein said IVR unit accepts oral responses from said participant, and still further wherein said CATI agent asks said participant for permission to allow said IVR unit to conduct said automated survey, and further wherein said IVR unit conducts said automated survey according to a pre-determined survey format if said participant assents, and even further wherein said CATI agent performs said manual survey according to said pre-determined survey format if participant does not assent, and yet further wherein said participant may transfer said survey interview from said IVR unit to said CATI unit by using an oral response, wherein said CATI agent then conducts said manual survey at the point on said pre-determined survey format where said transfer from said IVR unit occurred;

wherein said conducting of said automated or said manual surveys includes the use of a verbatim, wherein said participant can orally communicate detailed opinions to said IVR unit or said CATI agent, respectively, and further wherein said verbatims are stored in said database

a CTI unit, wherein said CTI unit is connected to said dialer unit to monitor the status of said connection device, and further wherein said CTI unit is connected to said CATI unit to monitor the status of said CATI unit and said agent using said CATI unit; and

still further wherein said CTI unit is connected to said IVR unit to monitor said conducting of said automated survey;

a database for storing said responses to said manual and said automated surveys;

a processing unit for converting said stored responses to said surveys into survey information, wherein said survey information is derived from a plurality of surveys derived from a plurality of participants, and

a presenting unit for presenting said survey information to a consumer, wherein said system presents said survey information to said consumer over a computer network, and still further wherein said consumer must be validated before said system will allow the consumer to access said survey information, and still further wherein said system may limit said access by consumer to an approved subset of said survey information.

11. The system for collecting and presenting survey information of claim 10, wherein said survey information is available for presenting to said consumer within 24 hours of the completion of the conducting of said plurality of surveys.

12. A system for collecting and presenting survey information comprising:

(I) means for selecting a participant from a list of potential participants;

(II) means for connecting said participant to a survey communication system;

(III) means for conducting an automated survey interview if said participant assents to an automated survey interview, wherein said conducting is performed by an automated survey unit, and further wherein said automated survey unit accepts oral responses from said participant which are processed using voice recognition into survey data.

(IV) means for conducting a manual survey interview if said participant does not assent to an automated survey interview;

(V) means for saving said automated and said manual survey interviews in a database.

13. The system for collecting and presenting survey information of claim 12, further comprising:

(I) means for allowing a participant to orally request that said automated survey interview be transformed into a manual survey interview;

(II) means for providing a pre-determined interview format, wherein said automated and said manual interviews follow said interview format, and further wherein said manual survey interview continues said pre-determined interview format at the next question of said format when said automated survey interview is transformed into said manual survey interview;

14. The system for collecting and presenting survey information of claim 13, further comprising:

(I) means for processing said survey interview into survey information;

(II) means for presenting approved portions said survey information to a survey consumer, wherein the identity of said consumer must be validated before being presented with said survey information.

15. The system for collecting and presenting survey information of claim 14, wherein said survey information is derived from a plurality of surveys of a plurality of participants, and further wherein said survey information is available for presenting to said consumer within 24 hours of the completion of the conducting of said plurality of surveys.

16. A process for collecting and presenting survey information comprising the steps of:

(I) selecting a participant from a list of potential participants;

(II) connecting said participant to a survey communication system;

(III) transferring said participant'"'"'s communication system connection to an automated survey unit;

(IV) conducting said survey interview, wherein said conducting is performed by said automated survey unit, and further wherein an automated survey unit accepts oral responses from said participant, said oral responses being processed using voice recognition into survey data;

(V) saving said survey interview in a database.

17. The process of collecting and presenting survey information as in claim 16, wherein said conducting of said survey interview is performed by providing survey questions to participant using a pre-determined survey procedure utilizing drill-down questioning, wherein a following survey question depends on the answer to a previous question.

18. The process of collecting and presenting survey information as in claim 17, further comprising the steps of:

(I) processing said survey data into survey information;

(II) saving said survey information in a database;

(III) presenting said survey information to a consumer.

