Iris improves patient access, reduces staff burden, and boosts revenue

TeleVox, an industry-leading provider of omnichannel digital patient technology, unveiled its latest innovation at the HIMSS Conference (April 17-19). Iris™ is the newest addition to the company’s end-to-end digital patient engagement platform, HouseCalls Pro. Iris is a powerful AI-driven virtual agent accessible via web, voice, and SMS interactions and embedded into HouseCalls Pro patient engagement workflows. Utilizing Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service with its large-scale, generative AI models and other chat technology, Iris provides patients with quick access to information and easy completion of common tasks, improving patient access and self-service. Iris enables call deflection and reduces operational burden and costs for health systems. When necessary, Iris can seamlessly connect patients with a live agent chat for timely and accurate assistance.

Iris sets a new standard for conversational virtual assistants by surpassing current basic chatbots that utilize limited content, require extensive training, and lack an EHR-integrated, omnichannel experience. With its advanced AI capabilities and access to a vast range of published content, Iris can provide immediate responses to a wide range of patient queries, making it the most comprehensive solution available. By integrating voice, web chat, and SMS capabilities into a single omnichannel experience, healthcare providers can offer self-service options to patients for a variety of common activities, reducing the burden on staff and increasing patient acquisition. Iris is highly flexible and can be easily integrated with existing EHRs or deployed as a standalone solution, ensuring a seamless patient engagement experience.

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“As a leader in patient engagement technology for over three decades, TeleVox has continuously strived to enhance the patient experience and care through innovation,” said Vik Krishnan, President of TeleVox. “Iris, a new generation of AI-enabled patient-provider communication, marks a significant milestone in the evolution of patient engagement technology and enables health systems to deliver the self-service experience that consumers expect today.”

Iris integrates a full range of communication technologies, including web chat, conversational SMS messaging, and automated telephone responses, providing patients with the flexibility to engage with healthcare providers on their own terms. Unlike other chatbot solutions that can leave patients feeling frustrated by dead-end conversations, Iris will seamlessly connect patients with a live representative should they require further assistance. Moreover, healthcare organizations can easily incorporate their website and other content into the automated system, providing patients with customized and easy-to-understand “FAQ” content in natural language. By leveraging Iris’s advanced AI and chat technologies, patients will receive real-time responses to their questions, reducing response times and increasing patient satisfaction.

“Healthcare providers face immense challenges in managing the patient care journey, from providing high-quality care to increasing visit volumes and revenue streams while simultaneously reducing staff workload,” said Kamal Anand, Chief Product Officer, TeleVox. “Iris, with its use of Azure OpenAI Service and chat technologies, is the solution that healthcare organizations need to meet these challenges.”

“Microsoft’s advancements in AI are grounded in our company’s mission to help every person and organization on the planet to achieve more,” said Brian Willson, Vice President, West & Midwest region, Microsoft. “TeleVox is embracing this mission by improving patient experiences and mitigating staff burnout in healthcare, using Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service to develop innovative solutions that can make a real difference in people’s lives.”

KLAS, a leading analyst in the patient engagement space, provided additional comments on the announcement. “Technology advances through AI and other tools have created opportunity to significantly improve patient engagement,” said Adam Cherrington, Vice President Digital Health at KLAS. “It’s critical that healthcare organizations identify and leverage platforms that significantly enhance the patient experience while addressing serious operational shortfalls.”

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