A doctor, dentist, or medical facility can improve customer care by hiring a reliable medical answering service. Doctors, dentists and medical personnel don't work 24 h ours a day. When patients call it’s important to have someone that handles the patient with tact, concern, and respect for their privacy. A good medical answering service must be HIPPA compliant. This means they must follow federal regulations that protect medical information of patients when they handle calls for your business, medical facility, or practice.
Staff member of a medical answering service should be trained in the HIPPA regulations and how to handle patients. Often answering services are used for after hours and weekends when doctors, dentists, and other staff are not available. Sometimes a medical answering service can help during the day when a practice is too busy to take all the calls. A good quality answering service helps your business provide excellent customer care.
Another advantage of an answering service is that the patient talks to a real person. Many people hang up when they get an answering machine or recorded message. They do not want to leave a message and wait for a call back. When the patient talks to a real person, they have more confidence that the doctor will get back to them. Routine calls like renewing medications, calling for test results, or setting up an appointment are better when handled by a real person. This is the advantage of using a medical answering service.
When emergencies arise messages will be texted or relayed to the staff person on duty. The doctor of staff member off duty should not be contacted . An answering service can streamline and organize the calls of your medical practice providing good customer care. Staff members with the service should be kind and pleasant to patients. They should be able to handle pressure and emergencies well. When patients deal with a good answering service this builds confidence in the doctor, dentist, or medical facility.
Look for a medical answering service that provides customers with different way to get information. One that lets patients talk to a live person and also has online chat options for those comfortable with the Internet. Some patients prefer the computer to the phone line. Offer bilingual services because often your business has customers that speak another language. The most common language is Spanish and having an answering service that caters to these customers increases the quality of customer care.
A missed call can hurt your patients and the business you run. That is why a good medical answering service is important. Patients often want the request or problem answered immediately that is why a real person helps or someone online that can assist quickly. An answering service relives other staff member of extra duties so they can focus on the patients and their care. It hard for a nurse to answer the phone and take blood samples or vital signs.
An answering service today often takes messages, calls the doctor to discuss emergencies, and even schedule appointments. They train employees to handle calls and patients professionally. They resolve problems efficiently. Patients want to know that the the doctor is available to help so hiring a medical answering service improves your customer service.
Adam B. Fleming is a professional medical consultant and works with the National Health Services.
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