Less prolific (but no less important) are medical call centers that specialize in sports-related injuries. You hear about all types of injuries athletes suffer and the types of treatment the receive on a regular basis - in fact, no televised sporting event goes by without the announcer spouting off about every tiny little detail of every single injury incurred by one of the players and what the doctors and therapists are doing to repair the damage and speed the athlete’s recovery.
In professional sports, the teams are armed with their own doctors, therapists, masseuses and sometimes even acupuncturists. During a game, the paramedics are standing by to whisk the injured to the closest emergency room to treat any injury as fast as possible. In amateur sports, the kids aren’t so lucky. Also, the fact that most kids want to appear tougher than they actually are, exacerbates the situation. This is when a sports-related call center comes in very useful for the parents of their little linebacker or goaltender.
In case the family does not have full medical coverage, a medical answering service can be a lifesaver. Sometimes the injury incurred by the child is painful, but relatively innocuous and can be treated at home. This can save the parents hundreds or even thousands of dollars in a needless hospital emergency room visit. For instance, a minor concussion can be diagnosed by a professional nurse at a medical call center and the child could be monitored at home by his or her parents.
Sometimes a child will incur a more serious injury, but not want to appear weak to his or her parents. Perhaps a bad cut from a razor-sharp hockey skate or a dislocated knee from a bad collision during an intense soccer game. In cases such as these, it is a good idea to have the child speak with the medical call center operator, since the child may be reluctant to tell their parents the severity of their injury because they don’t want to A) worry their parents and/or B) go to the hospital. Talking to a complete stranger about one’s problems is usually easier because you don’t care about them, they don’t know you, you’ll never have to meet them and you feel free to say whatever comes immediately to mind.
If the injury is indeed serious, the nurse will advise the kid to tell his or her parents to either get them to the emergency room or just ice it.
The operators of medical call centers are trained to keep the caller calm, be reassuring and not be reactionary. If they don’t know the answer to a query, they will pass the call along to a colleague at the same answering service who can answer your questions accurately.
With the rising cost of healthcare, many individuals are not seeking direct, one-on-one emergency room service, they are looking to the Internet and live physician answering service companies for feedback on their symptoms.
Check with your health insurance provider for services. Chances are very good that they have live, friendly and helpful individuals who can answer your medical questions.
Alternatively, the Internet is an excellent and very expedient way to locate a physician or a healthcare professional who can answer your questions. Often times, email or chat contact may be preferred depending on the nature of the query, but one has to remember that the people on call are professionals - not physicians - but Registered Nurses and operators who have only your best interests in mind. The person you speak to will have undergone rigorous training in not only medical terminology, but also how to keep calm and how to handle urgent calls from both patients and medical staff. They are also trained to react with speed and precision, dispatching urgent messages quickly and accurately. They are trained to evaluate a wide range of conditions are will either alive fears or recommend that you call your physician. However, if your call is a genuine emergency, they will advise you to call 911.
For non-emergency problems, most physician answering services offer an individual the options of either leaving a detailed voice message or send an email with their symptoms. Responses tend to take no longer than 24 hours, depending on the problem.
For legitimately serious cases, it is generally best to either leave a message for a specific doctor or express to the medical answering service operator that you would like a physician who specializes in your condition to contact you directly at their earliest possible convenience. Any serious conditions should be addressed directly by a physician.
There are many considerations that are to be made when considering a physician answering service. It would be helpful to pinpoint and elucidate the three most important factors to consider when choosing and shopping for a medical answering service.
The first factor is price. Not simply the price however. The entire quoted package must be taken into consideration. What is covered? What’s the duration of the contract? How long is the pricing in effect. What are the details? And another thing to be certain of r3egarding the cost is the call volume. How many calls do you estimate will be made in a given month? Examine past phone records to get an idea on the call volume expected. Try to gage this call volume correctly. It will save headaches in the long run. Another thing to watch out for is the pricing model. Is it per call or per minute? In general most clients consider a per call cost model easier to monitor. Your medical practice may be different. Pick the pricing model that will be easiest for your practice to track and monitor. Don’t underestimate the call time either. That’s a common mistake that get’s made.
