Ensuring After-Hours Patient Support, Even During the Holidays at a Texas Medical Practice

The Challenge: High Call Volumes During the Holidays

The clinic experienced high call volumes during the holiday period. Patients had various needs, from scheduling appointments to leaving questions for their providers.

Before Talkie, the holidays meant the clinic was either unavailable or had to rely on voicemail. The on-call provider was often burdened with non-emergency requests, and once staff returned, they had to listen to all the voicemails, make their own notes, and respond—leading to delays. Calls could be missed, and patients were frustrated. It was a heavy burden on staff, too, especially when starting the new year already behind on tasks.

The clinic also faced a challenge with a large portion of patients being Spanish-speaking, making after-hours support even more difficult when staff was unavailable.

The rise in after-hours calls during the Holiday period at the practice

The Solution: Talkie’s After-Hours Support

Thankfully, the clinic’s AI-powered medical receptionist was already integrated into their workflow to handle routine tasks—including support after business hours. This meant that when the after-hours calls came in over the holidays, Talkie was ready to answer them all.

The AI agent successfully:

• Scheduled appointments for patients at their convenience—and they landed directly in the practice’s EHR.
• Recorded, transcribed, and summarized messages.
• Assisted patients who called with questions regarding their appointment.

Talkie’s Impact on After-Hours Care

The clinic was able to manage the after-hours calls during the holiday period without any hiccups. From December 24th to January 4th, Talkie handled 246 after-hours requests, ensuring that all patients were taken care of in real-time.

Key Results:

• 100% call coverage: Every after-hours call was answered by Talkie.
• Appointment Scheduling: Talkie successfully scheduled, rescheduled, or canceled 35 appointments after hours during the holiday period, preventing delays in patient care.
• Message Handling: The AI agent created 149 patient cases in the practice’s EHR after hours, allowing staff to follow up quickly once the office reopened.

The staff at this primary care clinic had the peace of mind that every patient, no matter when they reached out, would receive support. Whether it was scheduling an appointment, preparing a prescription request, or leaving a message for follow-up, the AI assistant made sure patients’ needs were addressed—without relying on the on-call provider dealing with non-emergency requests.

After-hours call volume is unpredictable. Having a reliable system in place ensures that no matter when patients reach out, their calls are answered and their needs are captured. With Talkie.ai handling after-hours communication, practices can stay prepared for the unexpected without overburdening staff.