IVR in NHS

Throughout the debate over government involvement in health care in the United States, many on both sides have pointed to the successes and failings of the national services offered by Canada and the United Kingdom. Efficiency is always a popular topic of discussion and while inefficiencies are inherent in almost any system, recent initiatives by hospitals in the UK's National Health Service (NHS) are making efforts to save money and time for both doctors and patients.

According to internal statistics, almost fifteen percent of patients miss scheduled hospital appointments. This results in fewer patients being treated by doctors as well as puts a financial strain on the NHS system. Using a combination of text-to-speech and IVR technologies, NHS hospitals are automatically calling patients seven days prior to appointments to confirm the date and time of scheduled visits. Since implementation, the hospitals have seen a "significant improvement" in appointment attendance as well as shorter waiting lists for other patients to see doctors. It is unclear if recent research published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal influenced this project, but it appears to produce similar benefits for both patients and doctors alike.