TABLE 4.
Call Center Vision and Strategy
| Vision | Description |
|---|---|
| Patient-centered, quality call-center care and service | Deliver timely, convenient, and efficient patient care and service through internal, centralized call center |
| Management and staff with shared purpose and passion | Aligned management and staff, advocating for patients in developing and continuously improving call-center service |
| Leadership | Strategy |
| Senior Administrative and Clinical Support | Physician and non-physician buy-in and involvement in call-center creation and ongoing process improvement |
| Call Center Manager | Call Center Manager with RN and data analytics/IT credentials, experience working with physicians, staff, and patients with understanding of organizational culture |
| Call Center Assistant Manager | Early identification of leader within call center for expanded clinical and mentorship roles |
| Staff Training and Technology | Strategy |
| Continuous training and coaching | Focus on continuous training and coaching; staff provided with transparent performance reports and feedback, with mentorship with manager and staff leaders |
| Clinical and practice education | Training notebook including telephone nursing practice manual, practice resources, “Urology 101” educational materials, educational emails/quizzes, staff and physician lectures |
| Simplified work algorithms | Clear, concise workflow to limit call handle time; quick reference spreadsheet with standardized administrative resources and clinical protocols |
| Software | Partnership with vendor with easy-to-use software and robust metrics reporting capability |
| Culture | Strategy |
| Patient advocacy | Call-center staff = advocates for patients; regular reminders of the critical front-line role of the call center |
| Office motto | “Whatever It Takes”—expanding resources to serve patients and complete the call |
| Connection to patient care | Ability to report clinical results, refill medications with specialized training and supervision; support of office clinical staff for complex calls; location of call center within busiest outpatient office to engage and incorporate call-center staff with physicians, management, nursing, and other clinical staff |