Physicians Answering Services Provide Professional Support To Any Practice

Of all the service industries that can, should

, and do use answering services, the medical community is probably the most common.While some people might be surprised to reach a live person when calling an electrician's office after hours, most people expect to be able to contact a doctor at any hour of the day -- or night.

A physician's answering service offers specialized services that go beyond the standards of a general answering service to efficiently and professionally provide take care of both doctors' and patients' need. Agents answering calls for a physician's answering service should be specially trained to meet the privacy requirements of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). If a doctor chooses a physician's answering service without HIPAA-trained personnel, there can be legal ramifications. It's worth taking the time to determine whether or not the agents have the right training. HIPAA privacy requirements also extend to patient information sent via electronic devices. That information must be encrypted, so the physician's answering service needs to provide encrypted text messaging and/or e-mails to meet the letter of the law.

During regular office hours, physician's answering services often include an initial call screening.When patients call the office, a recorded message identifies the practice name and the office hours. It tells them to hang up and dial 911 if this is a medical emergency, or to press zero to speak with the doctor. If patients call on the weekend or after hours, the message may also suggest calling back during regular office hours. Including this pre-screening as part of a physician's answering service can reduce call costs by ensuring only necessary calls go through to the service agents.

A physician's answering service also is adept at keeping track of on-call schedules for a practice. It doesn't matter how often the rotation changes, as long as the answering service agents receive an updated calendar to know which doctor to contact when patient calls require immediate attention.

Another important service offered by a physician's answering service is customized call protocols.Instead of every call being handled exactly the same way, call protocols allow a physician to customize how different types of calls are handled by the agents. This service can be very helpful in pediatric, ob/gyn, and other practices. Call protocols ensure the agents get the necessary information about the patient before contacting the doctor, so an accurate assessment can be easily made.

A physician's answering service can provide the patient care and office support many practices need. These specialized services are designed to efficiently and professionally handle calls, relate to patients, and keep physicians well informed. Choosing a specialized physician's answering service over a general answering service can save a practice time, money -- and headaches.

by: Judy O'Brien

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