It is impossible to avoid AI (Artificial Intelligence) at present. Every day brings more opportunities for automation, more AI apps that integrate with software systems, and ever more hyperbole about what AI an achieve for your practice.
This article looks at a specific AI application; the AI voice agent as healthcare practice receptionist. It uses one of the connected apps, Summit AI, promoted on the Cliniko website as its sounding board.
Case study - Cliniko AI apps
Cliniko is one of the leading allied health practice management software packages in the UK. Paperclip has a large portfolio of physiotherapy, osteopathy and podiatry clients that use Cliniko to run their practices and, in particular, manage their appointments.
These practices divert patient calls to Paperclip, and the Paperclip team books, rearranges, or cancels appointments, and answers FAQs, updating Cliniko in real-time whilst we are on the call.
The Cliniko website has a page that lists ‘connected apps’ i.e. apps that ‘integrate with Cliniko to ‘…extend the functionality of your patience software’. Of the apps listed, many use AI to provide, ‘…effortless scheduling and 24/7 patient support’. We have displayed a selection of these apps below, avoiding those specifically targeting Australia-based therapists (Cliniko software was originally developed in Australia). You can access the full list of apps on the Cliniko website at https://www.cliniko.com/connected-apps/
Key benefits
This article reviews Summit AI as a typical example of the listed ‘receptionist’ connected apps. The following link takes you to a video demo of Summit AI in action: https://www.cliniko.com/connected-apps/summit-ai/
The key benefits promoted by apps like Summit AI are instant call answering, 24/7 coverage and process automation.
There are several best practice positives to take from the Summit AI demo. Firstly, Sophie identifies herself immediately as an AI receptionist. This transparency ensures that the caller is aware they are transacting with an AI voice agent; there is no attempt to present Sophia as a human agent. Secondly, the tone is friendly, positive, and professional. Thirdly, in what is a relatively straightforward interaction, Sophia successfully completes a booking and answers the caller’s questions about credit card payments and parking.
Key drawbacks
From our experience of handling calls to our healthcare clients, however, the Summit AI demo call does not truly reflect a typical patient interaction over the phone. For example, there is no emotional dimension to the call; AI Sophia is not required to demonstrate empathy or to truly converse with the caller. There is no ‘I’m not sure’, or ‘I’m really struggling with the pain and discomfort’ or ‘I’ve been feeling rather down recently after our dog died’.
Deviations from the ‘script’ in the Summit AI video are relatively simple – e.g. offering an earlier appointment – and the questions posed by the caller are clearly phrased and straightforward. There is no indication from the demo, and we appreciate the demo is just a taster of Summit AI’s capabilities, as to how well AI Sophia handles regional dialects, vernacular (everyday) language, and slang. Furthermore, the demo does not explain what happens when AI Sophia ‘hallucinates’ – i.e. provides false information – or is unable to answer a caller’s question satisfactorily. Is there, for example, an option to transfer the call to a ‘human’ receptionist.
In conclusion
There is no doubting from the Summit AI demo just how clever AI is and how far it has come since Alexa was first launched in 2015. If the main driver for a practice is cost-reduction and/or basic call triage, then AI Sophia is worthy of further consideration.
If, however, a practice is looking to build or retain a reputation for human-centred patient care, then AI technology is currently a poor replacement for genuine one-to-one conversations with a fellow human.
Think about it. Which option would your prefer if you called your bank, HMRC, estate agent or solicitor; an AI chatbot or a content-rich conversation with a human operator?
Next steps...
If your practice is on the fence as to how best to deal with inbound calls, Paperclip is offering a fee 14-day call answering trial. We are convinced that by the end of the trial, you will have the evidence to truly evaluate the pros and cons of human-centred conversations compared with AI voice agents.
To start your trial, or if you have questions about Paperclip’s reception desk services, please call me on 01246 418 181.
I look forward to speaking with you.
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Hi, I’m Louise Bellwood, Director at Paperclip. I am responsible for delivering Paperclip’s customer service and growth strategies for 2024 and beyond, I am a crusader for the benefits call answering can deliver for organisations of all kinds; customer service, sales generation, customer retention and more. If you have a question about call answering – pricing, set-up, benefits – I would love to hear from you at louise@paperclip.co.uk or 01246 418 181.