On April 11, 2025, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the agency responsible for enforcing the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), will update the revocation rules of consent and restructure the way healthcare agencies communicate with patients.
The new rules include a wide range of opt-outs for automated messaging, a short time frame to honor opt-out requests, an extension of the language and methods for opt-out, and a starting point for opt-out of these communications at all times. While the new FCC rules aim to enhance consumer control over automated communications, it is important that healthcare organizations can adapt to maintain compliance while maintaining trust and connection with their members.
In this interview with American Journal of Managed Care® (AJMC)®))Bob Farrell, CEO of Mpulse at Digital Health Care Technology Company, outlines how Tech redefines patient and member trust and how organizations ensure commitment to quality and compliance by fostering more transparency, access to care and personalized communication.
Bob Farrell, CEO of Mpulse | Image credit: Mpulse
AJMC: How do you think technology is transforming the way healthcare organizations maintain trust with patients and members? What role does transparency play in strengthening that trust?
Pharrell: The equations that create trust between members and their health plans are broad. These factors include data protection, fair billing, quality of service and value, tailored care support, and more. The consistent area of building trust is transparent and personalized communication and engagement woven throughout these elements during your healthcare journey. These well-provided touchpoints ensure that your health plan offers customized, meaningful touchpoints, while establishing two-way dialogue and ensuring that the needs of its members are met.
Health planning is not possible in itself to make this equation work. By leveraging technology platforms that leverage tailored care plans data, these entities allow impactful member communications to promote trust and promote trust, while complying with federal laws and regulations. Additionally, these platforms utilize digital tools such as SMS, email, and automated voice messaging, allowing healthcare organizations to provide patients with timely and relevant information to meet them. This consistent, personalized communication helps build trust and keeps patients informed about their health.
According to recent Mpulse data Of the over 1,000 patients aged 18 and older, 42% of respondents said the first action to build trust with providers is improving communication. Similarly, communications that are inadequate and/or confused (39%) include reasons why respondents distrust their health insurance plans. By using omnichannel communication methods that allow for two-way engagement and health plans for transparency regarding treatment options, possible outcomes, and next steps, members feel that they are partners in care decisions rather than passive care recipients. Health plans, meanwhile, understand the needs of their members and are able to respond appropriately and on a large scale. Technology is important while ensuring communication compliance and strengthening engagement strategies.
AJMC: In an increasingly digital landscape, how can organizations ensure that quality and compliance commitment remains a priority? What innovations will help support these efforts?
Pharrell: In today’s digital healthcare landscape, organizations need to prioritize quality and compliance and ensure that technology strengthens patient outcomes and supports regulatory standards. Health plans and providers should work closely with their technology platform partners to understand legal frameworks and regulatory changes, and compliance best practices while simultaneously enhancing patient engagement. As an example, future changes to the FCC’s updated TCPA consent withdrawal rules will take effect on April 11, 2025, restructuring the way healthcare organizations communicate with patients and members.
Surprisingly, recent Mpulse data shows that 80% of respondents are unfamiliar with future changes that TCPA has made to healthcare communications, and many patients and members may unconsciously opt out of important health-related health communications. These new rules are designed to provide greater transparency and protection for consumers over automated communications, meaning healthcare organizations must rethink their engagement strategies to maintain basic compliance without losing their ability to connect with members. Organizations can work closely with their technology partners to respond to regulatory changes and continue to comply while providing the highest standards of patient care.
AJMC: How can organizations leverage data and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven insights to coordinate their care journeys and provide more accessible and equitable health care?
Pharrell: Data and AI-driven insights play a major role in coordinating patient care journeys and ensuring more accessible and equitable care and outcomes. For example, Health Experiences and Insights (HXI) technology that leverages predictive analytics and connected digital experiences can transform into unstructured, actionable insights and build comprehensive, longitudinal member profiles. This allows healthcare organizations to predict individual needs through consumer travel and launch the optimal personalized digital experience quickly and efficiently.
On a large scale, sophisticated predictive models assess health risks and potential barriers across different populations, allowing for the optimization of coordinated interventions to address population-specific health challenges. AI-powered analytics allow organizations to deliver tailored digital content through multiple channels, ensuring that messages resonate with diverse patient populations and encourage active participation in health care.
AJMC: How do you imagine the evolution of patient and member engagement through technology in the future? What further advances could potentially improve transparency, access to care, and active communication?
Pharrell: As patients continue to play an active role in their healthcare journey, AI-powered HXI technology offers a wide range of enterprise capabilities to improve health planning and provider engagement and clinical outcomes, increasing operational efficiency. For example, machine learning and predictive AI have proven valuable across the healthcare ecosystem to support advanced personalization, and are fundamental elements of AI-powered enterprise engagement strategies.
Integrating natural language processing and generative AI (Genai) with predictive analytics offers additional benefits, such as identifying high-risk patients with specific needs across a variety of health areas, promoting sophisticated orchestration, and achieving the right combination of engagement programs to promote optimal outcomes across patient needs.
Additionally, a virtual assistant with genai can dynamically adapt a response to personalized conversations that provide multilingual support and to personalized conversations that improve accessibility for diverse patient populations.
reference
Navigating the new FCC TCPA consent removal rules: a detailed guide for healthcare organizations. Mpurus. March 13, 2025. Accessed April 4, 2025. https://mpulse.com/blog/navigating-the-new-fcc-tcpa-consent-revocation-rules-an in-depth-guide-for-healthcare-organizations/
