Doctors are human just like everyone else. They simply cannot be available morning, noon, and night. Many physicians try to be available 24/7, remaining on-call after their regular work hours have ended. This is where an answering service for doctors comes into play. Patients can have access to a call center that provides quality service at any time. This is especially helpful for particularly busy doctors’ offices. Answering services ensure that no patient is left on hold or sent to voicemail.
What’s Wrong with Voicemail?
More often than not, a patient calling with a problem wants answers rather than a message service. Many patients will simply hang-up and call again, furthering call congestion. Medical answering services also ask questions about prescription refills, appointments, and billing inquiries. This will lower frustration for patients and staff by keeping things more organized.
Medical Answering Services are Cost-Effective
All medical call centers work on the notion of providing excellent customer service as well as saving their clients money. An answering service will provide a wide array of features such as automated greetings, information on the practice, and message options. These services are vital when your in-house receptionist is busy and prevents doctors from having to hire unnecessary staff.
Outsourcing inbound calls with medical answering services will save, time, space, and money. No need to worry about multiple phone lines, software purchases, and new employees. Call centers are full of trained professionals who already know how to properly use answering service software, allowing them to communicate in real time with patients while relaying information back to the doctors. This also provides a richer customer service experience, guaranteeing return customers, and new patients.
Litigation Protection
A medical answering service can greatly reduce the chances of a malpractice lawsuit. When a patient calls a doctor, their problem may be urgent and in need of immediate attention. Using an answering service for doctors can prevent medical emergencies from turning into a malpractice situation. This works by properly and efficiently sorting phone calls and information. This way each patient is quickly directed to the person that can best help them.
Let’s say a patient with an urgent matter such as a stroke calls your office and is put through to voicemail. If for any reason you do not receive the message and a patient suffers as a result, you can your practice could be held liable for damages. A proper medical calling center guarantees that messages are transferred to the correct physician in an efficient and timely manner.
All calls and messages are saved and organized for seven years. In the event of a lawsuit, a doctor can easily pull all call service files to use as proof in their court case.
HIPAA Protection
Just like in any other medical situation, patient privacy must always be strictly protected. All medical answering services are required to commit to HIPAA guidelines. Taking messages, distributing information, and recording phone calls are all kept safe and confidential. Doctor’s answering services protect patients by distributing information over secure phone lines, email servers, and text message applications. Your call center will have records in place showing that secure software is present at all times, further protecting you from a lawsuit.
A medical answering service is a sure-fire way to cut down on office costs, protect against litigation, provide exemplary customer service, and bring calm to the chaos of running a medical practice. Any doctor can rely on a call center to provide care that is up to their standards. Highly trained professionals can handle the phone, allowing medical staff to better focus on their patients.