5 Things Medical Call Center Workers Should Know

One medical call center service is not like another. Read on to find out some of the best things that you might find when you're calling an answering service or call center office for a medical provider with questions.

Clinical Hours

Call center operators should have a firm grasp of when a provider office is open. On the off hours, they should be able to provide the same quality information as the daytime schedulers and receptionists about which parts of a provider facility are open. They may not be able to do the scheduling, but they can direct callers toward the right solutions.

Doctor Names

Medical call center workers should also know about which doctors and medical professionals are involved in a practice. That way, callers can at least know that they got through to the right office, and they can try again during normal business hours. Having staffers who know the names of practice doctors gives callers more confidence in the system, and enhances the reputation of the provider office.

Patient Needs and Referrals

It's also helpful for call center service workers to understand how to direct patients with questions about specific things such as referrals. They can explain, for example, how referrals are handled, and who is in charge of the referral process. Again, this helps callers with basic orienting information that they can work on when the practice or facility is open.

Emergency Contacts

Many providers have a doctor on call or an emergency contact number. Call center workers should know when to direct customers toward these resources, and should be able to give them the contacts that they need, so that they can feel safe while self-evaluating whether their call is an emergency or not.

Pharmacy Resources

In many cases, the trained staff in a pharmacy can answer questions about medication or other patient questions. It's helpful when the call-center service knows about how the medical provider works with local pharmacies. It may be as simple as just giving a caller a phone number, or directing them toward a particular pharmacy for their needs.

Pharmacies are a critical part of off-hours medical management for a patient community, and this is another area where having the right call center information in place can make a big difference.

Having the right information in a medical call center gives the provider a good positive reputation in the community. People who call in feel that they are being served, and that the provider understands that the nature of medicine is a 24/7 practice. All of the above can lead a practice toward better partnerships and greater success serving patients.

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