subject: Best Call Center Practices For Medical Answering Services [print this page] One of the most important practices a medical call center can engage in is quality control. There are three main types of metrics that should be considered in order to determine whether quality service is being rendered. One of these is the average amount of time that elapses between a call entering the queue and the call being handled. Another important metric is script adherence. That's one of the ways you can make sure patients are being treated in a courteous and professional manner. The accuracy and timeliness with which information can (and should) also be measured. After all, that's the most important part of even having an answering service.
Since one of the things that makes for effective service in this business is handling calls efficiently, it's important that such a company maintains adequate systems for routing their incoming calls. In fact, redundant methods should be in place as well. That way, if one system (or set of lines) were to fail, there would be other routing options available. We should mention here too that medical calls should never be answered in people's homes. Although there are some companies that have tried to go this route, that type of environment cannot be properly secured given the nature of the information being transmitted.
Speaking of security, this is an absolutely vital area of concern in our business. Several common sense steps need to be taken. One of those steps would be to make sure that only employees have access to the center itself. This can be accomplished by using key codes and pass cards. Another good practice is to make sure that any documents which leave the building are destroyed. The use of a certified document destruction company is strongly recommended for this purpose. Digital security measures must be taken as well, both in the storage and transmission of information. Encryption and password protection should both be utilized.
Closely related to the matter of security is the area of disaster preparedness. One of the most common things that happens in the event of a natural disaster is the loss of power. In the event of a power failure, security systems can also fail. Since a medical call center stores such sensitive information, this is simply unacceptable. Therefore, at the very least, backup power generators (and phone lines) should be available. Preferably, arrangements should also be made with an alternate location for calls to be routed to.