A second area of consideration when choosing a physician answering service is the service itself, namely the people answering the calls. This may be a tough thing to gage. It may be possible to call the service as a patient if you are up for engaging in a bit of detective work. This type of research may be worth it. You really do want to have a good feeling of the service philosophy and techniques of the medical answering service you are considering. Of course you can simply evaluate the service provided by the sales representatives you talk to when doing your questioning. Anyone you talk to, sales rep, account manager, etc really is representing the answering service and no doubt is a good indicator of the type of service your patients will receive.
Another major consideration when choosing you doctor answering service is the capability of the service. How up to date is the service. How up to date is the technology? Is call answering automated? Will patients be expected to navigate through an endless series of “press 1 to do this, press 2 for that” directions? Patients in need will likely be quite annoyed by this. This is something to consider. Is the service integrated with the internet? Can patients send emails? Are only calls allowed. Are doctors expected to answer emails? Can the service handle most of the emails? Is a web enabled answering service something your practice is set up to handle and take advantage of? Is you patient base able to take advantage of a fully modernized physicians answering service?
Finding and choosing the right answering service for your medical facility is a major decision. With so many considerations that are in the table it may be confusing at times. Focusing on these three major areas may help you focus and find the right medical answering service that fits your practice and style.
Will the medical answering service industry move online? Surveys conducted indicate that 95 percent of medical patients would like to communicate via email with their physicians. However, a much smaller percentage of doctors feel likewise. Doctors are reluctant communicate via email with their patients. Obviously many patients hope physicians will take advantage of web technology to facilitate patient communications, but physicians may still be slow to adopt these new methods. As the internet grows and becomes more ubiquitous, this trend will only continue. People are accustomed to using the Internet for customer service etc. They track package shipments, pay bills, order merchandise, and do numerous other tasks without the participation of a customer service representative on the telephone. More than ninety percent of individuals with Internet access would rather communicate with their physician by email but, only 15 percent of physicians would prefer email. Medical answering services may be slow to adapt to new technologies but many call centers have been reclassified as “contact centers” as they utilize new communication technologies.
A number of organizations are now providing email communication availability to doctors and medical professionals. Understanding the growth and accessibility of this technology is imperative for the survival of any industry. These updated providers will undeniably grow and this movement has the potential to devastate the medical answering service industry as it exists today.
These new generation companies are well structured and well financed. Many of them even have the support of pharmaceutical industry and immense electronic medical records suppliers. One such company is Medem. They are even endorsed by the American Medical Association. For those providing medical answering services, this certainly must be of great concern.
Admittedly, these new type of “medical contact centers” have the noteworthy advantages of quick access and financial resources but many don’t wholly recognize the operational dynamics of the health care call center industry and players: the patients, and the medical practices. Many companies actually aim to charge the patients to use their services! It seems ridiculous to expect patients to move to a paid model just for the luxury of using email. They would almost certainly just place a phone call instead. Unless medical answering services became so inept and hold times so outrageous. In the U.S. we have what many deem is the top health care system on the planet, but access can be tough. These modern players are addressing patient access and attacking existing doctor answering services head on.
Most of these companies are reliant on the physician to be the main contact point for the patient. So if the patient’s call results in a doctor requiring an office visit of the patient, the physician ends up asking the patient to call the staff to schedule an appointment. The physician becomes a de facto secretary in a sense for the actual secretary or assistant. Obviously having physicians answer phones is not an option, yet these newer companies feel medical professionals will want to respond to all email messages.
