Computer telephony integration (CTI) complete healthcare contact center

• US 20040125938A1
• Filed: 12/31/2002
• Published: 07/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: At&T Delaware Intellectual Property, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wellons, David L., Turcan, Diane Brown
• Granted Patent: US 7,573,999 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/265.02
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42323 PBX's with CTI arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5183 Call or contact centers with computer-telephony arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5232 Call distribution algorithms
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/54 Arrangements for diverting calls for one subscriber to another predetermined subscriber based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; to voice mail H04M3/53308

Abstract

Methods and systems are disclosed for enabling a dynamic healthcare contact center (DHCCC) that leverages the assets of a healthcare center'"'"'s communications systems including internal telecommunications networks, information systems, data networks, and applications, of public telecommunications networks, of public data networks, and/or of various communications devices to facilitate improved access, sharing, notification, and/or management of incoming calls and associated data.

Claims

1. A computer telephony integration system having a call management system for connecting a plurality of agent stations with at least one telephone line, the system comprising:

detection means for detecting an incoming communication;

at least one input/output processor to input and to output data associated with the incoming communication;

at least one communications interface for communicating with a communications device associated with a designated party of a healthcare call center, the designated party comprising at least one of a staff member and a patient associated with the healthcare call center;

a memory device for storing the data;

a processor communicating with the memory device, the processor selecting data stored in the memory device based upon a communications profile associated with at least one of the incoming communication and the data, the communications profile providing at least one of (1) patient data associated with the incoming communication, (2) data associated with the designated party, (3) data associated with at least one of services, products, and business operations affiliated with the healthcare call center, (4) data associated with network configuration, (5) data associated with a configuration profile of the communications device, and (6) data associated with communications systems of the healthcare call center; and

a healthcare call center application for managing the communications profile, the healthcare call center application comprising encryption means for securing communications of at least one of the incoming communication and the data within the call management system.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

status means for communicating a status of the communications device associated with the designated party, the status comprising at least one of availability data of the designated party, location data of the designated party, availability data of the communications device, location data of the communications device, messaging delivery capability data of the communications device, and messaging delivery confirmation data with the communications device; and

status processing means for providing routing instructions to the communications interface and for routing at least one of the incoming communication and the data to the communications device.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the communications profile further comprises data associated with the status.

4. The system of claim 2, the communications profile further comprising messaging delivery means for confirming communication of at least one of the incoming communication and the data associated with the incoming communication with the communications device.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the communications device is selected from a plurality of communications devices comprising a transmitter, a telephone, an intercom communications device, a personal computer, a wireless communications device, an on-site pager, a mobile phone, a wireless phone, a WAP phone, an IP phone, a satellite phone, a computer, a modem, a pager, a digital music device, a digital recording device, a personal digital assistant, an interactive television, a digital signal processor, and a Global Positioning System device.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the communications device transmits signals to determine the location data of the communications device.

7. The system of claim 2, further comprising:

an interactive patient services system for managing patient services provided to a patient associated with at least one of a plurality of patient rooms of the healthcare call center, each patient room having a unique telephone extension, and

wherein the interactive patient services comprises services related to at least one of the following patient services, entertainment services, cafeteria services, travel services, photo studio services, and other healthcare center services.

8. The system of claim 2, further comprising:

a patient signaling personal article comprising means for transmitting signals to a transmitter communicating with the healthcare call center, the patient signaling personal article associated with the patient, wherein the transmitted signals provide at least one of availability data of the patient and location data of the patient.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the communications interface comprises a telecommunications switch, the telecommunications switch establishing a telephony connection with a telecommunications network, the telecommunications switch communicating with the communications device.

10. The system of claim 9, the telecommunications switch further communicating the data with the telecommunications network.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the communications interface comprises a gateway to a data network.

12. A method, comprising the steps of:

communicating an incoming communication to a healthcare call management system for connecting at least one agent station with at least one telephone line;

associating a communications profile with the incoming communication, the communications profile comprising at least one of (1) patient data associated with the incoming communication, (2) data associated with a designated party, (3) data associated with at least one of services, products, and business operations affiliated with a healthcare call center, (4) data associated with network configuration, (5) data associated with a configuration profile of a communications device associated with the designated party of the healthcare call center, and (6) data associated with communications systems of the healthcare call center;

accessing at least one of a communications system and an interactive patient services system of the healthcare call center to determine a status, the status comprising at least one of availability data of the designated party, location data of the designated party, availability data of the communications device, location data of the communications device, messaging delivery capability data of the communications device, and messaging delivery confirmation data to the communications device, the designated party comprising at least one of a staff member and a patient associated with the healthcare call center;

verifying authentication of the designated party; and

communicating at least one of the incoming communication and the data to the communications device.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of associating the communications profile with the incoming communication further comprises:

accessing a healthcare call center application for managing the communications profile; and

utilizing the healthcare call center application to process at least one of the incoming communication and the data associated with the incoming communication.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of utilizing the healthcare call center application to process at least one of the incoming communication and the data associated with the incoming communication further comprises:

converting at least one of the incoming communication and the data from a first data format compatible with the agent station to a second data format compatible with the communications device.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the first data format comprises at least one of a printed text format, a voice data format, a video data format, a dual tone multi-frequency data format, and a digital data format.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the second data format comprises at least one of a printed text format, a voice data format, a video data format, a dual tone multi-frequency data format, and a digital data format.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of communicating at least one of the incoming communication and the data to the communications device comprises communicating via at least one of the following:

an analog line;

a Digital Subscriber Line (DSL);

an Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) line;

an ATM Sonet;

a SmartRing Service; and

a local loop of a telecommunications network.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of communicating at least one of the incoming communication and the data to the communications device comprises communicating via means for optically transmitting data.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of communicating at least one of the incoming communication and the data to the communications device comprises communicating via means for wirelessly transmitting data.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein the healthcare call center application is provided by a telecommunications facility, the telecommunications facility comprising at least one of a public switched telecommunications network and a mobile switching telecommunication office.

21. A system, comprising:

a network of interconnected communications devices associated with a healthcare call center;

a rule-based application DataServer for managing the exchange of at least one of an incoming communication and associated data between an agent station of the healthcare call center and a communications device of a designated party affiliated with the healthcare call center, the designated party comprising at least one of a staff member and a patient associated with the healthcare call center; and

an application program installed in the agent station, the application program allowing an agent to manage a communications profile associated with at least one of (1) patient data associated with the incoming communication, (2) data associated with the designated party, (3) data associated with at least one of services, products, and business operations affiliated with a call center, (4) data associated with network configuration, (5) data associated with a configuration profile of a communications device associated with the designated party of the healthcare call center, and (6) data associated with communications systems of the healthcare call center.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the rule-based application DataServer is provided by a telecommunications service provider.