If you are looking to hire an answering service to handle all of the incoming calls to your clinic, then you need to make sure that the company is able to offer a few things before you spend your money. First, you want to make sure that the company has a good reputation and is secure. Second, make sure their prices are affordable. Third, and perhaps the most important, is HIPAA training.
HIPAA stands for the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. The training teaches employees the importance and legalities of patient privacy. Every call center that deals with the medical field should have their employees trained in this manner. It is a legal requirement. However, some small companies that might be able to attract you with low prices have skirted the law. Instead of putting your patient’s privacy and your business at risk, only choose a company whose employees have undergone HIPAA training.
It is important that the company you hire to take your calls treat your patients with respect and dignity. You want the company to be able to act with the same professional manner that you and your employees do. If they do not, it will reflect badly on you and your practice. Your patients must come first. In many cases, they are not comfortable when it comes to offering personal information to someone over the phone. When you hire an answering service whose employees have undergone the correct HIPAA training, it can alleviate the fears of many of your patients.
When you are choosing one of these call centers, you need to look for far more than just certification in HIPAA. Check to see where the call center operates. Some call centers use employees from overseas, and some use employees who work from home. While that might be fine for a simple answering service, it is generally not a good idea for a medical practice. You want to make sure that the company offers onsite employees at their office, a place where the email and phones are secure. Someone who is working out of their bedroom will not have the necessary safety measures to protect your patient’s sensitive information.
Security, a solid reputation, low cost, and HIPAA training are the most important things that you want to want to look for when you are hiring an answering service for your clinic. Don’t cut corners during your search.
