Medical Answering Service Houston

AnsurMed - Superior Medical Answering Services

Medical Practice Answering Services

bilingual medical practice answering service, Doctors Office Answering Service, HIPAA compliant medical practice answering service, Medical Practice Answering Services, Physician practice answering service

Why You Need a Bilingual Medical Answering Service

Benefits of Having a Bilingual Medical Practice Answering Service

The money saving benefits of using a answering service for your doctors office include decreased wages, employee benefit costs, and can even reduce office space.

However, in today’s moder markets, it is becoming increasingly important to have bilingual staff to field those non-English speaking patients.

There is not a more efficient way to provide this service than hiring a bilingual medical practice answering service who are fluent in both Spanish and English. Here are your top reason why this service is “medically necessary:”

1. Spanish Speaking Patients Are On The Rise

Over the next three years, Spanish speakers in this country will increase from 39 million to 43 million, according to Pew Research Center. There is a pretty good chance that this trend will affect your practice in the years to come. No matter what the language your patients speak, hiring a bilingual medical practice answering service can increase patient communications.

2. Highly Skilled Operators At Your Disposal

Hiring qualified Spanish speaking staff can take some time and training may take months to implement. With Medical Answering Systems, you can offer bilingual services within a few days. Experienced operators who are HIPAA compliant trained allows you to rest easy knowing that your Spanish speaking patients are in good hands.

3. Increase You Service Capabilities

Offering bilingual answering services provide that extra touch showing your patients that their every care has been addressed. Confidence will be built by providing your patients to converse in the language that many of them are the most comfortable communicating. Having bilingual answering services for your medical practice will also build confidence within your patients and can open the door for a great referall source.

Keep Up With The Modern Patient’s Needs

Medical Answering Services is a leading bilingual physician answering service assists you with offering your Spanish speaking patients an easy way to communicate. Offing bilingual medical practice answering services will allow you to stay lightyears ahead of your competition

Doctors Office Answering Service, Medical Practice Answering Services, Physician practice answering service

8 Ways Your Practice Will Benefit From a Medical Practice Answering Service

Why should your medical practice be using a medical practice answering service?

Your practice is busy and your patients care is your top prioroty. Precious time could be saved, in addition to money, by having your phone calls answered by a professional medical practice answering service. Improve your bedside manner by being able to focus more on your patients needs than worrying about a ringing phone.

Benefits of A Medical Practice Anwering Service

Chances are your call volume has increased with the increase in insurance coverage questions. By fielding these callers to a medical practice answering service, you can improve patient satisfaction by providing information quicker and more easily and avoiding voice mail phone tag.

Automated message services that seem to be an endless loop of prompts that many time seem to lead patients away from their reason for calling, are dispised by much of the modern world. If you happen to make a mistake, the process repeats itself fueling frustation and anger levels. Using a doctors office answering service, your patient satisfaction will skyrocket!

By using Medical Answer Systems:

  1. Patients will speak to a live person and avoid the automated voice message system hassles.
  2. Our answering service allows you to focus on  your patients care.
  3. 24/7 live operator answering service displays your dedication to patient care.
  4. You will never miss an important message making your availability increase.
  5. Reduce staff work load allowing them to focus on providing exceptional customer service.
  6. Providing 24 hour patient support without the labor costs of full time staff
  7. Patients are provided night and weekend urgent messaging so your practice is always accessible.
  8. Receive messages in real time so patients receive feedback from your staff which increases patient confidence in your practice.
  9. Communicate with confidence with highly trained HIPAA compliance trained staff and computer software that protects your patients most sensitive
  10. Reduce overhead staffing costs by utilizing our call center professionals and save on employeee benefit costs keeping your in-office staff focused on patient care.
  11. Maximum availability during regular business hours. Never miss a phone call on those days that your office is extremely busy.
  12. Reduce patient no show and take the burden of appointment reminders off of your in-office staff to allow them to increase productivity.

Is A Medical Practice Answering Service Right For Your Medical Practice?

If you are interested in learning more about how a medical practice answering service can provide better customer service and improve your overall patient satisfaction, give us a call today at 713-464-9433 and let one of our call center specialist assist you with starting your free quote.

 

Doctors Office Answering Service, HIPAA compliant medical practice answering service, Medical Practice Answering Services

WHY SHOULD YOUR MEDICAL ANSWERING SERVICE BE HIPAA COMPLIANT?

