Beryl launches H1N1 Risk Assessment service to provide useful information about H1N1 virus

Dec 8 2009

The Beryl Companies, the nation’s leading provider of outsourced call center services for the healthcare industry, has launched a new service that will enhance hospitals’ abilities to provide useful information to consumers who have questions and concerns about the H1N1 virus. Beryl’s new H1N1 Risk Assessment offers consumers the opportunity to call and speak with trained medical advisors who can provide information about the virus and walk callers through a three-minute self-assessment (developed by A.D.A.M., a leading provider of health information solutions) that helps them determine their risk of contracting H1N1 or whether they might already have the virus. This resource is also offered online.

"Providing this service will help ensure that healthcare professionals are seeing patients with the most immediate needs and that consumers get a quick assessment to determine their next steps toward care," said Paul Spiegelman, founder and CEO of Beryl. “Since 2008, the public has been bombarded with stories about H1N1 deaths, leading some normally timid consumers of healthcare to become more eager to seek professional medical care at the slightest sign of illness, even when they may simply have a cold and need over-the-counter medicines. Often, consumers just want medical professionals to help them assess their condition, or to have access to reliable information about this virus."

Through Beryl’s new H1N1 Risk Assessment, hospitals can provide consumers with information on H1N1 and make it easier for consumers to access the healthcare services they may need. In addition to helping consumers arrange medical care, the service can also save consumers time and money by helping them determine when they do not need to see a doctor, which allows providers to conserve time and resources for patients with immediate needs.

This Beryl solution provides:

1. A unique 800 number to connect consumers to Beryl Call Advisors who are equipped with relevant and factual H1N1 information that is based on CDC guidelines. The Advisors can walk callers through the self-assessment. (Hospitals can also use their existing patient care phone number, but offer prompts that will connect callers to the H1N1 hotline.)

2. An online component where consumers can gauge their risk of being infected with the H1N1 virus and receive a Personal Action Plan. It also provides consumers with up-to-date links to articles and news about the virus.

Hospitals that want to provide additional support to consumers can leverage Beryl’s existing appointment scheduling and physician referral services, enabling consumers who are truly sick to get the medical attention they need more efficiently.

The Beryl H1N1 Risk Assessment provides support around the clock, and the service can be branded to support a hospital’s marketing agenda.

Beryl predicts that hospitals that use its H1N1 Risk Assessment will:

• Build consumer confidence in their organization as a reliable source of medical information and establish familiarity that supports future patient visits
• Preserve emergency department resources for truly urgent care cases
• Foster closer relationships with community physicians by offering the service as a tool for their patients and a referral source
• Speed patient access to medical services by connecting with Beryl’s patient scheduling or physician referral services
• Build traffic to hospital Web sites