The challenge: right care, right away—without the phone tag
Manual triage and fragmented handoffs slow patients and staff alike:
- Multi-step phone workflows that require callbacks before care can begin.
- Disconnected virtual and in-person pathways that force patients to repeat information.
- Limited self-service to check symptoms or choose the appropriate site/level of care.
- Slow escalation for high-acuity cases and high inbound volumes that consume front-line capacity.
The stakes are real: impaired patient flow is linked to lower care quality, higher mortality risk, and dissatisfaction; improving flow is an active need across health systems.
Meanwhile, only 1% of healthcare call centers achieve an 80–100% First Call Resolution rate (vs. a 70–79% benchmark), highlighting how phone-first models miss the mark.
Steer’s solution: virtual-first triage and intelligent routing
Steer Health’s digital triage tool evaluates patient needs instantly and directs them to the appropriate provider, service line, or setting.
What it does
- Automated, virtual-first triage across service lines and settings.
- Self-service symptom assessment that guides next steps before anyone calls.
- AI decision support to recommend site/level of care in real time.
- Fast escalation protocols for urgent/complex presentations.
- Integrated scheduling & care coordination so bookings and handoffs happen in one flow.
As a clinical routing platform healthcare leaders can trust, it creates consistency across sites and ensures patients receive care at the right time and place.
Why it matters
With ED demand rising and staffed-bed capacity tighter, accurate first-touch routing reduces avoidable ED use, protects scarce inpatient resources, and keeps lower-acuity cases in virtual or ambulatory channels—exactly where utilization is projected to grow.
Results
When Pacific Thoracic Surgeons adopted Steer’s Triage & Routing solution, both patients and staff saw immediate benefits in comfort, clarity, and efficiency.
Key Results:
- 63% reduction in inbound call volumes
- 16% increase in care capacity
- 32% boost in revenue velocity
As hybrid care expands, accurate, fast routing has become foundational to operating performance. A modern digital triage tool not only improves patient experience—it strengthens workforce efficiency and resource utilization at system scale.
With ED volumes projected to climb and inpatient capacity constrained, organizations that virtualize triage and automate routing will move patients to the right care, right now—and keep their hospitals flowing.
Interested in learning how intelligent triage can route patients to the right care on first touch and ease ED bottlenecks?
Let’s talk. Visit steerhealth.io/request-a-demo or reach out directly to our team.
