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Did you know that Call Center Stress Syndrome is a recognized phenomenon characterized by emotional exhaustion, depersonalization (feeling detached from work and customers), and reduced personal accomplishment, which is often seen in high-stress call center environments?
Recent studies have confirmed the stressful nature of call center work. The American Psychological Association found that call center workers have one of the highest stress levels of all occupations. Prolonged exposure to chronic workplace stressors can lead to burnout, a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion accompanied by feelings of cynicism and detachment.
Call center agents working for hospitals and healthcare organizations often experience significant stress due to the nature of their work. Stress is amplified by the life-and-death situations inherent in healthcare. High stress levels and burnout among call center agents in healthcare can lead to increased absenteeism, higher turnover rates, decreased productivity, and potentially lower quality of patient service.
[Related Blog Post: Why Hospital Call Centre Operators Should Be Considered Frontline Workers]
Healthcare organizations need to recognize the unique stressors faced by their call center agents and implement robust support systems. We’ll examine some of the factors contributing to operator stress and offer some tips managers can use to assist their strained staff.
Sources of Stress for Healthcare Call Center Agents
People who talk with hospital contact center agents are often anxious and distressed because they are experiencing health crises, seeking urgent information, or dealing with difficult medical situations involving themselves or their loved ones. This can lead to heightened emotions, including fear, anger, and desperation. Agents are expected to remain calm, empathetic, and professional, even when dealing with highly emotional or irate callers.
Unlike other customer service roles, health-related communication often involves high-stakes and urgent situations. Mistakes or delays in a healthcare setting can have severe consequences. Agents might be handling calls related to critical care, appointment scheduling for serious conditions or urgent medical advice, creating immense pressure to be accurate and efficient. They can feel a heavy sense of responsibility knowing that the information or assistance they provide (or fail to provide) can directly impact a patient’s health and well-being, potentially in critical situations.
[Related Case Study: Cleveland Clinic Mercy Hospital: Using Scripting to Increase Efficiency, Reduce Errors, and Reduce Training Time for Operators]
Operators are exposed to sensitive and traumatic information. They regularly hear about illnesses, injuries, and even deaths. Repeated exposure to distressing calls can lead to secondary traumatic stress, where agents experience symptoms similar to those who directly experienced the traumatic events. Processing this information daily can lead to emotional fatigue, vicarious trauma, and increased anxiety. This constant need to manage their own emotions while responding to others can be emotionally draining. Even when an agent isn’t at work, they can have difficulty detaching themselves from the emotional weight of calls, impacting their personal lives and mental health.
Healthcare systems are often intricate, involving strict protocols, regulations, insurance processes, medical terminology, various departments, and specific protocols. Agents need to understand these complexities and navigate complex systems to provide accurate guidance, which can be challenging and stressful.
[Related eBook: A Guidebook for Improved Communication in Healthcare]
Like other call centers, healthcare contact centers can experience high call volumes, leading to long hours, tight schedules, and pressure to handle calls quickly. The repetitive nature of some queries can also contribute to monotony and burnout, especially if they are understaffed or lack adequate resources, increasing the workload and stress on existing agents.
[Related Blog Post: What is an Intelligent Virtual Agent?]
Supporting Hospital Call Center Agents
Taking steps to mitigate stress through initiatives like improved training, better support systems, and improved technology can provide healthcare contact center agents with a more supportive and stress-free work environment.
- Comprehensive Training: Equipping agents with the knowledge and skills to handle complex and sensitive calls effectively.
- Emotional Support and Counseling: Providing access to mental health resources, employee assistance programs (EAPs), and peer support groups.
- Regular Breaks and Wellness Initiatives: Encouraging breaks, promoting healthy lifestyles, and offering stress-reduction techniques like mindfulness exercises.
- Supportive Management: Ensuring managers are trained to recognize signs of stress and burnout and provide empathetic support.
- Debriefing and Peer Support: Allowing agents to process difficult calls in a supportive environment.
- Workload Management: Ensuring reasonable workloads and adequate staffing levels.
- Positive Work Environment: Fostering a culture of teamwork, recognition, stress-relieving games, and open communication.
- Technology and Tools: Providing efficient systems and tools to help agents navigate information and processes effectively.
[Related White Paper: How Call Center Technology Helps Hospitals, Staff, and Patients]
By understanding the specific stressors and the heightened impact of life-and-death situations, healthcare organizations can use strategies to support the well-being of their call center agents, ultimately benefiting both the employees and the patients they serve.
