In short
Traditional IVR and robocall dialers play prerecorded messages and touch-tone menus. They are inexpensive for one-way notifications, but they cannot hold a conversation, verify a patient, or adapt when an answer needs a person. Consig replaces them with conversational calls that mix scripted and generative steps, verify the patient, enforce consent and state rules, and hand off to staff, with lower maintenance cost.
At a glance
| Capability | IVR & robocall dialers | Consig |
|---|---|---|
| Conversation | Touch-tone menus or one-way prerecorded audio | Open-ended questions with scripted steps where required |
| Patient verification | PIN or date-of-birth keypad entry, if any | Passkeys, biometrics, OTP via a Zero Knowledge Network |
| Getting answered | High-volume calls are prone to "Spam Likely" labels | Branded caller ID and number reputation management |
| When the patient needs a person | Press 0 and wait in a queue | Warm handoff with call-attached data, or a scheduled callback |
| Compliance | Prerecorded and artificial-voice calls need prior consent under the TCPA | Consent and state rules tracked and enforced per call |
Why do patients ignore automated calls?
Because most of them sound like scams, and many are labeled as scams before they ring. High-volume calling from a single number, short calls, and repeated attempts look like spam to carrier analytics, so legitimate healthcare calls arrive as "Spam Likely" or go straight to voicemail. A third of Americans report having missed a call that mattered because of it. See The call was compliant. It still never rang.
What can a conversational call do that IVR can't?
An IVR can confirm an appointment with a keypress. It cannot ask a post-discharge patient how they are doing, notice that a prescription was never filled, administer a PHQ-9 and route a concerning score to staff, or collect a sixty-question intake form in the patient's own words. Consig voice agents handle open-ended answers while deterministic stages keep disclosures and consent exact.
Consig lists inbound IVR replacement as a use case for the same reason: to improve the patient and provider experience and lower maintenance cost. See use cases.
Are prerecorded reminder calls still allowed?
Often, with the right consent. Prerecorded and artificial-voice calls to mobile phones require prior express consent under the TCPA, with narrow healthcare exemptions, and the FCC treats AI-generated voices as artificial too. Consent can now be revoked by any reasonable means and must be honored within 10 business days. The tool matters less than the rules engine behind it. See prior express consent and consent revocation.
When IVR or a robocall dialer is the better fit
- You only need a one-way notification, such as a closure or a simple reminder, and accept low engagement.
- Patients have consented to prerecorded calls, and the message carries no PHI.
When Consig is the better fit
- You need patients to answer, respond, and complete something on the call.
- The call involves PHI or a clinical follow-up, and must verify who answered.
- Some answers need to reach a person immediately.
- You want to retire an aging IVR and reduce its maintenance cost.
Frequently asked questions
Can Consig replace our IVR?
Inbound IVR replacement is one of Consig's listed use cases, with the goal of improving the patient and provider experience and lowering maintenance cost. Most Consig deployments start with outbound outreach. Talk to a Solutions Architect about inbound routing.
Is an AI call treated differently from a robocall under the TCPA?
No. The FCC ruled in 2024 that AI-generated voices are "artificial" under the TCPA, so AI calls need the same prior express consent as prerecorded robocalls, unless an exemption applies. See TCPA.
Will conversational calls cost more than robocalls?
Per attempt, an automated conversation does more than a recording. The relevant measure is cost per completed outcome. Consig is designed to lower cost per call and first-touch outreach cost by getting more calls answered and completed without staff. For pricing on your volumes, talk to a Solutions Architect.