- Quality Team Members – What is the protocol for hiring team members? What is the training process? Hiring high quality, professional employees will convey over the phone. Your patients want to be treated warm, caring and with respect. They also want to know that whoever they are talking to are knowledgeable in the medical industry. Choose a service that has a thorough hiring process and in depth medical training.
- HIPAA Certified – If your practice needs to be HIPAA compliant, so should your answering service. Look for a medical answering service that has in-house employees. If they are working from home, they have an opportunity to access patient information from their residence.
What does your phone service say about your practice?
A doctor/patient relationship always starts with a phone call. Once a potential patient gets a referral to your office, or finds you in a search online, their first move is to call and get a feel for your practice. If they hear a stressed out, busy or unprofessional voice on the other end, they may not feel welcome in your office and will move on to their next referral.
It’s been shown that people expect a warm, caring and thorough experience with a medical office, whether they are speaking with their doctor or the staff. You only have once chance to make a first impression, so it is imperative that whoever is answering your phones portrays your office culture.
When picking the best medical answering service for your practice, you need to make sure that they will represent you in the manner you feel appropriate. Choosing the wrong service can leave you open for liability issues and loss of patients. A few things to consider when researching your options are:
