Medical call services have been around for some time now, but with the growing number of patients these days, it has become even more important that patients feel that their doctor is always just a call away.
With the latest technology, medical call services have evolved to add a personal touch that makes a patient feel like they are given professional, immediate, and first-class service. Here are four ways that your patients can benefit from a medical call service.
1. Eliminates irritation over phone bots
While phone bots are a way for a service to take more calls, in medical situations, an automated voice is the last thing a patient wants to hear. Most patients want an immediate connection to their doctor. Senior patients are particularly affected here, as many of them do not know how to navigate this type of system. An answering service is an easy solution to all that. It can be very helpful in improving the doctor-patient experience.
2. Provides a human response 24/7
In our increasingly connected world, people have come to expect instant connection, and oftentimes, patients expect doctor availability even after clinic hours. While they are aware that doctors may be busy attending to other patients, they take great comfort in hearing an assuring voice that will heed to their medical concern and assure them that it will be relayed immediately.
Your patient’s needs may be as simple as a medical query or an urgent appointment. However, there may be instances when the patient is in the midst of a medical crisis and needs hospital attention. You want to be sure that they have a means of reaching you right away and not have to navigate an automated phone system. An answering service will immediately get in touch with you so you can respond immediately to the emergency.
3. Take appointments any time
During clinic hours, your staff can take care of setting appointments with your patients, but what about the rest of the hours when your clinic is closed? A great medical call service uses secure, online access to a scheduling platform to schedule, reschedule, or cancel a patient’s appointment.
4. Send appointment reminders
There are patients who miss their appointments, which creates a variety of problems. They may be busy, forget to enter the appointment into their calendar, or simply forget. A medical call service makes sure that they are adequately reminded. These can take any of three different forms: a phone call, email, or text messaging.
A phone call makes the reminder more personal and allows rescheduling, if needed. An email is not always effective though if the patient forgets to open it. Text messaging is effective since most people have their mobile phones with them most times. It also does not disturb a patient who may be sleeping or indisposed at the time you send the reminder. Many medical call services allow you to choose which method is to be used for your patients. Your patients are your priority, and a medical call service can help you personalize your responses to them, and assist with a smooth operation of your practice.