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Health reform: virtual assistant answers citizens’ queries
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First digital employee for the Ministry of Health
New customer focus: public authorities invest in citizens’ portals
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Hamburg, Germany, August 31st, 2004 –
Doctor’s fees, health insurance providers, dental costs – when the health reform was first introduced, there were still many questions left unanswered for German citizens. The Federal Ministry of Health reacted to address the lack of available information: virtual assistant Clara has been online at www.die-gesundheitsreform.de since February to answer questions from citizens unsure of how the new reform will affect them and provide them with information about changes in the health system. The digital ministry employee was developed by novomind AG in Hamburg in cooperation with their Berlin-based partner Ahrens&Bimboese. face2net. She carries out up to 30,000 dialogs per month and answers an average of 10 questions per dialog. The need for such digital citizens’ services is growing constantly: nine out of 10 specialists and managers in the public sector see citizens’ portals as a vital tool for improving their customer focus. Further information on citizens’ portals, virtual agents and how to boost efficiency will be provided at the novomind Business Breakfast, scheduled for September 10th in Berlin.
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On February 5th, 2004, Clara started work on the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Security’s interactive information platform at www.die-gesundheitsreform.de. Ever since, she’s been explaining the new regulations involved in the health reform to online users. Efficiently and successfully: her rapid and comprehensive assistance significantly reduces pressure on call center staff. Because whatever the user wants to know – whether it’s a question about doctor’s fees, health insurance providers or dental costs – Clara can provide a response. The few queries she cannot answer in detail are transferred to the Bürgertelefon live-chat. A real-life service agent intervenes to pick up the conversation where Clara left off. To date, Clara has dealt with up to 100 concurrent queries by providing standardized responses to the most frequent user questions. She carries out up to 30,000 dialogs per month – 60 percent of which would otherwise be dealt with by call center staff.
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The novomind IQTM artificial intelligence that brings Clara to life recognizes which information the user requires during an online dialog. If Clara is occasionally unable to answer a question, the user can use a special online input box to transfer the query directly to a human service agent. The agent provides instant, detailed information – without forcing the user to leave the internet. The novomind TrueTALKTM technology helps citizen’s advisers respond to user queries. The virtual agent is online and available to answer user questions 24 hours a day. She was developed to assist users with disabilities. Clara’s responses are provided in computer-generated speech format for visually-impaired users using a screen reader. Users are provided with barrier-free accessibility as defined in the law of equality for disabled persons.
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What can virtual assistants do for e-government? When is e-government a viable option? How can public authorities work more efficiently? These are just some of the questions that experts from novomind AG, the Federal Ministry for Health and Social Security and Mummert Consulting AG will be addressing and answering in Berlin on September 10th, 2004 at 9 am in the Grand Hyatt Hotel in the Potsdamer Platz. There’s still time to sign up to attend – those interested can register at www.novomind.de until September 6th.
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novomind AG provides software for the customer communications sector, enabling optimized processes and lower costs. The product department’s portfolio includes e-mail management systems, as well as virtual customer services assistants and interactive online applications enabling interactive communication in real time. The novomind services department develops complex e-business applications, including scalable online shop solutions. novomind’s products and solutions focus on future-oriented service, efficient and personalized communication, and higher-performance administration. A rapid ROI is guaranteed and ongoing customer loyalty ensured. Leading companies from across the market sectors – including Bertelsmann Der Club, Otto, Sparkasse Erlangen, BKK Gesundheit, Travelocity and Hannoversche Leben, as well as public sector representatives such as the German Federal Ministry of Health and Social Security (BMGS) – have already successfully implemented novomind systems to boost customer loyalty, turnover and public relations.
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