It is now common knowledge that patients can be cared for at any hour of the day in this fast-paced environment. It is understandable that both physicians and staff may not be accessible around the clock, but the existence of after-hour call centers ensures that patients do not wait too long for any call to be answered. Of course this brings us to the question, which after-hour call center do you choose? There are a few suggestions below that would ease the decision making process.
Check if their Staff has Experience in the Clinical Field
Fulfilling clients’ requirements is vital to any business’s success. This is also one of the key points when selecting an after hours medical answering service provider. Deciding on a call center service can no longer be seen as a basic undertaking, and it is one of the major points to be noted when deciding on call centers for medical purposes.
You need to evaluate the level of instruction given to their operators. Do the operators have the potential to handle difficult issues such as triaging calls poorly? Would the staff be able to identify if there is a routine query or a medical situation? Someone has to be able to talk to a patient and figure out what the need is so that they can efficiently transfer the call. You will also rest in knowing that the service is HIPAA compliant. Therefore, the patient information will be safe and confidential.
The availability and the Coverage Should be Taken into Consideration
One of the core purposes that many use the after hours medical answering services is to cater to the patients not only in office hours. But you have to be careful to check that the service you want to provide can provide uninterrupted services 24/7 be it the weekends or holidays and peak times.
Also, the level of patience should be within you because call centers are designed to cater to a lot of calls, and you should not lower your quality when you have a lot of calls to take. At times, some of the providers do not have the ability to cater to the large volumes of calls, which results in low percentages of answered calls or high times of response; there are a number of ways you should check if this is indeed the case to verify these providers.
Evaluate Technology and Integration Capabilities
Technology is of great significance when evaluating an after-hours telephone service. Consider the possibility of integrating such services with the systems available in the organization, such as the EHR and the patient management system. This enables the appropriate staff to have easy and timely access to critical patient facts when going through call logs.
In this regard, also ask what call management technologies they have. Do clients’ provider’s record calls automatically to control quality assurance? Can they notify, by messages or emails, what urgent calls are received? The advantage of having a service that is up-to-date in technology is that it enhances communication and subsequently reduces the chances of confusion and mistakes.
Assess Charges
Always if there are services that are outsourced, cost is of concern however its proper to ensure value for money. There are various prices offered by other after-hour’s medical answering services, for instance there are either per minute, per call or flat rates.
Prior to acceptability, examine the volume of calls likely to be received within your practice and the number of services you will likely need. For example, flat rates may best suit practices with high call volumes. Conversely, per-call structures may suit smaller practices where the volumes are low.
However, care should be taken to avoid additional costs for extra activities like call transfer, advanced messages, or, more importantly, Spanish language-speaking support. There is no need to spend on extra packages unless it has been made clear what the client will receive and if there will be any extra fees.
Assess Reviews and Service Past Performance
Lastly, the standing of the answering service will be investigated. Attempting to contact other healthcare providers or companies, especially those offering similar specialties, may help. What level of satisfaction do they have regarding the professionalism, reliability, or customer support of this service? A good company would also be able to furnish these references when requested.
Interaction with other healthcare personnel who have benefitted from the services can help gauge the practicality of the provider around its worthiness. Stay away from any services that appear to have a consistent record of unprofessional behavior, failure to answer calls in a timely manner, or security breaches.
Conclusions
It is upon practitioners to seek the best after-hour medical answering services, as the competitive market will know the influence it poses on patient care and services given. Through the attributes of the service, which are healthcare experts, availability, technology, flexibility of needs, history, and pricing, patients can be sure there is no mismatch between the services and the practice goals. When considering providers, be cautious and bear in mind that the appropriate answering service would help preserve the highest standard of quality of service regardless of the fact that the practice is closed.