The Impact of Call Center Performance on Patient Satisfaction and Access to Care
In healthcare, first impressions matter and for many patients, that first impression begins with a simple phone call. Whether they’re calling in to book an appointment, request a prescription refill, or seek urgent care, the way their call is handled sets the tone for their entire experience. That is why an efficient and responsive call center is crucial for improving patient access and overall satisfaction. But what happens when patients have to wait too long on the phone? And how does this affect their perception of care? In this blog post, we’ll explore a study published in the American Journal of Managed Care that examines how call center performance, particularly call wait times and call abandonment rates can affect patient satisfaction and their perceptions of access to urgent care.
Understanding The Study
The study analyzed data from over 252,000 patients across 285 medical facilities, including the Veterans Health Administration. It focused on two key factors.
Average Speed of Answer (ASA) - This is the average time it takes for a patient to get through to a staff member after calling. The quicker the response, the more likely patients will be satisfied.
Abandonment Rate (AR) - This shows the percentage of people who hang up before they reach someone. A high abandonment rate typically indicates that patients are frustrated, because they had to wait too long.
By linking these metrics to patient satisfaction and their perceptions of access to urgent care, the study uncovered some interesting findings.
Key Findings From The Study
Longer Wait Times Mean Lower Satisfaction
One of the most important things the study found was that the longer patients had to wait on the phone, the less satisfied they were, even if the time it took to get an appointment didn’t change. In other words, waiting longer on the phone made patients feel like it was harder to get timely care, even if their appointment was scheduled soon after.
For physicians, this is a big lesson. How quickly patients can get through on the phone is a crucial part of their overall experience. It's not just about when they see the physician but it’s also about how they’re treated during every interaction, starting with the first call. A long phone wait can make patients feel like the physician is hard to reach or doesn't care about them.
Abandonment Rates Don’t Have Much Impact
Surprisingly, the study found that abandonment rates (when patients hang up before speaking to someone) didn’t have a big effect on how patients felt about getting care. This was unexpected because many people think that if a lot of calls are abandoned, it shows poor service and leads to unhappy patients. However, the study found that patients were more bothered by how long they had to wait than by whether they hung up or not.
This could imply that even if a patient stays on the line and doesn’t hang up, long hold times still make them dissatisfied, probably because they feel the process isn’t efficient enough. So, even when a call is completed, the frustration with the long wait still affects their overall perception of the physician.
Why Call Center Performance Matters In Healthcare
While much attention in healthcare is given to in-person experiences such as the quality of care, the environment, and the expertise of the physician this study highlights the significant role that call center performance plays in shaping patient perceptions. Call centers are often the first point of contact for patients, and how well they handle calls can have a lasting impact on patient satisfaction.
If patients have to wait a long time to get through, they may begin to think that the physician is inefficient, even if their actual care is good and timely. Patients today expect fast, easy and hassle-free communication. Poor call center performance can quickly damage the relationship between patients and their physicians.
What This Means For Physicians
This study shows that call center performance really matters, especially in today’s healthcare system where patient satisfaction is important for getting paid and building a good reputation. If a patient has a bad first experience on the phone, it can affect how they feel about the physician overall. This may lead to lower satisfaction ratings and can even hurt the physician’s image. While healthcare systems invest heavily in improving in-clinic experiences, this study emphasizes the need to also prioritize front-line communication. Investing in call center staff, technology, and training isn't just good customer service, it directly shapes how patients perceive the quality of your care.
Conclusion
This study makes it clear that a patient’s experience doesn’t start in the exam room but it starts with a phone call. If patients are left waiting too long on the line, it can make them feel frustrated and less satisfied with their overall care, even if they’re seen quickly once they arrive. While dropped calls didn’t seem to impact satisfaction much, long hold times definitely did. This proves that how quickly a call is answered matters just as much as the care itself.
A smart way to boost your call center performance is by hiring virtual assistants from Physicians Angels. Our trained professionals handle calls, book appointments, and support front-desk tasks, helping practices reduce wait times, improve access, and create a more responsive experience from the very first interaction. Sounds too good to miss? For more information, feel free to reach us at 419-318-4471.