subject: Telephone Triage Services Offer Patients Additional Support [print this page] Hiring a nurse telephone triage service to answer your after-hours calls services could mean a world of difference for your patients. Practices often turn to this type of service when the physician is either unavailable, or has another patient to attend to. Nurse triage telephone services are an effective way to ensure that your patients have round-the-clock medical representation from your practice.
The benefits of an after-hours telephone triage service are endless. Patients with non-life threatening emergencies can be given sound medical advice on how to deal with their condition until they are able to visit the doctor. The nurse will also be able to help patients with questions about symptoms that they may be experiencing. This service can be purchased separately from your answering service, but it may be more affordable to hire an answering service that offers this additional function.
Having a nurse available to talk with patients on the phone in the daytime may also be beneficial for your practice. Facilities with one doctor on staff are often limited in the time they can spend consulting patients by phone. Certain medical conditions are not emergencies and can be monitored by a nurse. The telephone triage representative will has the ability to filter out the calls that they are qualified to handle, and send the other ones directly to you, or to someone else in your facility. This is a form of call screening that every medical practice should have access to.
The nurse telephone triage service that you employ should have licensed professionals working for them. Ask how the nurses are screened, and if their certification is verified. You do not want patients to be given incorrect medical information that could harm them.
Telephone triage service could save your practice time, and allow you to focus more on the patients that are physically present in your office. Taking time to hire the right company for the job is just as important as having the service available. The person that answers your patients call is an extension of your company. You want to put forward a professional image, while offering the care and concern that you normally give to your patients. The telephone triage service should not take your place, but make it easier for you to handle your patient load. Ultimately, good communication is necessary for running a successful practice and building strong relationships with your clients.