However, there are some workable web-based self-service models. These are currently outside of the medical field. Some package delivery firms have successfully offered clients an easy to use arrangement. Customers can supplant live phone in customer service with internet based service. This process saves many millions of dollars yearly in reduced labor costs. In order for medical telephone answering companies to survive and hopefully thrive in the age of managed care and world wide web, they must adopt successful modern online strategies and take advantage of their industry experience before they are left behind.
Selecting the right physician answering service is one of the most significant decisions that you can make for your practice. Many doctors are clueless when trying to find an answering service. Having a basic understanding of the physician answering service process and relying on a knowledgeable answering service sales agent can aid medical practices in choosing an answering service to meet the needs of the practice and patients and stay within a budget.
Here are a few concepts that you should understand when reviewing service options:
Estimating the amount of calls you expect to receive per week or month is a great way to start understanding the type of service contract you need. Because of personnel issues and system resources in the answering service industry, the total number of calls your account will produce is required information when setting the price for your account. The best way to establish your call volume is to examine past phone records and estimate new business growth. If you have a new medical practice and are not sure of the volume of calls, estimate your amount based upon planned advertising and expected referrals. An sales rep at an physician answering center should be able to assist you in planning your call volume.
When reviewing pricing quotes from medical answering services, you may notice estimates with a per min cost or a per call charge. Many people prefer a per call alternative because it’s easier to monitor. Many phone answer centers use a per minute base because companies that are new to the answering service industry will underestimate the time it can take to complete a patient call. Certainly not all callers are able to quickly describe a problem or concern, and sometimes calls become more involved and drawn out. Some patients just like to chatter. Calls could take up to three times the estimated amount of time you consider, on average.
Since an answering service will become a vital part of your medical practice and often a memorable face for your patients, the answering service sales representative should be someone you want representing your actual practice. It is recommended that you find an answering service that fits your personal style and expectations. Don’t try to fit in with what the service lays out for you. Find a proper fit. You patients don’t know a service is an outside third party or an outsourced service, they will equate the answering service with your practice. When choosing a physicians answering service, find out from the representative who the account manager is that will be managing your account. Your service should present an account manager that can answer the concerns and implementation issues you or your people might encounter. You should pick the proper answering service that will provide an account representative that will be intimate with you specialty if any and responsive to you patient base.
Most likely your patients will prefer a live voice to a recorded message. A live person is always more pricey than using a recording and voicemail boxes or combining automated functions with real person. To lessen costs, ask the sales person at how automated answering services can save you some money on per call pricing. They should have familiarity with setting up a range of applications and ought to be capable of automating your account and still creating a professional system that meets the requirements of your practice.
With the medical answering service industry moving toward the most modern digital technologies, make certain your answering service digitally records all phone conversations. You will be able to better address patient issues, complaints and possible lawsuits if your answering service can provide recordings of any calls in question and email sounds files to you immediately. A recording of a call is the ideal way to conclude any dispute with a patient or with the service itself.
Another thing to consider is a second line of defense so to speak. Because unforeseen circumstances may interrupt service, a physician’s answering services should have some kind of backup plan in place. Uninterrupted power supplies (UPS systems) and backup operators should be waiting in the wings to ensure that your patients’ issues will always be addressed.
Many doctors want to find the lowest priced medical answering service. Remember that you are shopping for a service that will interact directly with your patients and provide a first impression to your medical practice. This is probably not something to be overly frugal with. If on particular answering service considerably undercuts quotes from another service, a red flag should go up. Prices should not vary so greatly between quotes. Expect a quality of service that matches the price paid. Don’t let cost be the only determining factor. Consider the customer service you receive when exploring answering services. Also consider how long the answering service has been in business. Thirdly, look at the caliber of clients that the physician answering service represents. And fourth, verify that the service is up to date on technology.
