Unfortunately, a medical emergency can happen at any given point in the day or night; such catastrophes have no regard for office hours or your plans. As a medical practitioner, you’re aware that emergencies wait for no one. If someone needs help in the middle of the night, they cannot always wait until your office opens to give you a call and schedule an appointment.
You want to be available for your patients 24/7, but you also, obviously, want your staff to be able to rest between shifts. This is where a medical answering service can step in and help you out.
There are five ways that a medical office answering service can lend a helping hand for your practice.
When searching for an answering service that best suits your medical office, 24/7 availability is bound to be a rather important factor to consider. A 24/7 medical answering service is ideal because it allows you and your staff to rest assured knowing that your patients will still be scheduled for appointments and listened to, whether you are in the office at that moment or not. That being said, no calls would be missed, no business would be lost, and no patient would be left unheard.
It's vital that your medical answering service's agents are trained according to the standards of your practice; if they're not, there's a limit to how much they can help your caller. Having registered-nurse trained operators answering your calls will always result in better care for your patients and greater patient satisfaction.
When discussing scripting with your answering service, make sure you ask about personalization options. The ability to personalize your script can give your callers a sense of familiarity. Additionally, it can provide you with a way to ensure that all of your calls are being answered the way that you want them to be answered.
Looking for a medical answering script to get started? Download one here.
A medical answering service that picks up the phone with concern and compassion for your callers is crucial, as your callers are reaching out to you during a time of distress. If your medical answering service lacks either of these positive characteristics, it is not only bad for business, but it is upsetting for the caller involved. No one should feel like their call for help is a chore for someone, especially not on a call to your practice. This is why having a medical answering service that makes it a point to display concern and compassion should be a top priority.
HIPAA laws were put in place to ensure the protection of your patients' health information, so it’s important for them (and for the continuation of your business) that your answering service operates in a way that is aligned with HIPAA protocols.
Is your medical answering service training their agents to understand these protocols and apply them to all of their phone calls? An answering service that can provide certified HIPAA compliance with each of their calls is an answering service that you can trust. Make sure to ask if they are up-to-date on their knowledge of these important protocols. This way, both your office and your patients stay protected.
Using an answering service is a great way to ensure that all of your calls are being answered, even in the middle of the night. When you partner with the right medical answering service, it can be a substantial benefit for your practice, not only because your calls are being answered, but also because patient satisfaction is certain to soar. Consider partnering with an answering service that understands your pains and can give you the cure for your call-answering concerns!
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