subject: What To Look For In A Quality Medical Answering Service [print this page] As a medical professional who runs a private practice you know the need for services and information doesn't and when the office doors are closed at the end of the day. Patients need for general information and even emergency services goes on 24 hours a day.
So now doctors who practice in a wide range of medical fields can choose to hire a physician's answering service to field after hours calls for them when they can't be there to do it. It's a new type of answering service that employees call service operators who specialize in handling calls related to the medical field.
So they're more than just common service operators because when a patient calls the person at the other line who picks up is able to provide a wide variety of services that include answering basic questions in the case of emergencies they can even summon help.
So knowing that they they aren't going to encounter an answering machine and a voice message when they call your office gives your patience that extra added sense of security. It's also a big plus in terms of your doctor patient relationships.
Particularly for your patients who are concerned that they might require emergency medical services, having this type of call service is a big stress reliever, not just for them but for you as well because you know that no matter how dire their needs they will always be addressed.
So in general terms they function just as any normal call fielding service would in that when the phone rings at your office and it isn't picked up automatically it's rerouted and an operator picks up.
What's important to keep in mind here however, is that just like any other type of business genre out there that you have to select from to help your practice run smoothly not all services of this type are the same. Some are better than others, and some offer more service options and others.
A Short Checklist Before You Shop
Make sure that their services are medical field oriented and that they specialize in the type of medicine in practice. So for instance, if you're dentist you'll want to make sure that they cater to dentists before you sign on the bottom line.
Something else you may be interested in knowing is whether or not they'll be able to assist in taking and scheduling appointments. So if this is something you feel you might need do make sure that they do it and do it well.
Asked to make sure that they can handle medical emergencies properly and that they have all the information regarding emergency services in your area they might need. You also want to make sure that they contact you in the event that one your patients is having a medical emergency.
Ask to make sure that they have backup operators to cover all calls in the event they get overwhelmed. Then even if they do assure you ask if they can put it in writing or if you can see statistics that they have gathered on their missed call ratio.
You'll also want to make sure you go with a service that's available to take your office calls every day of the year without exception, 24 hours a day.
Then finally another thing look for is a service that records all their calls and makes available the transcripts of those calls to you the client, and does so promptly if you request them.
