Phones, scheduling and patients
Will our patients be comfortable talking to an AI voice?
Short answerSome will and some will not, so introduce the agent honestly, keep it to scheduling and logistics, make reaching a person easy, and judge it by your own call outcomes rather than assumptions.
What surveys show
In a Pew Research Center survey of 11,004 U.S. adults in December 2022, 60% said they would be uncomfortable if their own health care provider relied on AI, and 38% thought AI in health and medicine would lead to better outcomes for patients (Pew Research Center). The survey asked about AI in care broadly, not about front office phone calls.
Practices that build trust
- Say it is an AI assistant for your center. Do not pretend it is a person.
- Keep it to logistics: scheduling, reminders, pre-op instructions as written.
- Offer a person at any point, and make the handoff work.
- Speak the patient's language.
- Do not ask patients to read insurance numbers aloud when a secure form will do.
How to measure it
Track completed tasks, hang-ups, requests for a person and complaints in the first month, by call type.
Our recommendation for surgery centers
Publisher's recommendation
Patient acceptance is earned by honesty and by finishing the task. The fastest way to judge Ava is to call the live demo as a patient would, which is why we put that before any sales conversation.
Follow-up questions
Should we tell patients it is AI?
Yes. Being clear builds trust, and calling rules may require it; see consent for AI calls.
Do older patients struggle with AI voices?
Some may. Offer an easy path to a person and watch your own data.
Sources
Opened and checked . Statements about Ava come from Surgery Center Front Desk.