Definition
Right-party contact (RPC) rate is the share of outbound call attempts that reach and identify the intended person, as distinct from the answer rate, which counts calls answered by anyone or anything.
Outbound metrics form a funnel. Dials lead to answered calls; some of those reach a live person rather than voicemail or an automated screener (the live-contact or connect rate); and some of those people are the intended contact, confirmed as such (the right-party contact rate). Definitions vary between organizations and vendors, especially over whether answering machines count as answers and whether "right party" requires formal identity verification, so rates are only comparable when the denominators match.
Industry data suggests roughly half of outbound calls are never answered and only about a quarter of dials reach a live person, and Hiya's State of the Call 2026 found 86% of unidentified calls go unanswered. Answer rates depend heavily on how a call displays, through number reputation, branded caller ID, and spam labeling. RPC also depends on list quality, since outdated or reassigned numbers reach the wrong person.
In healthcare, reaching the right party matters for more than efficiency. Identity has to be confirmed before PHI is discussed, and for programs such as Transitional Care Management, the share of an eligible cohort actually reached inside the required window determines both clinical value and revenue.
How Consig handles it
Consig works both ends of the funnel: branded caller ID and reputation-managed numbers so more calls get answered, and verification with passkeys, device biometrics, or one-time passcodes to confirm the right person picked up. Consig's Getting Through research notes that two outbound systems can sound identical and still differ by double digits in real-world answer rates.