If you are a doctor or someone running a healthcare business, you need some kind of medical telephone answering service. Even though people are there during normal business hours, problems like emergencies usually occur after hours, on weekends, and holidays. Maybe your current service leaves much to be desired and you are thinking about making a change. What kind of answering service should you choose and why? Here is information to get you started.
Automated or Live?
In today’s fast paced world, automation is taking over. Plus, it is far more accurate thanks to some of the latest in communications technology. Here are more reasons to choose an automated medical telephone answering service:
- Cost – it is much cheaper to operate an automated service than to pay workers to run it.
- Secure – a top automated answering service is very secure, especially when you remove the “human factor”.
- Error free – a computerized system always goes by the program, and there are no mistakes. As long as the system is functioning properly, you will receive flawless services.
Customer Service
Before you agree to a new medical telephone answering service, be sure to check out the customer service. Even if the system is automated, you should be able to talk to a real person when you need assistance with your service. This is the best way to take care of glitches or problems quickly and promptly.
HIPAA
Patient privacy is the most important thing to check. Be absolutely certain your medical telephone answering service is HIPAA compliant. A compliant system protects your patient’s health information and this is extremely important because the doctor is ultimately the one responsible for breaches of healthcare information privacy. Violations can result in large fines.
Physician Privacy
Patient privacy is important but so is the privacy of the physician. A good medical telephone answering service lets the doctor return calls through the system. In this way, his or her cell or home phone number is never revealed on caller ID units.
Commitments
Why commit to a year or even longer if you don’t have to. There is no reason to sign a long term medical telephone answering service contract. You can find healthcare answering services which require no contracts or commitments.
Cost
It’s easy to save on services when you go with a flat rate company. In fact, some services are available for under $70 per month. This can make your business leaner and more efficient.