19. The process of collecting and presenting survey information as in claim 16, wherein said transferring of said participant'"'"'s communication system connection to said automated survey unit occurs only if said survey participant agrees to said transfer, and further wherein said survey interview is conducted manually by an agent if said participant does not agree to said transfer.

20. The process of collecting and presenting survey information as in claim 19, wherein said conducting of said survey interview is performed by providing survey questions to said participant using a pre-determined survey question procedure utilizing drill-down questioning for said conducting of both manual and automated surveys, wherein a following survey question depends on the answer to a previous question.

21. The process of collecting and presenting survey information as in claim 19, wherein said agent can transfer said participant back to said automated survey unit to continue said survey interview, and further wherein said participant participating in an automated survey can be transferred to said agent by a voice command from said participant.

22. The process of collecting and presenting survey information as in claim 21, wherein said conducting of said survey interview is performed by providing survey questions to said participant using a pre-determined survey question procedure utilizing drill-down questioning for said conducting of both manual and automated surveys, wherein a following survey question depends on the answer to a previous question.

23. The process of collecting and presenting survey information as in claim 19, further comprising the steps of:

(I) processing said survey data into survey information;

(II) saving said survey information in a database;

(III) presenting said survey information to a consumer.

24. The process of collecting and presenting survey information as in claim 19, further comprising the steps of:

(I) processing said survey data into survey information;

(II) saving said survey information in a database;

(III) presenting said survey information to a consumer.

25. A process for collecting and presenting survey information comprising the steps of:

(I) selecting a participant from a list of potential participants;

(II) connecting said participant to a survey communication system;

(III) transferring said participant'"'"'s communication system connection to an automated survey unit if said survey participant agrees to said transfer, wherein said participant participating in an automated survey can be transferred to said agent by a voice command from said participant, and further, and further

wherein said survey interview is conducted manually by an agent if said participant does not agree to said transfer,

wherein said conducting of said survey interview is performed by providing survey questions to participant using a pre-determined survey procedure utilizing drill-down questioning, wherein a following survey question depends on the answer to a previous question;

(IV) conducting said survey interview, wherein said conducting is performed by said automated survey unit, and further wherein said automated survey unit accepts oral responses from said participant, said oral responses being processed using voice recognition into survey data;

(V) saving said survey interview in a database.

(VI) processing said survey data into survey information;

(VII) saving said survey information in a database;

(VIII) presenting said survey information to a consumer.

29. A process for collecting and presenting medical survey information for a medical care provider as in claim 25, wherein said participant is selected from the group of doctors, medical staff, medical patients, a family member of a medical patient, and a medical care employer;

and further wherein said participant gave or received services from said medical care provider.

26. A process for collecting and presenting survey information comprising the steps of:

(I) collecting survey data, said collecting comprising the steps of

(A) selecting a participant from a list of potential participants, wherein said selecting is done according to specified schedules;

(B) connecting said participant to a survey communication system, said connecting comprising the steps of;

(i) attempting to connect with said participant via said survey communication system, said attempting including the steps of;

(ii) requesting that said participant agree to communicate with an IVR unit for a survey interview; and

(iii) collecting call record information, wherein said call record information is stored in a database; and

(C) conducting said survey interview, wherein said conducting is performed by said IVR unit if said participant agreed to communicate with said IVR unit, and further wherein said conducting is performed by a CATI agent if participant did not agree to communicate with said IVR unit, said conducting of said survey interview comprising the steps of;

(i) asking survey questions of participant using a pre-determined survey question procedure utilizing drill-down questioning, wherein said survey questions provide sufficient survey data to allow for the creation of survey information; and

further wherein survey responses by participant are done orally, and still further wherein said survey data optionally includes voice interviews;

(ii) saving said survey data in said database, wherein said saving includes voice recognition processing of said oral responses of participant if said conducting of survey interview is performed by said IVR unit, wherein said voice recognition occurs at approximately real-time, and further wherein the voice recognition processed response is used to determine a next survey question;

(iii) transferring said communication system connection to a CATI unit if said participant requests such a transfer while the IVR unit is conducting said survey interview, wherein said CATI agent uses said CATI unit to continue said conducting a survey interview;

(iv) transferring said communication system connection to a CATI unit when said survey question procedure requires such a transfer, wherein said CATI agent then conducts said survey interview using said CATI unit, and further wherein said CATI agent can transfer said communication system connection back to said IVR unit to continue said survey interview;

(v) monitoring said survey question procedure status, wherein said status information can be made available for display;

(vi) terminating said conducting a survey interview when said pre-determined survey question procedure is complete or when said participant requests such termination;

27. A process for collecting and presenting survey information as in claim 26, further comprising the steps of:

(I) processing said survey data, wherein said processing converts said survey data collected from a plurality of participants into survey information, said processing comprising the steps of;

(A) generating consumer satisfaction measures;

(B) generating employee rating measures;

(C) generating employer or organization rating measures;

(F) generating quality assessment measures; and

(G) analyzing said generated measures and survey data; and

(H) storing said survey information in said database;

(II) providing a survey information consumer said survey information, said providing further comprising the steps of;

(A) connecting a survey information consumer computer to a presenting system, wherein said connecting is over a computer network, said connecting comprising the steps of;

(i) logging the consumer'"'"'s computer into the system, wherein the consumer identity is verified; and

(iv) preventing the consumer not verified from accessing said medical survey information;

(B) presenting said survey information to said consumers, said presenting comprising the steps of;

(i) providing said consumers with options for viewing aggregates of said survey information;

(ii) providing said consumers with options for viewing summaries of said survey information;

(iii) providing said consumers with options for viewing a subset of said survey information;

(iii) providing said consumers with options for viewing said survey data; and

(iv) formatting said presented information for presenting by said consumer computer, wherein said presenting can be graphical, auditory, and textual.

(C) customizing said presented information to the particular needs or access privileges of the consumer, wherein some consumers may have access to a subset of medical information; and

(D) allowing the user to log off said system. and

(III) evaluating said process for collecting and presenting survey information, said evaluating comprising;

(A) evaluating the performance of said CATI agents; and

(B) evaluating the performance of said voice recognition processing.

28. A process for collecting and presenting medical survey information for a medical care provider comprising the steps of:

(I) collecting survey data, said collecting comprising the steps of

(A) selecting a participant from a list of potential participants, wherein said selecting is done according to specified schedules;

(B) connecting said participant to a survey communication system, said connecting comprising the steps of;

(i) attempting to connect with said participant via said survey communication system, said attempting including the steps of;

(a) initiating a survey communication system connection;

(b) transferring said connection to a CATI unit if said connection is successful, wherein if said connection is not successful, selecting a new participant;

(c) requesting that said participant agree to participate in a survey, wherein said requesting is performed by said CATI agent using said CATI unit;

(d) requesting recall information from said participant if said participant has not agreed to participate in said survey, wherein said requesting is performed by said CATI agent, and further wherein said recall information includes a request to connect again at a different time or using a different communication system; and

(e) terminating said connection after said requesting of recall information if said participant has not agreed to participate in said survey;

(ii) requesting that said participant agree to communicate with an IVR unit for a survey interview; and

(iii) collecting call record information comprising;

(a) overall connection attempts;

(b) connection attempts for each participant contacted; and

(c) connection durations;

wherein said call record information is stored in a database; and

(C) conducting said survey interview, wherein said conducting is performed by said IVR unit if said participant agreed to communicate with said IVR unit, and further wherein said conducting is performed by said CATI agent if participant did not agree to communicate with said IVR unit, said conducting said survey interview comprising the steps of;

(i) asking survey questions of participant using a pre-determined survey question procedure utilizing drill-down questioning, wherein said survey questions provide sufficient survey data to allow for the creation of medical survey information; and

further wherein survey responses by participant are done orally, and still further wherein said survey data optionally includes voice interviews;

(ii) saving said survey data in said database, wherein said saving includes voice recognition processing of said oral responses of participant if said conducting of survey interview is performed by said IVR unit, wherein said voice recognition occurs at approximately real-time, and further wherein the voice recognition processed response is used to determine a next survey question;

(iii) transferring said communication system connection to a CATI unit if said participant requests such a transfer while the IVR unit is conducting said survey interview, wherein said CATI agent uses said CATI unit to continue said conducting a survey interview;

