Being sick is one of the most vulnerable human experiences. The last thing someone needs is to be met at 3 am—pained and panicked—by an unending automated robot message on the other end of the phone.

While automated messages are efficient in today’s world, healthcare is not the place for them. What’s needed is a doctor’s answering service, where patients are met with immediate human contact in their most critical moments.

If you strive for a patient-first practice, a medical answering service is sure to spike your success. Keep reading to find out why.

Why Do You Need a Doctor’s Answering Service?

It’s no surprise to anyone that healthcare providers are constantly fighting burnout. Even when they’ve clocked out, their phones haunt them at all hours. Physician answering services are an easy way to take a load off.

There are many reasons why you, your practice and your patient would benefit from an after-hours doctor. Let’s break this down.

Happy and Healthy Patients

Certainly, the patient doesn’t want to be calling in the middle of the night. They’ve stalled hours already, trying to convince themselves their condition can wait; but it can’t.

The main office call line is only open from 8 am-5 pm and sickness doesn’t operate within normal hours. So they leave a distressing message and you wake up to an unhappy, unhealthy patient.

An emergency call should be directed to an emergency call line, which is exactly what a medical answering service is. Patients can feel better about calling any time, knowing they won’t be met with automation or long hold times. Immediate help is exactly the definition of continued care—to be cared for beyond normal business hours.

Answering services are the bridge between the patient and the provider. With less patient stress and increased care, physician answering services better the entire healthcare experience.

Happy and Healthy Business

From an operations standpoint, a doctor’s answering service offsets patient stress as well as staffing costs. An after-hours doctor simply lightens the load for those on-hours.

With a HIPAA compliant system, keeping privacy-protected records gives immediate relief to the patient and immediate information to the staff.

Better customer care means increased customer satisfaction. Not only does this help business, but it keeps everyone healthy—staff included. A doctor’s answering service is the definition of working smarter, not harder while serving everyone along the way.

Happy and Healthy Staff

What a world it would be for doctors to have a clear beginning and end to their day. While sickness never sleeps, a doctor’s answering service would ensure that the doctor does.

All practices should learn more about how medical answering services could help you. Sickness thrives in stress. For your sake and that of your patients, let a doctor’s answering service serve you, for a change.

Crisis Averted

Staying healthy is a round-the-clock position, whether or not you’re a healthcare provider. Tending to yourself—let alone others—is a full-time job. