A Great Answering Service Can Improve a Medical Practice’s Bottom Line

By D. E. Murray

With rapidly improving diagnostic technologies, physicians are continually challenged to learn more and do more.  Patient care may be technically improved as a result, insurance companies and third party administrators may be made happy by their efforts, and the care team may take pride in efficient and effective medical treatment.  However, patients may often feel as if they are only a small part of a thoroughly mechanized, automated, and impersonal process.  Too often, they are right.

Studies have shown that medical litigation is greatly influenced by a patient’s relationship with their physician.  The more a patient feels they have been heard and can share their concerns with their physician, the less likely that patient is to sue – even when the physician has made an error. 

In the United States, medicine is practiced in a team environment.  The physician is typically in charge of the team, which often includes physician’s assistants, nurses, aides, technicians, and front office staff – as well as the practice’s telephone answering service.  As the practice’s primary ambassador after-hours, patients may associate a poor answering service with substandard care if calls are mishandled.  Conversely, an outstanding answering service will project a practice’s focus on patient care and professionalism 24/7. 

“A great answering service may greatly assist the patient/physician interface, improve and solidify patient relationships, and add to the practice’s bottom line.  If your answering service is merely serving as a voicemail system with a live operator, you are missing the boat,” stated Nancy Duncan of On Ramp Medical Communications.  “Beyond the crucial after-hours interface with patients, a great answering service can add to office profits, patient satisfaction, and retention by providing appointment reminders, surgery or appointment cancellations, Rx refill information, and patient surveys.” 

A great telephone answering service knows that they are an extension of their client’s practice.  Therefore, answering service training should include both initial and ongoing instruction with a focus on patient service and client profiles.  A great service will utilize current and upgraded software and hardware with backup capability in the event of power failure, severe weather, or disaster.  A great answering service will regularly communicate with their clients, keeping them abreast of opportunities to improve patient communication during and after office hours, thus increasing office profitability. 

 “At the end of the day, a great answering service recognizes their importance to the patient care equation, understands that they are an extension of the medical practice, adds to the practice’s bottom line, and delivers professionalism and value far beyond the expectations of the practice,” continued Duncan.  “An answering service does more than just answer patients’ calls; their influence on patient satisfaction is enormous.”

D. E. Murray is a freelance writer residing in Florida.              [download issue]