Your doctors office operate on one critical and complex currency: TRUST! Keeping your patient’s trust can be the success or the downfall of any medical practice office. You teach your staff to do their absolute best in maintaining patient trust and to comply with laws governing doctor-patient confidentiality. As you research your options for an answering service or virtual receptionist solution, you have to be concerned about your patient’s information being handled by a third party. Maintaining HIPAA compliance is a must.

The Federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is the government law that enforces  Protected Health Information (PHI) to be kept secure and confidential. You can train your staff to always maintain confidendiality and maintain all of the HIPAA guidelines, but no all answering services have the same training. If your medical practice answering service does not follow HIPAA regulations, your practice can face fines, penalties and even face criminal prosecution. Using a virtual answering service, HIPAA compliance becomes an absolute necessity to allow patients to be confident knowing that their PHI is secure.

Providing HIPAA compliant services in your office as well as your answering service opens up the door of opportunity to work with more referring colleagues since they know information is protected. Using an experienced and proven HIPAA compliant virtual answering service solution such as Medical Answer Service provides the trust and confidence needed to maintain the highest level of satisfaction of your patients and doctors that you work with.

If you are looking for a medical answering service, virtual receptionist service that is HIPAA compliant and protect your patient’s personal and private information as your highly trained in office staff, give us a call. We can customize our services to meet the specific needs of your practice. We provide highly-trained HIPAA complaint and 100% professional answering services that will grow the trust of your patients and other healthcare providers.

Doctors Office Answering Service, Medical Practice Answering Services

Medical Practice Answering Service Must Haves

A answering service cannot see patients for you, but they can schedule appointments, facilitate patient-doctor communication, and in some cases push information to customer relationship management (CRM) systems. With all that is at stake, there are many factors to consider when hiring an answering service to work with  your medical practice.

  • HIPAA Compliant: Medical practices, surgeons, medical care facilities are required to operate and comply with HIPAA compliant laws.
  • Scheduling Appointments: Allow your clients to call when convenient to them and schedule appointments, after hours, weekends, or even during office hours when staff is not available.
  • Emergency Calls: When time is crucially important, emergency calls can be routed to the necessary first responder service or hospital.
  • Prescription Refills: Some refills are time sensitive or may warrant specific call handling.
  • Have The Right FAQs: Answering service operators are not qualified to provide medical advice, they can certainly address frequently asked general questions.
  • Hospital, Emergency & Consult Calls: Depending on the area of practice, consult calls could be emergencies.
  • Specific Mentions: Patients will speak of doctors or staff by name, operators working knowledge of office staff builds integrity.
  • Overflow, Weekends & After-Hours: Calls during office hours and calls outside of regulary office hours should be handled differently.
  • Keep it Simple: Common call types, frequently asked questions, and canned scripts make it simple for operators and patients.
  • Knowledge of Triaging Techniques: Use pointed questions or an IVR recording to filter out priority calls.

 

Doctors Office Answering Service, Medical Practice Answering Services

10 Benefits from Using a Medical Practice Answering Service

Medical practice answering services are not a new service, but that does not make them obsolete. In fact, with patients needing information more immediate than ever, they have become one of the most importan assets for medical practices. The healthcare industry has embraced technology and is continually advancing to meed the needs of healthcare providers and satisfy patient expectations. Patient answering services are advancing just as fast as the medical industry itself. Many provide customized services and excellent customer service setting medical practices a part from others by offering that much needed personal touch.

These advancements have made doctors answering services one of the most critical tools in the healthcare industry. This is due primarily to the custom, professional services offered to patients and callers.

Here are ten benefits you will see when adding a medical practice answering service to your practice.