(iv) transferring said communication system connection to a CATI unit when said survey question procedure requires such a transfer, wherein said CATI agent then conducts said survey interview using said CATI unit, and further wherein said CATI agent can transfer said communication system connection back to said IVR unit to continue said survey interview;

(v) monitoring said survey question procedure status, wherein said status information can be made available for display;

(vi) terminating said conducting a survey interview when said pre-determined survey question procedure is complete or when said participant requests such termination;

(II) processing said survey data, wherein said processing converts said survey data collected from a plurality of participants into medical survey information, said processing comprising the steps of;

(A) generating consumer satisfaction measures comprising;

(i) consumer loyalty measures;

(ii) medical care satisfaction measures;

(iii) medical facility satisfaction measures;

(iv) medical staff satisfaction measures;

(v) positive comments with reasons; and

(vi) negative comments with reasons;

(B) generating staff rating measures comprising;

(i) staff loyalty measures;

(ii) staff performance measures;

(iii) staff satisfaction measures; and

(iv) staff continuing education measures;

(C) generating doctor rating measures comprising;

(i) quality of medical care measures;

(ii) doctor performance measures;

(ii) doctor satisfaction measures;

(iii) doctor loyalty measures; and

(iv) doctor continuing education measures;

(D) generating care delivery measures comprising;

(i) cost measures including;

(a) cost of medical care paid by consumer measures;

(b) cost of medical care paid by non-consumer measures;

(c) cost of providing medical care measures; and

(d) overhead costs measures; and

(ii) profit measures;

(E) generating medical care quality assessment measures comprising;

(i) mortality measures

(ii) morbidity measures;

(iii) complications measures;

(iv) medical procedure results measures;

(iv) medical procedure follow-up measures;

(vi) patient mental health measures;

(vii) social impact measures;

(viii) hospital stay length measures;

(ix) HEDIS®

technical quality measures; and

(x) PM PM cost measures;

(F) analyzing said generated measures and survey data, said analyzing comprising the steps of;

(i) aggregating survey data to form assessments;

(ii) normalizing comparisons between specific named units, said named units including;

(a) doctors or specialists;

(b) medical care organizations or divisions;

(c) staff persons;

(d) managers;

(e) specific medical treatments; and

(f) patient group status;

(iii) determining changes over time;

(iv) determining differences geographically; and

(v) generating summaries; and

(G) storing said medical survey information in said database;

(III) providing a medical survey information consumer said medical survey information, said providing further comprising the steps of;

(A) connecting a medical survey information consumer computer to a presenting system, wherein said connecting is over a computer network, said connecting comprising the steps of;

(i) logging in the consumer computer to the system, said login comprising the steps of;

(a) processing a consumer login request, said login request comprising the steps of;

(1) providing said consumer with a login prompt;

(2) accepting a consumer login input, said login input comprising;

a user ID; and

a user password; and

(b) processing the consumer login input, said processing comprising the steps of;

comparing said user ID against a verified consumer list, wherein if said user ID is verified, then;

verifying said user password by comparing said password to a stored password corresponding to said user ID, if said user password is verified then;

permitting consumer access to the system; and

(iv) preventing the consumer not logged in from accessing said medical survey information;

(B) presenting said medical survey information to said consumers, said presenting comprising the steps of;

(i) providing said consumers with options for viewing aggregates of said medical survey information;

(ii) providing said consumers with options for viewing summaries of said medical survey information;

(iii) providing said consumers with options for viewing a subset of said medical survey information;

(iii) providing said consumers with options for viewing said medical survey data; and

(iv) formatting said presented information for presenting by said consumer computer, said presenting including;

graphical display;

auditory presentment; and

textual display;

(C) customizing said presented information to the particular needs or access privileges of the consumer, wherein some consumers may have access to a subset of medical information; and

(D) allowing the user to log off said system. and

(IV) evaluating said process for collecting and presenting medical survey information, said evaluating comprising;

(A) evaluating the performance of said CATI agents; and

(B) evaluating the performance of said voice recognition processing.