Optum Optimises Meeting Rooms for Deaf Users

Optum are a leading health services innovation company. They aid people to live healthier lives by helping to make the health system work better for everyone.

Their services include:

• Data and analytics
• Pharmacy care services
• Health care operations
• Health care delivery
• Population health management
• Advisory

Optum also provides the free health care advice website OneSmallStep that supports individuals to improve their health and wellbeing; whether this is by maintaining a healthy weight, getting more active, cutting down on alcohol or quitting smoking etc.

Meeting Room Implementation

The health services organisation approached Click4Assistance in 2016 to find a way to invite deaf users to a scheduled live chat session where they can provide tailored advice using.

Even though Meeting Rooms were traditionally built to host multiple participants, the specific configuration works greatly for scheduled appointments.

Optum wanted to invite the user by emailing them each with a link to the meeting room that would allow them entry at a specific time.  The Click4Assistance system allows administrations to eject the URL which will open a session (there are separate links for each type of channel - live/video chat, Meeting Rooms and Click2Call). This can be placed behind any image or anchor text on a website, in an email or document. Having the URL to the meeting room contained within an email ensures that only those individuals asked to chat have access for your website live chat session.

When it comes to access, the type of meeting room that is selected can also add another level of security. Optum has chosen a private room which requires a guest list to be set up. This forces the visitor to enter their allocated username and password. To ensure individuals do not enter a session during their unassigned time and breach another user’s conversation, the guest list is updated prior to every session.

Why Chat is Great for Users

Having a chat session using live chat for your website is the closest digital equivalent of having a telephone conversation. It allows users to instantly connect with an advisor unlike other text based communication channels such as email or social media. Questions can be answered quickly and accurately; some chat conversations can be completed faster than navigating an automated IVR menu!

The chat sessions also allow users who are deaf or have telephonophobia etc. to benefit from speaking directly to a representative when the telephone is not an option, enabling access to the information and advice they require.  It can make them feel unisolated as their communication preference has been provided.

Beyond Traditional Means

The communication channels in the Click4Assistance solution don’t have to be used in their conventional way. Our team are constantly finding new ways to push the functionality past their everyday boundaries to fit customer requirements.

One university has set up over 25 departments on chat where they hold date-specific open day events where potential students can ask their questions without having to visit the campus.

An insurance company wanted a dynamic prechat form. If a department is available the form then displays a confirmation page allowing the visitor to continue into chat or to go back and change any of their details or select another area of the business. If an unavailable department is selected, the window automatically displays the company’s operational hours.

A Clinical Commissioning Group procured chat on behalf of a GP member, integrating the communication channel with their booking appointments procedure. This helped to reduce the pressure on their phone lines.

Click4Assistance has been providing live chat for your website services for over 15 years. For more information on Optum’s implementation or to find out how we can help you achieve your requirements, contact our team on 01268 524628 or email theteam@click4assistance.co.uk.