Automating Adverse Events Reporting for Health Agencies with Amazon Connect

Company Overview: Erah Cloud is an Economically Disadvantaged Women-Owned Small Businesses (EDWOSB) eligible business. We believe in accelerating the Federal agency’s mission, improving efficiency, and effectiveness — to help reimagine the Citizen Health experience through the use of artificial intelligence and cutting-edge technologies.

Introduction

United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) must provide customers with a reliable method to report adverse events (AEs) following medication usage. This is crucial for regulatory compliance and patient safety. Traditionally, this involves dedicated toll-free numbers and contact center agents, which can be costly and inefficient, especially during spikes in call volume.

The Challenge

Handling AE reports manually can lead to:

  • Increased workloads for contact center agents.
  • Long wait times for customers.
  • High costs for training and onboarding agents.
  • Inconsistent data capture due to human error.

The Solution: Amazon Connect

To address these challenges, we designed a self-service Interactive Voice Response (IVR) solution using Amazon Connect. This system automates the AE reporting process, reducing the need for human intervention and ensuring accurate data capture.

Solution Overview

Step-by-Step Process:

  1. Call Routing: Customers dialing in to report AEs are routed to an Amazon Lex chatbot via IVR in Amazon Connect.
  2. Self-Service Functions: The IVR system understands the intent of the call and gathers necessary information.
  3. Data Analysis: Amazon SageMaker analyzes the AE data to decide whether to complete the call via IVR or forward it to a live agent.
  4. Information Capture: The bot asks 15-20 essential questions, capturing detailed AE information.
  5. Hybrid Workflow: The bot uses AWS Lambda for guided responses and free-text conversations, confirming the captured information before closing the call.
  6. Human Agent Option: Callers can be routed to a human agent if needed.
  7. SMS Link: The bot can send an AE reporting link via SMS using Amazon SNS, allowing callers to continue reporting outside the call.
  8. Data Recording: Customer interactions are recorded in AERS using Amazon DynamoDB, following validated processes.
  9. Call Recordings: Recordings are available for auditing and training but are not provided to live agents.
  10. Analytics: Standard analytics help continuously train the bot and measure performance.

Leveraging IVR for Extended Solutions

  • Further Analytics: Recorded calls can be transcribed using Amazon Transcribe, and insights can be derived using machine learning models like Named Entity Recognition (NER).
  • Secure Storage: Calls are stored securely in AWS, with policies to move older calls to cost-effective storage classes like Amazon S3 Glacier.
  • Continuous Improvement: The Amazon Lex bot can be continuously trained with additional intents to enhance its capabilities.

Conclusion

Automating AE reporting with Amazon Connect offers significant benefits, including cost savings, improved accuracy, and enhanced compliance. This solution provides a scalable and efficient way to handle AE reports, ensuring better patient safety and regulatory adherence.

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