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Faint Glow
Writer's pictureLauren Bracy

Why is a Call Answering Service Important in Medical Industry

The use of virtual medical call answering service in the medical industry is now gaining popularity all over the world. Switching to a virtual answering service to handle repetitive tasks usually performed by human medical receptionists has not only made doctors' save more money but has also made their work more efficient. Medical call answering services are designed to help medical professionals manage their business more efficiently by providing an effective and reliable means of indexing of calls, and by providing a more efficient mode of communication between doctors and patients. An electronic medical answering service is an integrated system that takes calls; keeps schedules and stores patient data for doctors. It also utilizes a wide variety of platforms including the Internet, phones, and texting to bring doctor's services in closer to the patients. In addition, this type of service offers the following functions that doctors will surely find useful:

  1. The system saves or records medical data in an online record storage, which allows doctors to access patients' data from anywhere, using the Internet.

  2. Automatic call indexing frees the doctor's clinic staff to do other tasks. Using a virtual receptionist service, patients' calls are indexed or forwarded directly to the doctor, thus saving the staff from taking note of patients' calls.

  3. Prepaid functions and patient reminder services also reduce no-show rates.

  4. The instant replay function of answering service also ensures that the call is forwarded as soon as possible to doctors. This also reduces more human errors.

  5. After- Hours Requests: Ideally, providing effective medical care should not be tied only within the confines of regular office hours. However, not all medical facilities can afford to keep the administrative office open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. By installing a 24/7 medical answering service, a clinic or hospital can continue to serve patients who only have time to make doctors' appointments only after work, when they have access to a landline, or only after confirming their schedules, and many other reasons. A virtual answering service can help in making medical services truly democratic, as it takes into consideration the different schedule situations of patients that have made getting medical attention previously difficult.

  6. Response Accuracy: A virtual physician answering service can deliver the necessary response per the appropriate situation. For example, if the patient calling needs to set an appointment, the answering system can then take the necessary details and inspect the schedule database to confirm the correct date and time for a doctor's visit. If the call requires an emergency response, the system can then connect the patient directly to the right doctor or personnel.

  7.  Multiple calls: A lot of people needing to contact doctor's offices have had trouble placing a call due to a busy line bogged down by multiple callers. A virtual answering service can handle the multiple calls simultaneously, without the system getting congested. Along with record storage functions, the system provides an effective full-proof way of delivering quality service to the patients. The electronic medical answering service system has an accuracy rating of more than 99 percent. They index calls efficiently and provide the necessary information for doctors. In the case of an emergency and the doctor is not available, the system is programmed to forward calls to hospitals or other health care professionals. Doctors will no longer have to worry about keeping their phones open in the middle of the night, as the system automatically directs important calls and records messages for non-priority ones. With downsizing an inevitable result of the cost cutting measures in the health industry, both doctors and health care systems have begun to look for ways to keep their practices profitable. Using a medical call answering service helps doctors with that extra financial edge to make their business competitive and efficient.

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