By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    headphones can create health problems
    The Harmful Health Effects of Using Headphones
    September 24, 2021
    Headache causes
    4 Causes Of Headache You Probably Didn’t Know About
    December 28, 2021
    follow these steps to recover from your injury
    What Steps Should You Take to Recover More Quickly from an Injury?
    April 12, 2022
    Latest News
    Beyond Nutrition: Everyday Foods That Support Whole-Body Health
    June 15, 2025
    The Wide-Ranging Benefits of Magnesium Supplements
    June 11, 2025
    The Best Home Remedies for Migraines
    June 5, 2025
    The Hidden Impact Of Stress On Your Body’s Alignment And Balance
    May 22, 2025
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    Cash Transfers: Good for HIV/AIDS Too
    August 9, 2012
    unnecessary medical tests
    Eagerly Awaiting the Death of Defensive Medicine
    September 5, 2013
    Image
    Mobile Health Around the Globe – mHealth Fighting Malnutrition in India
    December 17, 2012
    Latest News
    Let Your Lawyer Handle the Work Before You Pay Medical Costs
    July 6, 2025
    Top HIPAA-Compliant Messaging Apps for Healthcare Teams
    June 25, 2025
    When Healthcare Ends, the Legal Process Begins: What Families Should Know About Probate and Medical Estates
    June 20, 2025
    Preventing Contamination In Healthcare Facilities Starts With Hygiene
    June 15, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: Say the F Word if You Want to Speak to a Real Person
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > eHealth > Mobile Health > Say the F Word if You Want to Speak to a Real Person
Mobile Health

Say the F Word if You Want to Speak to a Real Person

DavidEWilliams
DavidEWilliams
Share
4 Min Read
SHARE

Voice recognition is getting there, but it’s not there yet.

The Boston Globe (Automated agent will aid enrollees in Medicare) describes Humana’s use of voice recognition technology to sign up patients for Medicare Part D drug benefit plans. The computer asks the caller a series of questions and interacts sort of like a human being. But actually, there’s a bit of Wizard of Oz involved:

Voice recognition is getting there, but it’s not there yet.

The Boston Globe (Automated agent will aid enrollees in Medicare) describes Humana’s use of voice recognition technology to sign up patients for Medicare Part D drug benefit plans. The computer asks the caller a series of questions and interacts sort of like a human being. But actually, there’s a bit of Wizard of Oz involved:

More Read

Radiology and mHealth
Why Should Radiologists Be Mobile-Friendly?
Patient Engagement and Health IT: Disillusionment Sets In, Poll Shows
Managing the Mobile Workforce
The Future of Medicine: Incredible Innovations to Expect by 2064
Mitchell Poll Reveals that Boomers will Purchase Health Care Apps

When the system needs help, it routes the question and a recording of the consumer’s answer to an agent with headphones who types in what the caller said. The agents can handle 700 questions an hour in this way, all taken out of context, said Fox.

“They only hear snippets of calls and their job is just to derive the intent of the individual portion of the calls,’’ he said. The callers never know that a person has intervened.

How would you like a job with 700 out of context questions per hour? I bet those folks must be great conversationalists with their spouses when they get home from work!

Even the contrived excerpt from the company’s PR folks made me gag. Here’s a sample of the dialog between a user “Bernard” and the computer “Interactions” as Bernard provides his name:

BERNARD: B -as in Boston. E as in Edward. R as in Ronald. N as in Nathan. A as in Ana. R as in Robert. D as in David.

INTERACTIONS: Hang on just a sec [typing noise]. I have your first name spelled B E R N A R D. Is that correct?

Call me a crotchety oldster, but that artificial “hang on just a sec” and the fake typing are ridiculous. Reminds me of the fake typing pools they used to put in the background of newscasts. Personally I’d rather talk to a computer that doesn’t pretend to be a person speaking to a moron.

Here’s my favorite part of the article:

Callers who become frustrated can get to an operator, but only if they are detected as saying a set of prompts, such as “Operator’’ or “I want to talk to someone.’’ Use of profanity, Fox noted, will also work. [emphasis mine] However it is never explained to the caller that certain words or phrases can get them to a person.

So remember, next time you want to speak with a real person, just try some bathroom language.

 


Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

9 Lifestyle Tweaks That Can Add Years to Your Life
9 Healthcare Lifestyle Tweaks That can Add Years to Your Life
lifestyle
July 11, 2025
car accident lawsuit
Let Your Lawyer Handle the Work Before You Pay Medical Costs
Policy & Law
July 6, 2025
women dental care
What Is a Smile Makeover and How Much Does It Cost?
Dental health
June 30, 2025
HIPAA-Compliant Messaging Apps
Top HIPAA-Compliant Messaging Apps for Healthcare Teams
Global Healthcare Policy & Law Technology
June 25, 2025

You Might also Like

mHealth: Barriers To Global Implementation

June 26, 2012

Mobile Health Around the Globe: Bonus Video! An Overview of Mobile Innovations

May 20, 2013

Calling All Patients…Now is Your Chance to Have Your Voice Heard

June 5, 2013

Passivity: Excitement About Cell Phones and Health

July 10, 2013
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?