You’ve heard patients’ woes when you run a healthcare practice. “Why can’t I reach anyone after hours?” “I have a last-minute change and need to reschedule!”
The solution for countless clinics is using a traditional medical office answering service. Callers speak quickly with real people, but receptionists can do only so much, like taking messages and shuffling appointments.
Patients often get frustrated with their lack of options — and HIPAA noncompliance is a real (and costly) possibility. Additionally, regular answering services can be expensive, with prices varying widely for healthcare practices’ needs.
Enter the advantages of artificial intelligence (AI) with automated medical answering services! Let’s look at what a virtual healthcare answering service does and how one can seriously benefit your practice.
[Related: Considering Using AI in Your Healthcare Practice? Here’s Where To Start]
What Do Automated Medical Answering Services Do?
In short, sophisticated automated medical answering services do what a regular healthcare answering service does — but better. You’ll also find healthcare software services like this under the “virtual front office” and “virtual assistant” umbrellas.
That essentially sums it up. An AI-powered medical office answering service acts as an answering service, a front office and an assistant all in one. Using natural language processing and speech-to-text functions, it goes far beyond answering calls and actually interacts with people.
Now, what can a virtual healthcare answering service do for both you and your patients?
For Your Practice
A virtual answering service for healthcare practices is incredibly smart, and developers continually fine-tune it to meet clinics’ unique needs. (That’s for any skeptics out there.)
Here’s how an AI answering service for healthcare practices offers very real perks:
- Answers, records and logs calls 24/7, with unlimited call routing and forwarding
- Texts patients securely, individually or en masse
- Complies with HIPAA guidelines
- Gives you full insights into scheduled, rescheduled and canceled appointments
- Checks insurance data (more than 1,800 payers in seconds)
- Transcribes patient interactions
- Streamlines your front-office tasks, from phone calls to customizable texts
- Automates patient journeys and workflows
- Saves you costs — especially compared to a traditional medical office answering service
Cutting-edge software solutions like Wendi go even further, with around-the-clock webchat widgets, telehealth capabilities and more.
Of course, your practice wouldn’t be complete without your patients! How do automated medical answering services help them?
[Related: Virtual Medical Scribe: What You Need To Know]
For Your Patients
A virtual answering service for a medical office provides many benefits, from secure one-on-one communication to simple reassurance. Here’s a sample of what a solution like Wendi does for patients:
- Interacts intuitively and naturally — no rote over-the-phone “scripts”
- Helps them easily schedule, reschedule and cancel appointments
- Gives them the ability to send you messages and contact emergency services
- Keeps them in the loop about their personal health
- Sends them reminders for upcoming appointments
- Allows them to check their insurance benefits
- Lets them change and update their payment information
- Answers questions via chatbot interactions when needed
- Promotes positivity about their care and your practice’s reputation
Clearly, their benefits go far beyond simply hearing a voice on the line! Your practice kicks phone tag to the curb, and patient engagement rises with automated medical answering services.
[Related: How To Run a More Efficient Practice With a Virtual Healthcare Front Office]
How Does a Virtual Medical Office Answering Service Help Your Practice?
Reading through the lists above, it’s apparent why automated medical answering services are fantastic options. But let’s examine even more concrete advantages for your practice.
First, you don’t need to hire additional staff. Whether that means paying for human-run answering services or compensating in-office staff, your operational costs drop.
A virtual healthcare answering service like Wendi costs as much annually as one full-time staff member’s monthly salary. And that’s only if you have one person on call duty — you may need more.
Next, patients truly appreciate an after-hours answering service for medical offices. A virtual solution gives them broad options and peace of mind when your doors close. Being able to contact your practice anytime, anywhere fosters trust and strengthens communication.
As a result, patient retention and your bottom line grow. It all adds up to happier patients who want to actively participate in their health management with you.
Finally, you’re busy — to fully attend to patients’ needs, you’d need a 27-hour workday! Automated medical answering services give your time back to you. You can better focus on interacting with patients in person, while an all-in-one AI solution takes care of administrative tasks.
[Related: Top 13 Benefits of Hiring a Virtual Assistant]
Simplify Your Answering Services With Wendi
Are you convinced? Meet Wendi, your virtual healthcare answering service.
With Wendi, you grow your practice with state-of-the-art answering service (including phone, text and chat), insurance-checking and patient-friendly functions. Plus, our software’s extensive scheduling capabilities lead to greater office efficiency and care efficacy.
You already wrestle with a packed schedule, so let us make it less hectic!
Contact us or schedule a free demo. You’ll see how automated medical answering services aren’t just worth it — one is indispensable to your practice. Wendi’s the one you’ve been waiting for.
Featured image via Pexels
