Patient satisfaction is about more than just providing care and improving patient results. It’s also about the experience patients have interacting with your practice as a whole, and organization can have a big impact on that experience. Consider how much time your front desk spends catching up on messages left after hours. Are your phone lines tied up with patients who need to ask their provider a question? Do you spend hours trying to put together an on-call schedule for your doctors? These are all things that affect your practice’s organization, and by extension, your medical practice’s ability to provide high-quality care.
If you think your medical practice’s organization could be improved, here are four easy-to-implement services that can help do just that.
After-Hours Call Service
Medical concerns happen at all times of the day. If your medical practice relies on an automated message system, you’re probably spending a lot of office time returning phone calls and managing last-minute appointment scheduling and cancellations. An after hours call service can help keep your practice organized outside of business hours. After-hours call services will follow your workflows and procedures when it comes to scheduling appointments so that your in-office staff can start on other important tasks for the day.
With 24/7 live agents, a medical office answering service doesn’t just keep your office organized. It also means your patients can connect to your practice after-hours and receive the same level of care and compassion they would as if they were sitting in your office.
Practice-Specific Mobile App
Many people carry smartphones, and medical practices can capitalize on this by providing a mobile app. A mobile app can improve your office’s organization by streamlining the contact process between patients and providers. Instead of calling to see if a certain doctor is available or in the office on a given day, patients can use the app to message their provider about non-emergency issues.
Mobile apps are a great way to offer patients and providers flexible communication. By reducing non-emergency calls, a mobile app can significantly improve the overall flow and organization of your medical practice.
Online Patient Portal
A patient portal is a secure online platform where patients can access their medical records, request a prescription refill, and message their provider. A HIPAA secure online portal can help your practice run more efficiently, reduce the number of non-emergency messages your practice receives, and greatly improve patient satisfaction. Instead of waiting for a practice to return a phone call or send an email, patients have immediate access to the information they need. Much like a mobile app, a patient portal can improve your office’s efficiency.
On-Call Scheduling Software
If your medical practice provides on-call services, on-call scheduling software can help save time and prevent any coverage gaps. If your practice is small and partners with another medical office to provide on-call care, scheduling software can help keep everyone in the loop. If you are a large practice juggling many doctors, then scheduling software is an invaluable tool for making sure no provider is lost in the shuffle. By using on-call scheduling software, your office staff can spend their hours outside of the office confident that their patients have access to the care they trust.
By adding these services to your practice, you can create an orderly and efficient medical office that is a pleasant place to be for both employees and patients.
