Automated calls to members and patients are becoming more prevalent in the healthcare industry, according to a healthcare IT executive.

While the recession has accelerated the trend, the notion that technology can reach out to people across multiple channels is gaining acceptance, said Alexandra Drane, founder and president of the Eliza Corp.

Case studies documenting the success of automated communication have also built momentum and helped the market grow, she said.

The difference between this year and last year, however, is that healthcare organizations have to do more with less and save money in the process, Drane said. They need to better leverage the human capital that they already have.

“The answer is to not hire more, but to make people who are already here more efficient,” she said.

The side benefit of automation is the job satisfaction that is associated with greater productivity. Offloading predictable tasks enables nurses to focus on a specific patient’s needs.

“It’s a morale booster,” Drane said.

Eliza has gathered anecdotal results of user satisfaction from its customers. Increased productivity has enabled nurses to enroll 170 percent more members into a care management program in the same timeframe than before the automated calls were implemented – from 19 members to 51 members. By answering mundane questions, the automated system kept members and patients from flooding the call center, which freed up call center staff to deal with higher-priority issues.

Drane emphasized that healthcare organization workers need to understand that “automation is their friend” and not something that will replace them.

“It’s a terrific friend,” she said. “It finds efficiencies and frees resources.”