  1. Increased Overall Patient Satisfaction
    Healthcare providers face three main challenges in the modern medical industry: provide higher levels of service, provide faster service times, all while doing it for less money. These three goals are made increasingly more difficult factoring in the constant battle with insurance reimbursement rates. While fighting this battle, it is easy to lose site of the reason you are in the healthcare industry in the first place.The center of the healthcare business world is the patient. Without a stream of “customers” your practice would fail. Your patient satisfaction rating is the key to your success and must be factored into every business decision you make.In today’s fast paced world, business is no longer limited to office hours. You need to be available to your patients 24 hours a day/7 days a week/365 days a year. Your medical practice answering system becomes your most prominent tool for conducting business outside of regular office hours.Although you might not be able to personally treat patients around the clock, you can provide a peace of mind by making your services available to: schedule an appointment, provide temporary solutions for their immediate needs, or provide emergency service information in times of a medical crisis.
  2. Improve Customer Satisfaction Over the Phone
    Many medical practices have migrated to an automated system to handle after-hours communcation with patients. Although replacing a live human with a multi-step automated service can be cost-effective, forcing automation on your patients can decrease their overall customer satisfaction.Automation replaces human interaction with impersonal technology. When a patient calls a doctors office, they expect a sympathetic real person. The last thing they want to hear is an automated message system, voicemail messages, or what seems to be an endless loop of digit pressing that fails to satisfy their needs. Most patients end up hanging up, frustrated and less likely to call you back. By opting for an automated phone systems, you may have just lost a lifetime patient, their family, and any referrals they would offer.Remove the automation irritation by implementing a live answer medical practice answering service.
  3. Provide 24/7 Live Answer Availability
    It is becoming more and more common for patients to do business on their time instead of during your regulary scheduled business hours. Our world is ever expanding to a 24/7/365 world. The “business day” is changing as well. With many corporations offering work from home options, shiftwork, and increased business travel outside of your home’s time zone, it is imperative that your practice is available when your patients need you. Although patients may not expect the office to be open 24 hours a day, they do expect their phone calls to be answered around the clock. You don’t want to let them down. Providing a virtual receptionist from Medical Answering Service can make sure you don’t let another patient down ever again.
  4. Provide Improved and Efficient Patient Communication
    By now, I am sure that you are aware of  HCAHPS—the hospital consumer assessment of healthcare providers and systems. This is a reality that all healthcare providers must face. This HCAHPS survey reviews a 21 patient-centric metrics related to their experience in dealing with healthcare providers and hospital visits.The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services link reimbursements to HCAHPS survey results. It is the goal for hospitals and healthcare providers to provide the highest level of care possible. This makes the survey results from HCAHPS data a primary factor in determining the insurance payment rates for procedures performed in your office.One focus area of the HCSHPS survey is communication. The survey reviews doctor-to-patient and nurse-to-patient communication. This is where a live operator medical practice answering service plays a key role. These surveys review post patient follow-ups, medical instructions, medication education and transition of care. Live answer call service provides excellent customer care to produce better survey results which will increase overal revenues.
  5. Become a Highly Ranked ProviderMedical review sites are a great source of new patient acquisition. Websites such as WebMD and HealthGrades rank physicians based on patient assessments instead of analytical information such as HCAHPS survey results.This puts a high value on patient perception-not the actual provision or quality of health care provided. A patient perception expands past provider-to-patient care and evaluates external factors such as waiting room times, condition of facility, and support staff interactions. A critical factor in patient perception is the medical practice answering service and communication. Providing a quality, professional medical practice answering service with a live operator will provide a better perceived value and experience for patients.You can rest assure that using a professional medical practice answer service with live operators to handle patient concerns with heartfelt compassion. Providing quality care on the telephone prior to the patients appointment will lay the groundwork for a more pleasant in officer experience.
  6. Enhance Your Provider-Patient RelationshipYour bed side manner goes a long way in providing great doctor-patient care, build trust, reflects sympathy, and earns a great deal of respect. Whether you are seeing patients in your office, or making rounds at the hospital, you work hard to be the best healthcare provider possible. This attention to patient’s needs builds respect and the confidence for patients to refer their family and friends.Effective bedside manner and patient relationships do require effort. You can enhance the overall patient experience. The communication over the phone is just as important as the communication in the office. That is why quality medical practice answering service is crucial in nuturing the doctor to patient relationship.
  7. Take Appointments AnytimeHaving a fully booked appointment schedule is crucial in remaining productive and profitable. There are 40 hours in the typical work week leaving another 128 hours that your office doors are closed. Your physician answer service can make appointments for you after hours providing secure appointment scheduling and appointment modifications.
  8. Send Appointment RemindersMissed appointments are frustrating for everyone involved, not to mention that you lose productive billable time. Having a medical practice answering service can provide apponitment reminders to reduce no-shows. Providing personal phone call reminders about upcoming appointments are a great way to remind a patient of their appointment, ensure their commitment to show up, and be available to assist with rescheduling if they have a conflict.
  9. Provide Bilingual ServicesProviding bilingual services for in-office patient care is becoming common place in most doctors offices. However, a LIVE answering service with bilingual assistance is difficult to find. That is what separates Medical Answer Systems from its competitors. Our live answer assistance provides bilingual services for all services offered to English speaking patients as well.
  10. Make Your Patients HappyOf all of the benefits of a medical practice answering service can provide, it is providing your patients with great customer service. Happy patients are not in the market for a new healthcare provider. They will continue to be seen where they are the most comfortable. Happy patients are more likely to share their experiences with family and friends and refer more patients to your practice. Although much of the bedside manner relationship building happens during in-office visits, it often begins on a phone call with your answering service. Making a seamless transition from friendly phone converstaions to comprehensive medical care in-office is a prescription for a happy patient.

