The medical field is the most common industry to utilize and get the most from an answering service. People may be surprised to reach a live person when dialing a landscaper or plumber, but people expect the ability to reach a doctor at any time of day or night.
The needs of both doctors and patients must be met in order to run an organized practice. A physician’s answering service provides above and beyond services customized to the practice. Doctors answering service agents should be highly trained to meet the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) privacy requirements. If agents are not HIPAA-trained, practices can face serious legal issues not worth the risk. Choose a doctor answering service with correctly trained personnel to avoid these ramifications. HIPAA privacy requirements also apply to client data received via electronic device. All data must be encrypted whether it is text message, email, or another form of electronic communication to be in compliance with the law.
Doctors answering services offer automated call screening with live agent answering, a recorded message greets the caller with the practice name and office hours. It then explains to hang up and call 911 for a medical emergency or press zero for a doctor. When the caller presses zero they’re routed to a live agent who handles the call. This recorded pre-screening process is part of a physician call service to reduce costs and make sure agents are available to answer urgent calls quickly.
A doctor answering service can also maintain a schedule of on-call doctors for a practice. Answering service agents keep track of schedules as much as the rotation changes so they are aware of which doctor to reach when a patient needs immediate assistance.
Some doctors need different protocol for varying types of calls. A physician answering service offers customized call protocols allowing them to be handled accordingly by call agents. This tailored service can be especially useful for pediatric doctor offices, obstetrician/gynecologist offices, and others. Customized call protocols provide specific guidelines so agents obtain necessary patient information for precise assessment before connecting to the doctor.
A doctors answering service offers optimal patient care and receptionist support that is needed by busy practices. The services are designed with both the patients and doctors needs in mind to capably handle calls in an organized manner. Well-trained agents can relate to patients and keep physicians informed. Selecting a focused physician answering service rather than a general answering service pays off in time, money, and avoiding unnecessary frustration.
If you are missing calls, stretching your staff thin, and not getting the right people answering your phones with the proper training, do not worry! Let Alert Communications handle all of these details so you can get back to focusing on helping your new clients. To get started, fill out our contact form or give us a call at 844-694-6825.