Shopping for and deciding on a physician answering service can be a trying experience. It’s more than just finding someone to answer customers. Since the answering service industry is unknown to many doctors and medical professionals, the sales representatives at answering services are used to answering a range of questions from potential clients. This is a time when you should not be afraid to ask. Make sure that you ask all pressing questions that you may have, even non-pressing ones too. If you’re curious, ask. And do not hesitate to ask them to explain whatever minutia you don’t fully understand. With the right information at your disposal and a diligent effort on your part, you should be able to find a physician answering service that you are comfortable to have representing your medical practice.
The medical answering service industry has some serious issues with perception. Typically with services there is a perceived value of course. Be it a maid service or auto service etc. Historically doctors’ considered medical answering services in that category of value added as well. That perception may be at issue. Managed health care, is no longer a one to one relationship between physician and patient. It is now a more expansive relationship including physician, patient, and third-party; this in turn has caused medical answering services to be perceived as more of simple cost rather than a service with important value.
Physicians answering services have been providing overnight telephone support for physicians for many years. In the past, patients and their doctors had a relationship that lasted throughout their lives. The majority of physicians were sole proprietors in a private practice. So when a patient phoned a physician after normal office hours, the doctor naturally had great insight into the patient’s condition and medical history. Doctor and patient were a sort of team that stuck together through the years. The cost paid to the medical answer service the physician was considered part of the overall cost of maintaining good relationship with patients. In this classic scenario, the patient and the doctor both benefited in a sense from the after-hours call. The patient in question received around the clock care as expected and the physician knew the patient would be a loyal customer as they were provided a great service.
Now with the rise of managed care, the doctor patient relationship has changed as has the landscape of medical practice in the US. Managed care networks have had a great influence on this doctor patient relationship. The relationship is now more with the managed care provider and patient. Now patient care is greatly under the influence of the insurers and employers and less influenced by doctors themselves.
Managed Care Organizations, HMOs, etc. began applying pressure on financial aspects of health care and influenced reimbursements for physicians. The doctor-patient relationship strained as a result. Patients began to complain about the limited amount of time spent with them in the office. Physicians now were less likely to be available after hours. And doctors began to complain that they couldn’t treat the individual appropriately due to insurance and care provider influence. After hours service now became the benefit of only patients and the answering service itself.
Since physicians still need to retain all around coverage, physicians still must pay for an answering service. Answering services for physicians are considered more a necessity now. When patients make an after-hours call to an answering service, the physician may be contacted by the service. If so, the doctor and the patient talk over the problem at hand and devise a strategy. Although there hard work, and effort from of the call center staff, the only thing the physician thinks of today is a bill from the call center at the end of the month.
As managed care emerged, the single proprietorship type of medical practice began to disappear. Group practices began to take hold. This was a benefit to doctors on some level as they a team to work with and hence less pressure and better quality of life to a degree. But now the result is an era of physician as employee. This strained the doctor patient relationship further as patients lost control over which doctor in the group would tend to their daytime and after-hours needs.
This scenario also created confusion and problems for the medical answering services involved. Due to a lack of understanding or simple human error often the wrong doctor could be called or worse yet no physician at all is called for urgent matters. Clearly industry experts agree that mistakes like this are the most serious problems for physicians using medical answering today.
A medical answering service is a business that handles and services a doctor’s or medical facility’s telephone calls and conveys messages to the clients and patients. A dedicated medical answering service is capable of performing these tasks and more. A quality medical answering service provides expert inbound call center services, professional quality outbound call center functionality, performs appointment and schedule maintenance, patient assistance, and answering services. The staff must be professional and well trained in advanced call center equipment and able help provide the best answering service experience.
The success of a medical answering service depends on the success of their clients. The doctors utilizing the service must thrive for the service to thrive, so the service has a vested interest in the success to the medical practice they are serving. As the physician’s practice grows, so does the physician answering service. Many services will be available part time, full time, or whenever you need them really. Many doctors need a messaging service, live answering service, outbound call center services, or inbound call center services. The chosen messaging service must fit the needs of the practice they are serving. The service is an extension of the practice it is serving. For these reasons, the choice of a medical answering service is a vital one.