Keona Health has published an analysis of standardization in healthcare call center operations, introducing the Rule of ONE framework to address fragmented workflows that plague patient access teams. The resource, intended for patient access directors, call center managers, and healthcare operations leaders, focuses on how centralized workflows and consistent call handling can improve performance across high-volume call centers.
The analysis identifies fragmented systems as a key source of inefficiency. When call center staff navigate multiple systems, paper binders, and inconsistent processes to handle a single patient inquiry, errors compound and call times rise. Agents spend time searching for information instead of resolving patient needs, new hires face steep learning curves, and patients receive inconsistent answers depending on who answers the phone. These patterns are attributed to workflow structure rather than individual staff performance.
The Rule of ONE framework proposes a centralized system where protocols, workflows, and patient information are accessible within a single environment. Call types are organized into a consistent structure that includes greeting, caller identification, call type determination, routing or resolution, closing, and documentation. This consistency reduces guesswork that slows agents and introduces errors. The framework is built on four implementation stages: centralization, standardization, training, and ongoing measurement. It incorporates metrics such as First-Call Resolution rates, average handle time, and patient satisfaction scores to evaluate performance.
Stephen Dean, COO of Keona Health, commented, "Healthcare call centers aren't struggling because their people lack skill. They're struggling because every agent is solving the same problem differently. Standardize the system, and you free your team to do what they're actually trained to do."
The analysis suggests that when agents operate within a consistent, protocol-guided structure, they spend less time second-guessing next steps and more time focused on the patient. Cross-training becomes faster, supervisors spend less time correcting inconsistencies and more time coaching for quality, and a consistent framework can reduce variability, speed onboarding of new team members, and support more structured training.
The full analysis is available at Keona Health - Streamlining Healthcare Call Centers.
