How Medical Answering Services Work
The healthcare industry is one of the most stressful and demanding industries in the world. Providing quality care to patients often requires around-the-clock attention, which can be difficult for small medical practices to maintain. Between managing appointments, dealing with insurance companies, and providing emergency care, it’s easy to see how things can quickly become overwhelming.
This is where a medical answering service can be a valuable asset for your practice. Healthcare answering services can help medical professionals manage their time more effectively and provide better care for their patients. Here’s a look at how medical answering services work and how they can benefit your practice.
What is a Medical Answering Service?
Medical answering services are third-party call centers that handle patient calls on behalf of a healthcare practice. When a patient calls your office, they will be routed to the telephone answering service where they will speak with a live virtual receptionist. The virtual receptionist will then take a message or forward the call to a designated staff member based on your predetermined criteria.
In many cases, medical answering services can also provide basic information about your practice, such as office hours and directions. They can also help schedule appointments and handle other administrative tasks – all while providing a professional and courteous experience for your patients.
Benefits of Using a Medical Answering Service
Any type of medical practice – from a small family clinic to a large hospital – can benefit from using a professional physician answering service. Here are some of the key benefits of hiring a third-party call center to handle your patient calls:
Appointment Scheduling
If you have your own practice, employing a detail-oriented appointment setter is of utmost importance. These services provide an appointment scheduler who will access your calendar and schedule all appointments. They can usually verify a caller’s insurance, process credit cards for payment, and send appointment reminders to both the caller and the doctor.
Better Time Management
By outsourcing your phone calls to a physician answering service, you and your staff will have more time to focus on providing quality patient care. Answering inbound calls can be time-consuming, especially if you are constantly being interrupted by them. With a professional answering service in place, you can take calls when it’s convenient for you and avoid being pulled away from important tasks.
Instead of being bound to your desk answering calls, you can take the time you need to see patients, review test results, and complete other important tasks. This will help improve your practice’s overall efficiency and productivity.
Improved Patient Satisfaction
One of the most important aspects of running a successful medical practice is providing excellent patient care. When patients have to wait on hold or leave messages that are never returned, it’s easy for them to become frustrated. This can lead to poor patient satisfaction and even result in patients taking their business elsewhere.
By using a medical answering service, you can ensure that every patient call is answered promptly and courteously. This will help create a positive impression of your practice and build long-term relationships with your patients.
24/7/365 Support
Medical answering services can provide your practice with 24/7 support, even on holidays and weekends. Answering after-hours calls can be a challenge, especially if you have limited manpower and resources. By outsourcing your medical answering needs, you’ll be able to provide exceptional patient care even outside of regular office hours.
This is especially beneficial for patients who require urgent care or have questions that can’t wait until the next business day. With a medical answering service in place, you’ll be able to provide reliable round-the-clock support for your patients.
Secure Communication
A HIPAA-compliant answering service like AnswerHero will protect your patient data and maintain the confidentiality of all your calls. This is important not only for compliance purposes but also for protecting your patients’ privacy – something that is of the utmost importance in the healthcare industry.
In addition, our secure communication platform and call reporting features will give you peace of mind knowing that your calls are being handled properly. We also have a secure online portal, where you can access your messages and call logs – anytime and anywhere you want.
Trust AnswerHero for Your Medical Answering Needs
If you’re looking for a reliable, affordable, and HIPAA-compliant medical answering service, look no further than AnswerHero. We offer 24/7/365 support, live call transfer, appointment scheduling, lead capturing, and so much more. Our goal is to become a true extension of your practice – delivering the same high level of care and customer service that your patients have come to expect from you. Contact us today at (888) 974-2567 to learn more about our services or view our pricing plans that fit your budget.
