When someone calls a behavioral health provider, they or a family member may is probably doing it while going through a myriad of emotions: overwhelmed, anxious, even scared. And yet, many organizations still rely on outdated systems that greet these callers with a cold, robotic menu that not only lacks the human touch, but also takes longer to get through:
“Press 1 for appointments. Press 2 for billing…”
These systems are powered by DTMF (Dual-Tone Multi-Frequency) – the technology behind the beeps when you press phone buttons – and are run by old-school IVR (Interactive Voice Response) systems. But they weren’t built for today’s behavioral health needs.
This blog explores why it’s time to replace those beeps with a voice-first experience powered by Intelligent Virtual Agents (IVAs) and how this shift supports better patient access, smoother operations, and scalable call center automation that is better for your teams.
What is an Intelligent Virtual Agent (IVA)?
An Intelligent Virtual Agent (IVA) is an AI-powered assistant that allows callers to interact using full, natural sentences. So, instead of relying on rigid menus or button presses, callers can say what they like in their own words, and the IVA will understand, respond appropriately, and take action.
For example:
Caller: “I need to reschedule my therapy session.”
IVA: “Sure, I can help with that. What day and time would work best for you?”
Behind the scenes, the IVA is using natural language understanding (NLU) to recognize intent – like scheduling, refilling a prescription, or checking insurance – and then responding in a way that feels personal, not robotic.
So, how is an IVA different from an IVR?
Traditional IVR systems are rule-based. They expect very specific inputs (like pressing “1” on your phone) and break down easily when callers deviate from the script. At other times, it doesn’t allow the caller to deviate even a little bit from the script.
In contrast, IVAs are flexible and adaptive in that they:
- Understand variations in speech, slang, and even incomplete sentences
- Can ask clarifying questions if something’s unclear
- Integrate with backend systems (like your EHR, CRM, or scheduling platforms) to take real action like changing appointment times and logging this data into the system of record
- Learn over time, improving their performance and understanding of patients’ needs
This is important in behavioral health organizations because tone, timing and empathy are everything. This ties back to your earlier point that callers (or family members on behalf of them) may be scared, confused, anxious, struggling with depression and/or more, and the LAST thing they need is an impersonal, frustrating interaction that leads them down a circle of pressing numbers – rigid “press 1, press 2” menus – that gets them nowhere.
- Emotionally fragile callers hang up mid-call
- Caregivers don’t know which menu option fits their situation
- Patients in crisis don’t have time to navigate menus
- Non-English speakers or those with disabilities struggle to interact
The old IVR systems were built for banking. Not for mental health access.
How does voice automation improve the patient experience?
Voice automation provides:
1. Faster Access to Care
Patients can schedule appointments, get directions, or request refills instantly—no waiting on hold.
2. 24/7 Availability
Voice systems work around the clock, so patients can confirm, cancel, or ask questions anytime.
3. Personalized Conversations
Connected to EHRs and CRMs, IVAs greet patients by name and provide patient specific information like upcoming appointments or test results.
4. Clear Communication
Instructions are easy to understand and available in multiple languages, reducing confusion and increasing follow-through.
5. Frees Up Staff Time
Automating routine calls lets clinical teams focus on higher-value patient care person to person conversations.
Real results: How one organization transformed patient access with an IVA
A growing behavioral health organization wanted to move away from impersonal, menu-driven options. The typical IVR-driven “press1/press2” approach was off-brand and did not offer their patients the warm, supportive service experience they needed.
DecisivEdge was brought in to reimagine, redesign and deploy a CX solution that included Five9’s Intelligent Virtual Agent (IVA). Specifically, the client wanted to provide routing and self-service options for common service intents for patients who were already scheduled for admission or post treatment. This goal was to reduce wait times and abandon rates for potential patients who were seeking treatment for the first time.
The following results were measured across two contiguous 23-day periods and were measured using A/B testing:
- 41% reduction in overall call volume
- 275% reduction in IVR abandons
- 346% reduction in repeat IVR abandons
- 10.5% increase in service level
- 2.1% increase in conversion rate
Are you ready to reimagine your caller experience?
If you’re still relying on outdated IVR systems, or if your current tech feels disconnected from the needs of your patients, it might be time to rethink what’s possible.
As you push for change, ask yourself these questions:
- Are patients frequently complaining about long hold times?
- Is your staff overwhelmed with routine calls?
- Are callers often hanging up before reaching the right person?
- Can your IVR handle natural speech or multiple languages? Do you need it to?
- Can you see where your callers are dropping out of the IVR?
Then, reach out to us. At DecisivEdge, we help behavioral health organizations modernize their patient access experience using Intelligent Virtual Agents and other scalable voice automation solutions. We want to find solutions that work for you and your team, and are 100% invested in your success.
So, whether you’re just exploring or actively planning, we invite you to reach out for a conversation.