There’s no doubt that the world is becoming more virtual every day. From online shopping and working from home, to virtual reality job interviews and medical training, technology is changing the way we learn, the way we interact, even the way we live. Undeniably, if you are a worker in the field of healthcare, you have seen first-hand the way that technology has changed the game. Appointments are made through a website, prescriptions are order online, even medical appointments can be held virtually over the phone or through video conferencing. While the pandemic may have spurred on this technological revolution out of necessity, many are continuing with the ways of the pandemic out of convenience.
One way that technology has changed healthcare is in the role of receptionists. Nowadays, people can work remotely as the first point of call for a medical practise as virtual medical receptionists. What exactly is this role? What are the duties? And what are the benefits? Let’s find out in this article.
The New Age of the Virtual Receptionist
In many ways a virtual receptionist is the same as the traditional kind, except or the fact they work remotely as opposed to within the building of a practise. Many different forms of practise can implement a virtual receptionist, from hospitals to clinics, dentists to vets. Even though the role is virtual, the individual is very much, providing a point of human contact for clients trying to reach a medical practise. They can offer live answering services and engage in real conversations while also fulfilling several other different duties and tasks. While they work independently in some ways from the physical practise, they follow the direct instructions from the individual medical clinic to offer customers with a unique services and personalised greetings.
What Does a Virtual Receptionist Do?
As previously mentioned, virtual receptions do the same work as an in-house receptionist. However, reviewing their roles and duties may help you to decide if you need one for your practise or clinic.
- Be the first point of contact.
Answering the phones is a crucial duty of a receptionist, and one of the most important ones they will do. While a virtual receptionist may not be physically in the clinic or directly employed by it, they will provide a personalised greeting as part of the phone answering service. These well-trained professionals are experts in customer service and work hard to have a good knowledge of the clinic they are representing. They can prove to be an invaluable first line of contact for customers and clients, almost becoming the virtual face of the whole business.
- Organise and schedule appointments.
The organisation and scheduling of appointments is a hectic and challenging task, proving to be quite a time-consuming endeavour and one that takes a great deal of patience and quick thinking. If the medical professional team have the responsibility to make appointments as well as attend them, the workload can become overwhelming. Virtual receptions can help to streamline the processes of the clinic by dealing with appointment scheduling and ensuring that all patients get the bookings and check-ups they need.
- Deal with the verification of medical insurance.
Verifying medical insurance is a vital yet again a time-consuming task. It helps the practise to gauge how much money is payable by the client in order to prepare accurate quotes and pricing. Virtual receptionists can handle this process, verifying the medical insurance for both new and existing patients, which takes the weight of another staff member.
- Manage the refills of prescriptions.
Another laborious and lengthy task is managing prescription refills. Virtual receptions can speed up the processes by making sure that patients get the refills they need to benefit their health. Medical receptionists are both training and qualified in this regard, so the weighty responsibility of dealing with prescriptions is in safe hands.
What Are the Benefits of Going Virtual?
Are there really any benefits to be found by employing a virtual medical receptionist in practise? The truth is that the benefits are many, but here are just four to get you thinking.
- More time for your patients. You will spend less time on mundane paperwork and arduous tasks, and more time on the profession you have worked hard to perfect. You will spend more time with your patients themselves and thus create a better, more effective clinic for your clients.
- Improved experience for your clients. Long phone queues are the killer for many potential clients, so the better service you can provider for your customers, the more likely they are to stick with your and recommend you to others.
- Saves valuable money.
A virtual receptionist doesn’t need office resources or any equipment, they work from their own location and use their own resources. This saves you money and makes a virtual receptionist a cost-effective option.
- Reduces the responsibilities for administrative staff.
There are so many tasks to be done in the successful operation of a medical practise. A fully trained virtual medical receptions will be able to handles many of these tasks effectively and reduce the administrative burden that is currently on you and your team.
How to Choose a Medical Answering Service for Your Clinic
Now you know what a medical receptionist, what they do, and what benefits they could bring, how do you go about choosing one? With so many providers out there vying for your investment, how can you choose wisely? The key is to think carefully and take your time. Look for a provider that specialises in medical receptionist works and trains their staff with the abilities and skills they need to fulfil that role effectively. Read up about them, find reviews and testimonials, ask for referrals, and do your homework. Choose a medical answering service that is flexible and always available if needed. With the right choice, you can do great things for your medical practise and its future as a quality healthcare provider.
