How to Reduce Procedure-Related Phone Calls in ASCs and Free Up Staff Hours

Key Takeaways on How to Reduce Procedure-Related Phone Calls in ASCs and Free Up Staff Hours

• ASCs face a growing gap between rising procedure volumes (21% growth projected by 2034) and shrinking staff availability, making phone call reduction a operational priority - not a nice-to-have.

• Two-way texting delivers the highest impact: 98% open rates, 45% response rates, and real-world ASC results including 92% fewer post-op calls and 3,250+ calls eliminated in four months at a single facility.

• Sending pre-op instructions digitally with trackable links, automating post-op check-ins, and moving intake and scheduling online each eliminate a specific category of calls that currently consume hours of staff time daily.

• For the calls you can't eliminate, structured triage protocols and smart call routing can cut average handle time by over 30%.

Your Phones Are Ringing Off the Hook - Here's What It's Actually Costing You

The average medical practice fields 53 inbound calls per physician per day, according to MGMA DataDive.

That volume eats up staff time fast - a 2022 study found that 68% of clinical support staff spend two or more hours a day on patient communication alone, with 20% spending four-plus hours.

The toll shows up in the numbers: 88% of clinical support staff report moderate to extreme burnout, and 71% point directly to phone-based patient communication as a source of that frustration.

Making things worse, practices miss roughly 23% of incoming calls.

When patients can't reach a live person, the phone tag cycle kicks in - and a single interaction can take 2.5 or more attempts to resolve.

Each missed call costs an estimated $125–$200.

The pressure is only building.

One in four ASCs already name staffing as their greatest challenge, and 40% of nurses plan to leave or retire within five years.

Meanwhile, CMS projects 21% procedure volume growth for ASCs between 2024 and 2034.

More cases, more calls, fewer people to answer them - that's the math every ASC administrator is staring down right now.

Implement a Two-Way Texting Platform

If you're looking for the single highest-impact change you can make, this is it.

Text messages have a 98% open rate compared to 20–30% for email, and most are read within 90 seconds.

The response rate sits at 45% - nearly eight times higher than email's 6%.

On the other end, 76% of adults now decline calls from unknown numbers, which means your staff's outbound calls are increasingly going unanswered.

None of this is lost on patients - 85% prefer text over phone, email, or patient portals for healthcare communication.

The efficiency gap is just as wide.

A single staff member can manage 5–20 text conversations simultaneously versus one phone call at a time.

A text exchange takes about 30 seconds to resolve; a phone call averages 4–8 minutes.

Cost-wise, texts run pennies per conversation versus $6–$12 per phone call.

The results we've seen across our ASC clients bring these numbers to life.

In one case study, a hospital surgical department deployed our platform for their TJR and endoscopy departments and saved 20 staff hours on procedure-related calls - all within a 90-day proof of concept.

Patient satisfaction jumped from 83% to 100%.

Results at Baptist Plaza Surgicare were even more dramatic.

Post-op staff had been making an average of 2.5 calls per patient for next-day check-ins - each lasting about six minutes, most going to voicemail.

After launching our automated post-op text survey, 1,768 patients opted in over four months.

80% responded to the post-op questions, and 92% confirmed they were doing well, eliminating the need for a call entirely.

That saved staff from making over 3,250 phone calls.

Administrator Nelson Rue put it simply: "The productivity gains we have seen using Dialog Health have been significant and my nurses now concentrate on doing what we do best...care for our patients."

Across our ASC client base, we've documented 75% fewer no-shows, a 66% drop in same-day cancellations, and a 225% increase in completed pre-appointment documentation.

Healthcare already leads all industries with an 83% SMS adoption rate and opt-out rates among our ASC clients average just 2%.

Deliver Pre-Op Instructions Before Patients Think to Call

"Can I eat before surgery?" "Which medications should I stop?" "What time do I arrive?"

These are among the biggest drivers of inbound calls at ASCs - and every one of them is answerable before a patient ever picks up the phone.

The key is delivering procedure-specific instructions digitally, timed to each patient's surgical schedule.

We saw this firsthand at Tulsa Endoscopy Center, where our platform sent colonoscopy prep instructions with trackable short links three days before each appointment.

Over 55 days, 1,538 messages achieved a 94% reach rate and generated 1,816 total link clicks.

Many patients clicked more than once - revisiting details they would have otherwise called to ask about.

Staff reported a clear drop in prep-related phone calls.

Our broader data shows that standardized digital pre-op delivery leads to 18% fewer late arrivals and 15% more on-time surgery starts.

Automate Post-Op Follow-Up Check-Ins

Pain concerns, wound care questions, and medication confusion drive a large share of post-op call volume.

Research from the University of Kansas found that over 50% of post-surgical patient calls relate to pain or prescription issues.

Automated check-ins at 24 hours, 72 hours, and 7 days after surgery address these concerns before they escalate to a phone call.

A 2024 randomized controlled trial published in Acta Orthopaedica found that digital post-op communication cut patient-initiated calls from 2.3 to 0.5 per patient - a 78% reduction - while improving satisfaction.

What makes this work at scale is the "management by exception" model.

Automated messages handle routine check-ins, and only patients who flag concerns get routed to a nurse.

Your staff spends time on patients who actually need attention instead of dialing through the entire roster.

Move Intake and Pre-Registration Online

Every call spent collecting insurance details, confirming demographics, or walking through health history forms is a call that digital intake can replace.

When patients complete forms, consent documents, and questionnaires online before their visit, it eliminates 5–8 minutes per call that staff would otherwise spend gathering data verbally.

The payoff is a 12% reduction in pre-operative phone calls and a simpler workflow for nurses - they only follow up with patients who have unresolved questions rather than calling every name on the schedule.

Let Patients Self-Schedule

Scheduling calls are among the highest-volume call types at any surgical facility, and each one takes an average of 8–10 minutes of staff time.

Online self-scheduling cuts that to 60 seconds or less.

Patient demand is already there: 59–70% prefer to book online, and 40% of appointments are booked after hours - volume your front desk can only capture with a digital option.

What About the Calls You Can't Eliminate?

Not every call can be replaced with a text or a form - some patients will always need to speak with a person.

The goal here is to handle remaining calls faster and route them smarter.

Structured nurse triage protocols can resolve up to 50% of patient calls with telephone advice alone, preventing callbacks and repeat calls.

One large practice cut average handle time by 34% (from 5:32 to 3:41) after optimizing their workflows, pushing calls answered within two minutes from 70% to 99%.

Smart IVR and call routing make sure calls reach the right person on the first try - no transfers, no callbacks, no wasted time.

Your Staff Shouldn't Spend Their Day on the Phone - Let's Fix That

You've seen the data - 92% fewer post-op calls, 3,250+ calls eliminated at a single ASC, and staff hours reclaimed across every department.

Dialog Health's HIPAA-compliant two-way texting platform is purpose-built for healthcare organizations like yours, and trusted by leading brands including HCA Healthcare, AMSURG, and Ascension.

Fill out this quick form and one of our healthcare communication experts will reach out to schedule a brief 15-minute video call at your convenience.

No pressure, no obligation - just a straightforward look at how we've helped ASCs solve the exact problem you just read about.

Setup is simple, and our self-service platform works alongside your existing systems.