As part of reimagining the health care delivery experience in wake of COVID-19, Banner Health has launched a virtual waiting room across its network of 300 clinics that serve more than 1 million patients across six states, including Arizona.

The LifeLink mobile chatbots interact with Banner patients in a conversational style to help complete digitized intake forms, provide education and enable remote check-in capabilities for all telehealth and in-person physician office visits, according to a release.

“The health care industry must rapidly innovate to ensure all patients can see their doctors again through safe, private and convenient channels,” stated Jeff Johnson, Banner vice president of digital business. “The traditional patient experience of walking into an office, filling out paper forms, reading instructions and then waiting for an exam room had to change. LifeLink chatbots have already helped hundreds of thousands of Banner patients navigate emergency room visits, so the concept of digitizing regular doctor appointment visits with a mobile, virtual waiting room chatbot assistant was a natural extension of the technology.”

The LifeLink chatbots welcome patients for telehealth virtual and in-person visits with primary care physicians and specialists. The chatbots interact with patients on their mobile device or computer using automated conversational messaging to remotely accomplish a number of tasks that were previously handled in-person, including:

Intake form completion and approvals;

Telehealth technology instructions; and

Informing patients when to go directly to their exam rooms.

“The COVID-19 pandemic requires an entirely different level of thinking when it comes to providing routine patient services,” stated Greg Johnsen, CEO at LifeLink. “Like the changes we are seeing in retail, health care providers need to adapt, and the waiting room experience is one area that will need to change. We take great pride in knowing that LifeLink chatbots are providing peace of mind and convenience for patients that need to see their doctors.”

While COVID-19 social distancing guidelines are driving rapid innovation, conversational technology is also delivering significant benefits, according to the release. At Banner Health, a previous intake automation initiative that focused on Medicare Annual Wellness Visit appointments for seniors resulted in a 70% reduction in appointment cancellations.

“One of the key benefits of this chatbot technology is the ease of use,” Mr. Johnson stated. “Interactions that use natural language eliminate the need for user training and there are no apps or passwords required so it’s simple for patients to interact with us securely, on any device. We have seen high engagement rates as a result.”