Medical providers know that the more high-quality services they can provide, the more attractive their practice is to prospective patients. An after-hours answering service, while not a medical procedure or treatment, is a convenient addition when it comes to attracting patients and keeping your practice running smoothly.
What is an After-Hours Answering Service?
An
after-hours answering service is a call answering service that helps make sure every call made to your practice after business hours is answered by a real person. People who attend to these after-hours calls can take messages, schedule appointments, and connect callers to the doctors on-call. Some after-hours answering services even offer mobile apps that allow users to decide if they would like to be contacted by phone, text, or email. Certain healthcare specific after-hours answering services are staffed by trained nurses who can answer patients’ general medical questions and offer treatment advice. In general, after-hours answering services provide huge benefits to doctors and patients alike.
Peace of Mind
No one plans on getting a flat tire, just like no one plans on having a medical emergency. Just like it’s nice to know that there’s a spare tire in the trunk if it’s needed, patients like to know that they can connect with their healthcare providers if needed. An after-hours answering service can be the thing that separates one practice from another in a prospective patient’s eyes. Even if a patient never makes use of the service, knowing that they have the option can make all the difference when deciding between two practices.
Office Efficiency
In the busy world of healthcare, having time to relax and disconnect from work is important to doctors’ wellbeing. An after-hours answering service can be the difference between an office that runs smoothly and an office that provides a lackluster customer service experience. If you have several providers on staff, an after-hours answering service can be used to set up an office wide on-call system. Doctors can relax knowing that their free time is truly free. Even doctors who are on-call can be sure they won’t be paged for routine questions. An answering service will screen calls, answer questions, and page the doctor on-call if the patient requires immediate medical attention.
After-hours answering services that employ certified nurses can even diagnose symptoms and offer treatment suggestions, meaning your patients don’t have to wait until business hours to receive care. For those patients who can wait to be seen until regular business hours, answering services can schedule appointments. You can be confident that when you step into the office in the morning your day will be set — no early morning scrambling to return calls or schedule or reschedule appointments. With an after-hours answering service, calls are streamlined to ensure business hours run smoothly.
HIPPA Compliant
It can be uncomfortable for patients to leave a message detailing private medical information over a voicemail. By using an after-hours answering service, your patients can be secure in the knowledge that their medical history is safe and secure. Patients can choose between several different security options, such as facial recognition or pin verification to ensure only they have access to call logs and messages from their doctor. After-hours answering services follow HIPPA regulations so medical providers and patients can be sure that private information remains confidential.
It’s a Real Person
Medical professionals know how important the doctor-patient relationship is to providing quality care. Patients want to feel as if their doctor truly cares for their wellbeing, and using an automated answering machine after-hours sends the opposite message. An after-hours answering service staffed by real people provides the human touch your patients deserve. You can also provide after-hours answering services with office-specific policies and procedures, so patients who call can receive familiar care that rises to your office’s standards. You can be confident that your patients are receiving the same level of attention you’d provide in person.
For doctors who pride themselves on professional, personalized care, an
after-hours answering service is vital proof for patients that their health is a priority.