METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR IMPROVING CALL YIELDS WHEN CONTACTING PATIENTS WHO ARE DUE FOR A VISIT BUT DO NOT HAVE A SCHEDULED APPOINTMENT
First Claim
1. A method for improving call yields and reducing redundant calls in a computer-implemented patient reactivation system used to call patients who have not scheduled an appointment to receive a needed health care service and to invite them to schedule an appointment, comprising:
- a) selecting a primary patient name from a contact list, the contact list including names of patients who have not scheduled an appointment to receive a needed health care service;
b) automatically determining by the patient reactivation system user computer the names of one or more secondary patients from the contact list who reside in the same household as the primary patient, the primary patient and the secondary patients forming a call set;
c) prompting by way of the patient reactivation system user computer interface the user to call the patients in the call set at the first telephone number associated with the call set; and
d) recording call results in a patient reactivation system database for the patients in the call set.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus for improving call yields and reducing redundant calls while contacting patients who have not responded to reminders to schedule a return appointment, or who are due for a visit according to accepted standards of care or office policies, but have not scheduled an appointment. The patient reactivation system is queried for the next patient on the contact list, and queried again to find all patients sharing one or more phone numbers with this patient. Information required for contacting these patients to invite them to make an appointment is displayed. The user is presented one phone number at a time, and prompted to call this number and invite all listed patients to make an appointment. Results are collected, and when multiple patients are displayed, the program may prompt the user for clarification regarding which patients a given result applies to. Based on the results collected, the system determines whether or not to prompt the user to call the same patients again with other phone numbers, if available. Finally, the system analyzes the set of results collected in order to calculate follow-up call times for each patient. The system may keep separate follow-up call times for each phone number as well in order to further improve the patient experience.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method for improving call yields and reducing redundant calls in a computer-implemented patient reactivation system used to call patients who have not scheduled an appointment to receive a needed health care service and to invite them to schedule an appointment, comprising:
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a) selecting a primary patient name from a contact list, the contact list including names of patients who have not scheduled an appointment to receive a needed health care service; b) automatically determining by the patient reactivation system user computer the names of one or more secondary patients from the contact list who reside in the same household as the primary patient, the primary patient and the secondary patients forming a call set; c) prompting by way of the patient reactivation system user computer interface the user to call the patients in the call set at the first telephone number associated with the call set; and d) recording call results in a patient reactivation system database for the patients in the call set. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method for improving call yields and reducing redundant calls in a computer-implemented patient reactivation system used to call patients who have not scheduled an appointment to receive a needed health care service and to invite them to schedule an appointment, comprising:
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a) selecting a primary patient name from a contact list maintained in a patient reactivation system database, the contact list including names of patients who have not scheduled an appointment to receive a needed health care service; b) automatically presenting to a user by way of a patient reactivation system computer user interface a first telephone number for contacting the primary patient; c) calling the first telephone number to attempt to contact the primary patient; d) if the attempt to contact the primary patient using the first telephone number is unsuccessful, automatically presenting to the user a second telephone number; e) calling the second telephone number to attempt to contact the primary patient; and f) entering by way of a patient reactivation system computer user interface the results of the attempt to contact the patient into the patient reactivation system database. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18)
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19. A patient reactivation system used to call patients who have not scheduled an appointment to receive a needed health care service, comprising a computer programmed to:
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a) select a primary patient name from a contact list, the contact list including names of patients who have not scheduled an appointment to receive a needed health care service; b) automatically determine the names of one or more secondary patients from the contact list who reside in the same household as the primary patient, the primary patient and the secondary patients forming a call set; c) prompt the user to call the patients at the first telephone number associated with the call set; and d) record call results for each of the patients in the call set.
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20. A computer-readable media having thereon computer-readable instructions for:
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a) selecting a primary patient name from a contact list, the contact list including names of patients who have not scheduled an appointment to receive a needed health care service; b) automatically determining the names of one or more secondary patients from the contact list who reside in the same household as the primary patient, the primary patient and the secondary patients forming a call set; c) prompting the user to call the patients at the first telephone number associated with the call set; and d) recording call results for the patients in the call set.
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Specification