8 Reasons to Hire a Medical Answering Service for Your Office

If you need a more professional phone greeting or customer service line for your office, consider hiring a medical answering service. We point out some of the best reasons to hire these services and increase your client’s experiences.

Is your office overwhelmed with phone calls? Can your staff answer the influx of calls while addressing the needs of patients in your office?

You want your medical office to run as smoothly as possible. Your patient’s experience is the most important factor in your success.

If you aren’t using a medical phone service yet, you need to consider it. There are tons of reasons it’ll improve your practice and your clients’ experiences.

Keep reading to find out the top 8 reasons why you need a medical answering service.

1. Medical Answering Services Save You Money

You might be considering hiring an extra office employee to help with the workload. One more person answering the phones could make a huge difference.

While this is true, you don’t need to spend money on a full-time employee.

A medical answering service doesn’t need paid vacations, medical benefits, or paid sick days. Employees are expensive, especially if you have many locations.

Pay upfront for the service, and that’s it.

An answering service can handle the overflow calls from all your locations. Meaning you don’t have to hire an employee to split their time between offices or hire many new receptionists. One answering service for all your needs.

2. Better Client Experience

Many medical answering services are available 24/7. Your customers can call in to book an appointment whenever they want. No more waiting on hold for 15 minutes; your patients can book right away.

Having a service that answers the phone at all hours reduces the workload for your daytime staff. Meaning, they can pay more attention to the clients in front of them. Your staff will be more relaxed, have more time, and provide better customer service.

Happy patients will remain loyal to your practice. And, they’ll recommend you to their friends and family. It’s crucial you do whatever you can to improve their experience, first by hiring a 24/7 answering service.

3. An Answering Service Reduces Hold Times

When you hire a medical answering service, you can give them the exact scripts you want them to follow. You train them on your office’s practices and procedures.

Clients who call into the service will be greeted by someone who knows exactly how to help them. They may be calling to book an appointment, inquire about a health issue, or get clarification on their medication. Questions are always answered accurately.

Qualified medical phone companies answer questions on many medical topics. They also have access to your client’s medical records.

4. Medical Call Centers Are HIPAA Certified

Since the answering service will have access to health records, you need to be able to trust them.

Only hire a service that is HIPAA-compliant. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) protects patient information and records. Any violation of this act could cause serious consequences for your practice.

If your answering service is HIPAA-compliant, you don’t have to worry about violating this act. Double check their compliance with the act and their rules for ethics.

5. Increase Physician’s Personal Time

There’s no question that medical practitioners work hard. The hours are long, and the work is stressful. Doctors have tremendous pressure put on them to make the right decisions for their patients.

That’s why it’s so important for doctors to take vacations and have relaxing time away from the office.

Hiring an answering service for your practice allows doctors to go home and not worry about work. They don’t have to anticipate the voice messages to deal with tomorrow. They can trust that their patient’s inquiries are in good hands.

6. Virtual Receptionists Increase Profits For Medical Practices

Patients can have medical concerns any time of the day or night. If your office isn’t able to address their concerns, they might take their problem to a walk-in clinic or the hospital. That means your business is missing out on the profit that comes from treating them.

An answering service can provide patients with medical guidance over the phone. They can assess if the patient needs to go to the emergency room or book an appointment for the next day.

And, with your employees having more time to focus on work you’ll make more money. They can focus on recommending the right services and garnering new patients.

7. Assist in Emergencies

If your office is in an area where natural disasters strike, having an answering service is crucial.

Power outages, floods, earthquakes, and hurricanes can cause your office to be unable to open its doors. If you aren’t prepared for these situations, your patients get abandoned in times of emergency.

A medical answering service has its lines open 24/7. You can update the service on your office’s condition, and they will inform any patients who call in.

If your patients need medical guidance after a natural disaster, the answering service can help. It’s comprised of qualified medical practitioners with access to your patient’s records. So, they’ll be able to assist them remotely.

8. Meet Government Requirements

Clients with Medicare and other types of insurance need specialized information. Your office needs to know which forms to fill out and which documents to collect.

Luckily, the answering service can save time by answering calls around these topics. They’re trained in meeting governmental guidelines for accepting insurance. They can also enroll new patients with varying insurance companies over the phone.

Your practice will meet legal requirements. And, keep your patients happy with the help of an answering service.

Interested in Hiring a Medical Answering Service?

It’s time to step up the productivity of your office and improve patient satisfaction. The number one way to do this is by hiring a medical answering service.

Not only will your regular staff have more time to help patients, but you’ll cut costs and increase profits. You may even be able to take a vacation this year. It’s a win-win for everyone involved.

To learn more about why an answering service is right for your practice and how to hire one, check out our blog.

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