Israeli Patients Can Now WhatsApp Their Doctor

Patients in Israel can now WhatsApp their doctors and local health clinics to schedule appointments and request sick notes.

Clalit Health Services, the country’s largest health provider, is initially offering the service to around 100 clinics and will roll it out to all 1,500, as well as its call center hotline, with around 4,000 staff. 

The technology is being provided by Israeli startup CommBox, which creates autonomous customer service chatbots.

The dedicated WhatsApp numbers will help Clalit improve its digital health services and reduce waiting times for its 4.8 million members.

“Our platform significantly eases the burden on customer service teams and enables any high operational organization to optimize service processes through digital communication and automation,” said Eli Israelov and Yaniv Hakim, co-founders of CommBox.

“We are proud of the collaboration that turns Clalit into a health organization that has complete control over communication with members, an organization with digital and automated service, but always supervised by human representatives to reduce wait times, improve member satisfaction, and ensure that members get the services they need in a more timely manner.”

Liora Shechter, VP of the IT & Digital Division at Clalit Health Services, said: “The Covid-19 pandemic accelerated digital transformation and the transition to self-service.

“We have set a goal at Clalit – to enable members to receive the best service in the fastest time possible, through a variety of digital channels, with the aim of providing choice and personalized attention for every request on a platform and at a time that is convenient for members.”

CommBox was founded in 2013, and is based in Kibbutz Glil Yam, central Israel.