Automated telephone communication systems may have the potential to play a positive role in healthcare

摘要

Implications for practice and research: Automated telephone communication systems (ATCS) have the potential to play a positive role in healthcare, but practical matters should be considered before implementation. Further evidence is needed to counter the variable and often low-quality evidence available to date, which limits the extent to which ATCS can be safely implemented across populations. Context: Recent years have seen communication technologies promoted as a route to improve access for patients and save resources in healthcare systems under strain. One such development is ATCS that are used instead of-or in conjunction with-telephone communication between patients and healthcare professionals. Rather than person-to-person communication, ATCS use computer-to-person communication to deliver voice messages to patients and/or collect health-related information from patients using touch tone keypads or voice recognition software. Unlike the use of the telephone for consultation with patients,2 use of ATCS is less well established. It offers a different approach to other telephone based modes of communication such as text messaging.