Consider the scenario from a patient’s perspective instead of from your perspective. When a patient calls your office after hours, there are basically three different ways the situation can play out. Consider each, and you will quickly see why choosing a physician call answering service is vital for your practice.
1. A patient comes home from work feeling not so great. They have heard that a nasty stomach virus has been spreading around and they fear they may be getting ill. However, as the night wears on, they become progressively worse, going from feeling bad to being downright sick. They begin wondering what may be wrong, so they call their physician.
When they call, they find themselves listening to the recorded message of an answering machine. The machine gives them two options. They can either call 911 or they can wait until the next business day. In the patient’s world, this is a big frustration. If they wait, they may become even more ill. If they call 911, they will face high emergency services charges.
Their trusted physician was not there for them when they needed, and they did not even get a physician call answering service.
2. Replay the story above, only this time; the patient does not even get an answer on the line. The phone rings and rings, and the patient’s frustrations continue to rise. This patient will most likely be looking for a new doctor.
3. The same situation, but in this case, the call transfers to a physician call answering service. The patient gets to speak to a live person and they know their message is sent to you immediately. They know that their physician will be caring for them no matter the hour.
It is easy to see which of these scenarios is best for the patient.
Providing a live answering service for twenty-four hours a day is the best way to make sure your patients are always able to get the help they need.







