| In today's economy, businesses are looking for ways | | | | answering-service agents to direct the patient to go to |
| to cut costs without losing customers to their | | | | the emergency room or to immediately contact the |
| competition. There's plenty of competition in every | | | | doctor. |
| sector, including the medical field. But as a doctor, | | | | Cardio, Gastro and Internal Medicine Specialists |
| you're not only concerned about losing a patient to | | | | Cardiologists, gastroenterologists and internal medicine |
| another practice but about making sure a | | | | specialists also need call protocols in place for |
| life-threatening call from a patient is handled properly. | | | | answering-service agents to follow, without question. |
| So is our answering-service is a practical way to cut | | | | The calls the agents take have already been |
| costs? It is if the answering-service helpful for doctors | | | | prescreened, so these patients feel they have an |
| you choose is knowledgeable about the different | | | | emergency. The protocols allow agents to get the |
| needs among medical specialists. | | | | necessary information so the doctor can quickly and |
| Most service provider offer an operator reverts | | | | accurately evaluate each message. In these practices, |
| greeting to screen calls first. When a patient calls, a | | | | it's often helpful for doctors to have VIP lists to help |
| recorded message announces the practice name and | | | | agents immediately know how to handle calls from |
| the office hours. It tells the caller to hang up and dial 911 | | | | specific patients. |
| if this is a medical emergency, or to press zero to | | | | Clinical Psychologist Specialists |
| speak with the doctor. If the call comes through after | | | | Clinical psychologists also can use this kind of |
| hours or on the weekend, the recorded message | | | | answering-services to prescreen calls. Unless callers |
| suggests calling back during regular business hours for | | | | are suicidal, messages are relayed to the doctor to |
| non-urgent matters. As part of the service, this | | | | determine if a call back is necessary. Special |
| pre-screening means only the necessary calls go | | | | instructions regarding specific patients or situations can |
| through to the service receptionist, reducing call costs. | | | | also be included as part of call protocols. |
| This type of doctor answering-service pre-screening | | | | Another service to check into when looking at medical |
| can be used by all doctors in every specialty area. | | | | answering-services is appointment scheduling. Some |
| The differentiating factor is whether or not you can | | | | services offer this option, which can save physicians |
| create detailed call protocols for the medical | | | | time and money by routing calls to the doctors |
| answering-service to follow when the calls come | | | | answering-service. Using the practice's scheduling |
| through to an agent and how responsibly those | | | | software, the agents can schedule and confirm |
| protocols are handled by the answering-service | | | | appointments, freeing office staff to do other things. |
| agents. | | | | HIPAA-trained Agents |
| Family Practice Specialists | | | | In addition to providing operator revert greetings and |
| In a family practice, many doctors use the recorded | | | | offering call protocols, the best answering-services |
| operator revert greeting to allow the patient to decide | | | | have agents with Health Insurance Portability and |
| whether it is an emergency. If the call goes through to | | | | Accountability Act (HIPAA) training. There are legal |
| a agent providing doctors answering-service, she will | | | | ramifications to consider if you choose a doctor's |
| reconfirms this is an emergency, gets the necessary | | | | answering-service without HIPAA-trained personnel, so |
| information from the patient and pages or texts the | | | | it's worth the additional time to ask questions about |
| doctor on call. | | | | whether or not the agents have HIPAA training. |
| Pediatricians | | | | Remember, too, that HIPAA laws also require that any |
| Pediatricians have high call-volumes and often need to | | | | patient information being sent to an electronic device |
| know the age of the child and more specifics about | | | | be encrypted. This includes receiving text messages |
| symptoms. This requires arranging different call | | | | from a physicians answering service. A specialized |
| protocols with the doctor's answering-service so | | | | doctor's answering-service has the necessary |
| agents get the information the doctor needs. Calls also | | | | technology and software to protect physicians from |
| come in from hospitals about newborns, so a VIP | | | | HIPAA violations. |
| patient list is something to ask about including in the | | | | It's a very realistic goal for medical practitioners to cut |
| medical answering-service call protocols. | | | | costs by choosing a doctor's answering service to |
| Ob/Gyn Specialists | | | | handle calls and schedule appointments throughout the |
| Very specific instructions often must be followed | | | | day and take care of after-hours calls. The key to |
| when it comes to obstetrics and gynocology. | | | | success is choosing a service that offers the right |
| Depending on how far along in a pregnancy a patient | | | | call-handling options for the practice as well as |
| is, certain conditions will require doctor's | | | | HIPAA-trained agents to answer those calls. |