CASE STUDY
Inbound Prescription Call Support In 5 Key Steps
Learn how a large west coast health system reduced Rx caller wait times, shortened the average handle time by more than a minute, and lowered abandoned call rates to two percent.
Located on the west coast, this large health system is a not-for-profit network of hospitals, physicians, clinics, home health, and affiliated health services. Approximately 120,000 caregivers serve in over 50 hospitals, 1,085 clinics, and a comprehensive range of health and social services across the United States. Its internal call center has partnered with Carenet since 2021, supporting live voice scheduling.
"I felt confident working with them based on their ongoing working relationship with another department in our organization. They were able to jump in quickly and help us move in the right direction. Their knowledge of Epic made the transition smooth and seamless."
The health system’s internal call center was experiencing several challenges that were affecting patient satisfaction, including a steep learning curve with its migration to EPIC, the ongoing impact of the pandemic, and staffing shortages. The call center reported that calls for prescription (Rx) refills alone were reaching a volume of 22,000 per month. This led to increased wait times, patient frustration, call abandonment, and complaints. In extreme cases, patients visited their doctors’ offices to demand prescriptions be filled, straining relationships between patients and providers.
Since we were familiar with the EPIC platform, the strategy for inbound prescription call support was quickly developed and implemented using five key steps:
IDENTIFY AREAS NEEDING SUPPORT
FORM A CLIENT PARTNERSHIP
AGENT TRAINING
PRESCRIPTION CALL SUPPORT
UPDATE METRICS AND PROTOCOLS
"The training went so well. The Stericycle team asked all the right questions. Working and collaborating delivered outstanding results. We saw an immediate decrease in call handle time, more calls fulfilled, patient prescriptions filled, and issues resolved."
"Carenet is not simply a company we offload and outsource calls to. They built trust with us and lifted the burden so we could apply resources from Rx to other callers. Our shared work is deeply collaborative."