Understanding EMMA's Transfer Sensitivity Settings
Transfer Sensitivity controls how EMMA responds when a patient asks to speak to reception. There are four levels — from instant transfer through to maximum encouragement to share their request first. This article explains what each level means, which level is right for your practice, and what always bypasses the setting entirely.
Purpose of This Article
Transfer Sensitivity is one of the most important settings affecting how EMMA interacts with your patients day to day. This article helps practice managers understand what the setting does, choose the right level for their practice, and know when to adjust it.
Main Content
What Transfer Sensitivity Does
When a patient asks to speak to reception, EMMA can respond in different ways depending on your configured Transfer Sensitivity Level.
At lower sensitivity levels, EMMA transfers quickly with minimal or no encouragement. At higher levels, EMMA gently tries to understand the patient's need first — because many requests can be handled without a transfer. If the patient still wants to be transferred after EMMA's attempts, they always can be.
The setting only applies when a patient asks to speak to reception but their request could reasonably be handled by EMMA — for example, prescription queries, test result chasing, fit note requests, or general admin questions. It does not apply to calls that must always go straight to reception. Those are covered separately below.
The Four Levels
Level 0 — Instant Transfer EMMA transfers the patient to reception immediately when they ask, without attempting to capture their request.
- Best for: practices that want EMMA to behave as a simple call routing tool, or where patient expectations require very direct access to reception
- Reception workload: highest
- Efficiency: lowest
Level 1 — Gentle Encouragement (Recommended for new practices) EMMA makes approximately 3 gentle attempts to understand the patient's request before transferring. She uses varied approaches — asking clarifying questions, offering reassurance, and explaining how she can help.
- Best for: new deployments and practices building confidence with the system
- Reception workload: reduced
- Efficiency: good
- QuantumLoopAI recommends starting here and adjusting upward as your team becomes comfortable
Level 2 — Moderate Encouragement EMMA works harder to capture the patient's request, making approximately 5 varied attempts before transferring.
- Best for: practices that have completed their bedding-in period and want to reduce reception workload further
- Reception workload: lower
- Efficiency: high
Level 3 — Maximum Encouragement EMMA makes approximately 7 varied attempts to understand and capture the patient's request before transferring. She transfers only when a human is genuinely needed, not simply preferred.
- Best for: practices that want to maximise EMMA's efficiency and significantly reduce the volume of calls reaching reception
- Reception workload: lowest
- Efficiency: maximum
- Note: patients who are determined to reach reception will experience a longer conversation before being transferred
At a Glance
| Level | Behaviour | Exchanges Before Transfer | Reception Load | Efficiency |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | Instant transfer | 0 | Highest | Lowest |
| 1 | Gentle encouragement | ~3 | Reduced | Good |
| 2 | Moderate encouragement | ~5 | Lower | High |
| 3 | Maximum encouragement | ~7 | Lowest | Maximum |
Which Level Should We Use?
For new practices, QuantumLoopAI recommends starting at Level 1. Most practices move to Level 2 or 3 within the first few weeks as they see what EMMA can handle and their team grows in confidence.
The right level for your practice depends on:
- Your patient population and how receptive they are to EMMA
- Your team's priorities — if reducing reception call volume is the main goal, a higher level will deliver more
- How long you have been live — newer practices typically benefit from starting lower and adjusting upward
Your level can be changed at any time. Contact your account manager or email support@quantumloopai.com to request an adjustment.
Calls That Always Bypass the Setting
Transfer Sensitivity only affects calls where a patient asks for reception but could reasonably be helped by EMMA. The following call types always transfer immediately to reception regardless of your sensitivity level:
Safety and vulnerability
- VIP or vulnerable patients on your configured list
- Unwell baby under 12 months
- Emergency red flag symptoms (chest pain, stroke signs, severe breathing difficulty, severe bleeding)
- Suicidal ideation or self-harm
- Death registration
- Patients with digital exclusion
Healthcare and professional callers
- Hospitals, pharmacies, district nurses, community teams, health visitors, midwives, paramedics, social workers, mental health teams, the coroner's office, and other professional callers
Returning and reconnecting callers
- Patients responding to a missed call from the surgery
- Patients responding to an SMS from the surgery
- Patients whose call was disconnected and are reconnecting
- Patients chasing a callback that has not arrived
Requests for specific people
- Named doctors, nurses, pharmacists, or staff members
Capacity escalation
- Patients who have been told capacity is full but insist on speaking to someone
- Emergency symptoms detected when daily capacity is already reached
These bypasses cannot be changed by your practice. They are built-in clinical safety and operational safeguards.
How to Change Your Level
Transfer Sensitivity is configured by QuantumLoopAI rather than directly from the dashboard. To request a change:
- Contact your account manager directly, or
- Email support@quantumloopai.com with your surgery name and the level you would like
Changes are typically applied quickly. Your account manager can also advise on which level is likely to work best for your specific practice if you are unsure.
Step-by-Step Instructions
No dashboard steps are required. Transfer Sensitivity is configured on your behalf by QuantumLoopAI. To request a change to your level, contact your account manager or email support@quantumloopai.com.
Troubleshooting
We are seeing too many calls transferred to reception that EMMA should have handled. Your current Transfer Sensitivity Level may be too low for your practice's needs. Consider moving from Level 1 to Level 2 or 3. Contact your account manager to request the change.
Patients are complaining that EMMA asks too many questions before transferring. Your current level may be higher than your patient population is comfortable with. Consider moving down a level. Contact your account manager to discuss.
We changed our level but patient behaviour does not seem to have changed. Level changes take effect immediately on new calls. If the change was recent, give it a few days to see the impact in your call data. Review your dashboard to check transfer rates.
A specific type of call is always being transferred even when we do not want it to be. Check whether the call type falls into the always-bypass list above. If it does, the behaviour cannot be changed by adjusting the sensitivity level — it is a fixed safety feature. If the call type is not in the bypass list and EMMA is still transferring, contact support@quantumloopai.com with an example call time for the team to review.
FAQs
Can we change our Transfer Sensitivity Level ourselves from the dashboard? Not currently. The level is configured by QuantumLoopAI on your behalf. Contact your account manager or email support@quantumloopai.com to request a change. Changes are applied quickly.
What happens if a patient at Level 3 absolutely refuses to engage and just keeps asking for reception? EMMA will always transfer eventually. Once a patient has been through all the sensitivity exchanges and still requests reception, EMMA transfers the call. No patient is ever denied access to reception permanently.
Does a higher sensitivity level affect how EMMA handles emergencies? No. Safety overrides always apply regardless of sensitivity level. Emergency calls, safeguarding concerns, and all other bypass scenarios transfer immediately at every sensitivity level.
Which level do most practices use? Most practices move to Level 2 or Level 3 within the first few weeks of going live. Level 1 is recommended as the starting point for new deployments.