Conclusion

Having a answering services like Medical Answer Systems on your team providing after-hours communication is an excellent way to provide your patients with quality patient care IN and OUT of the office.

Doctors Office Answering Service, Medical Practice Answering Services

Questions to Ask When Hiring an Answering Service

Hiring the RIGHT answering service is a difficult decision. In reality, you are trusting your medical practice communication to an outside contractor. Putting your patients needs, questions, and appointment scheduling in  a physician office answerig service should be done with a great amount of education into the company and its services.

Researching the company you hire is smart business. Asking the right questions are crucial in making the best decision for your practice. We have compiled questions that you MUST ask when interviewing answering service companies and listen carefully to their answers.

But before we cover these essential questions, let’s look at a more basic question first.

What is a medical practice answering service?

Medical practice answering services are companies that answer calls for your patients when your office is closed or during regular business hours when in-office staff are not available. This provides round-the-clock patient interaction. Most services include message services, appointment scheduling and modifications, just to name a few. A medical practice answering service provides enhanced customer service, quicker response times to medical emergencies, and efficient appointment scheduling.

Here are the six key questions to ask before you hire a answering service for your medical practice.

What Call Solutions Do Your Provide?

When considering a doctors office answering service, consider the solutions, benefits and desired outcomes that each company can provide. Answering a phone call is just the beginning. Accuracy, patient confidentiality, discernment about immediate needs, and effective-polite communication are just as important as picking up the phone and saying “hello.”  Can the medical practice answering service provide handle the volume of calls and consistently provide accurate information about next course of actions? Listen to your patients and their perception of the communication with your provider.

What Specialties Has Your Physician Office Answering Service Have Experience In?

Each specialty in the practice of medicine is different. Different questions, terminology, protocol are specific to medical specialties. Does your candidate service have experience in your specialty? Having experience in your specialty provides a built-in understanding of terminology, protocol, and knowledge of your patient’s needs. They will also be better suited to communicate between the patient and your staff any patient concerns or questions.

Where Is The Provider Located?

Consumers in general are increasingly skeptical of dealing with offshore call centers. The communication barrier can be frustrating and negatively affect your overal practice reputation. Our opinion is that a US-based call center is best suited for US-based medical practices. We also recommend that you choose a bilingual service provider to conver non-English speacking patients.

What Quality Assurance Measure Are In Place?

Any company says that they provide “good quality.” Do not take a sales representatives word for their quality assurance practices. Research and verify your prospective answering service and their reputation. Take a look at online reviews, research the company with online directory services, and contact the Better Business Burea to confirm their quality of work.

There is not a better source than real clients when research the credibility of a prospective vendor for your medical practice answering service. If the company will provide it, ask for a list of current clients that you can contact to provide a testimonial of the service. If the company is an “award-winning” service provider, verify with the issuer of the award to confirm that it is accurate. Don’t take their word for it. Verify that they won the wards they claim to have/

Get An Accurate Quote

Ask this question last! The quote will vary depending on the service level in which you request assistance. The more services provided, the price is typically higher. And remember, a higher prices does not alway mean better quality.

Make sure that the rate quoted meets your needs (today and in the future), stays within your budget, and that you get what you pay for.

What’s Next?

Once you get your questions answered, you can begin to narrow down  your choices. Taking an analytical and methodical approach to hiring a medical practice answering service will protect your bottom line and avoid hiring the wrong company and starting over when they do not meet your expectations.