Virtual Reception in a multi-location polyclinic

In a sector where timeliness and availability are synonymous with care, patient reception represents the first calling card of a healthcare facility, which doesn't end with the physical encounter alone, but begins the exact moment it is contacted, whether by phone or digitally.

Biocontrol is a multi-location polyclinic specialized in diagnostics. As demonstrated in this case, offering professional and present reception is a constant challenge. The facility was indeed experiencing significant difficulties in managing call volumes, especially during morning opening peaks, resulting in long wait times and a high abandonment rate that often led to negative reviews.

To solve this inefficiency, adopting an AI assistant, such as Virtual Reception, was considered the ideal solution to harmonize physical and digital reception. Thanks to artificial intelligence, Virtual Reception technology is indeed capable of actively supporting reception staff both during normal working hours and during hours and days when the medical center might be closed.

The challenge

Before implementing Virtual Reception, the polyclinic managed phone contact flows in a traditional and fragmented way across different locations. This resulted in:

• Inefficient distribution of workload among operators
• Prolonged wait times for patients on hold
• Numerous call abandonments before contact with an operator
• Degradation of perceived quality for patients and loss of potential bookings
• High no-show rate
• Difficulty in centralized monitoring of phone traffic volumes

This operational fragmentation translated into a constant state of stress for front-desk staff. Reception often found itself having to simultaneously manage the physical patient in the waiting room and the incessant phone ringing, creating a frenetic work environment prone to human error. The switchboard, clogged with frequent questions (such as information about hours or appointment confirmations), became a bottleneck for more urgent calls. Furthermore, the lack of a complete view, since there were no certain data on how many calls were being lost, prevented management from intervening and avoiding that being considered an "unreachable" polyclinic would undermine the clinical excellence offered by doctors.

The solution

The activation of Virtual Reception at the polyclinic stems from the dual need to decongest the call center and, at the same time, offer patients a superior level reception service. The choice fell on Run2AI's solution precisely for its unique ability to deliver authentic interaction, thanks to a realistic voice and dynamic dialogue management, reminiscent of a "human" conversation. The virtual assistant is indeed capable of conversing like a human being, managing interruptions, overlapping voices, and multi-language communications, instantly switching from Italian to English to meet the needs of every patient.

Service integration occurred through a progressive rollout, which saw the assistant initially covering only nighttime hours and weekends, until guaranteeing total availability 24 hours a day. This gradual transition was made possible by the complete integration of artificial intelligence with the facility's management system, a determining factor that allowed working in perfect continuity without altering existing operational flows.

Impact on numbers

Virtual Reception is not just a technological tool: it is a fundamental organizational resource. It has allowed us to absorb traffic peaks and free staff from stressful workloads, who can now dedicate themselves attentively to assisting patients physically present on-site. Reception is now more inclusive, multilingual, and available 24/7.

Conclusion

The progressive validation path has demonstrated how Virtual Reception is not just a technological tool, but a fundamental organizational resource. Its integration represents for the polyclinic a strategic evolution in the reception model, now more inclusive, multilingual, and available 24/7 to actively support reception staff during normal working hours.

This system allows absorbing traffic peaks, becoming a true extension of staff who are freed from stressful workloads and can dedicate themselves attentively to assisting patients physically present on-site.