The phone, the first point of contact
In a medical practice, the phone never stops ringing. Medical assistants juggle welcoming patients on site, calls, managing the calendar and administrative tasks. Missed calls mean dissatisfied patients and slots left empty.
We develop tools that relieve the front desk without removing human contact where it is needed.
What we put in place
- AI phone appointment booking: an AI voice agent answers calls, identifies the administrative reason for the request, offers slots according to your rules and confirms the appointment.
- Patient reminders: text message or e-mail before the appointment, with the option to cancel or reschedule. Freed-up slots become available again.
- Practical information: opening hours, access, documents to bring, preparation for an examination. The agent answers frequently asked questions consistently.
- Handover to the team: specific requests, delicate situations and anything medical are transferred to a person or noted for a call-back.
- Online appointment booking: a booking module on your website, linked to the same rules as the voice agent.
Particular care for health data
Health data is sensitive data under the nFADP (new Swiss Federal Act on Data Protection), in force since 1 September 2023. It is also covered by professional secrecy. We take this into account at every stage:
- collecting only the information needed to book the appointment;
- hosting data in Switzerland, with Infomaniak, whenever possible;
- choosing the AI services used together with you and knowing where the data is processed;
- restricting access and logging important actions;
- defining retention periods for recordings and transcripts;
- clearly informing patients that they are speaking with an automated assistant.
To go further, see our articles on hosting data in Switzerland and on the nFADP and AI in SMEs.
How we work
We start by listening to your team: types of consultation, durations, priority rules, opening hours, tools in place. Together we define what the agent can do on its own and what must always go through a person. We then configure the agent and test it with you on real scenarios before go-live. After launch, we analyse the calls handled and adjust the answers. Our article on how an AI voice agent works explains the technology in simple terms, and the one on automating appointment booking gives further examples.
Use cases
A patient calls at 7 am, before opening time. The voice agent offers two slots during the week. The patient chooses one, receives a confirmation by text message and a reminder the day before. Another patient describes worrying symptoms: the agent makes no diagnosis, gives the emergency number and flags the call to the team.
Frequently asked questions
Does the voice agent give medical advice?
No. It books appointments, gives practical information (opening hours, address, documents to bring) and routes calls. Any medical or urgent question is passed to your team or directed to the emergency services.
Where is our patients' data stored?
We favour hosting in Switzerland, with Infomaniak, and choose the services used together with you. Health data is sensitive data under the nFADP and is handled accordingly.
Can the tool work with our current calendar?
We first look at the connection options of your calendar or practice management software. Depending on the case, the voice agent enters appointments directly or goes through an approval step.