Talkdesk has introduced AI Agents for Healthcare, a new artificial intelligence-powered solution designed to automate patient and member interactions.
The AI agents aim to streamline healthcare customer service by handling routine inquiries without human intervention, improving accessibility, efficiency, and patient satisfaction.
The AI agents, built on the Talkdesk Ascend AI platform, leverage agentic AI, a technology that enables natural language understanding, decision-making, and task automation. They can manage a wide range of requests, including scheduling appointments, checking insurance benefits, processing prior authorisations, and refilling prescriptions. The system integrates with electronic health records (EHRs) and claims systems, allowing for seamless, personalised interactions.
Automating Routine Tasks, Freeing Up Human Agents
Talkdesk positions its AI solution as a tool to enhance and not replace human agents by reducing their workload and enabling them to focus on complex or sensitive cases. If a patient or member encounters an issue beyond the AI’s scope, or if frustration is detected, the system escalates the interaction to a live representative.
Patty Hayward, general manager of healthcare and life sciences at Talkdesk, said: “Agentic AI tools represent a seismic shift for the consumer experience at healthcare organisations, enabling them to drive greater value for patients and members. Our customers are already seeing significant impact and value from AI, and Talkdesk AI Agents for Healthcare gives organisations the ability to take their automation and digital strategies much further, much faster, but with the robust guardrails that our industry needs.”
The AI agents also adapt to patients’ preferred communication methods, whether through voice, chat, or digital channels, and support multiple languages, ensuring accessibility for diverse populations.
Early adoption and industry impact
Organisations like Evara Health have already integrated Talkdesk’s AI into their operations. Evara has used the technology to address challenges related to remote work, patient access, and operational efficiency. By automating 45% of its call volume, the organisation has reduced wait times, improved response rates, and allowed human agents to focus on higher-priority interactions.
The introduction of AI-driven automation in healthcare customer service comes at a time when providers and insurers are under increasing pressure to improve patient experiences while managing costs.