Using a medical call center has long been an accepted practice for making sure that patients are able to reach someone day or night. While there can be substantial costs associated with hiring an answering service, you will find that the goodwill it generates with your patients is more than enough to compensate you for the expense. The cost of a call center is also much lower than the cost of hiring extra nurses and a manager, buying equipment and software, and covering your phones through the off hours on your own. When you consider all of this, it clear that a medical answering service is a cost-efficient way to make sure your patients are always taken care of.
It is an excellent idea to make sure that any center that you contract with has phone specialist with HIPAA training. Your patients’ privacy is very important, and if you go with a run-of-the-mill call center, you won’t be able to guarantee that their health information stays confidential. When you hire a service with HIPAA training, however, you will know that you have done what you should to ensure their privacy.
Another benefit to hiring a service with HIPAA training is that in most cases, the technicians staffing the phones will be trained nurses and medical professionals, which means that your patients will get the answers and advice they seek when they make an off-hours phone call. An ordinary business answering center wouldn’t be able to provide health information, because their technicians are not medical professionals with HIPAA training. When your patients call you and get a medical answering service, on the other hand, they can ask basic questions about medication and symptoms with the assurance that answers will be forthcoming.
Demand that any call center you contract with has HIPAA training, because your patients’ medical records must be protected. It isn’t just a good idea, it’s the law, and if you expose your patients’ records to harm, you could be on the hook. With a physician answering service, you have the peace of mind that comes with the knowledge your patients are being well taken care of. You will receive copies of any notes that were made on your files, and you will also be secure in the knowledge that your patients are receiving quality advice even if they can’t reach you personally. All things considered, that kind of assurance is worth any price.
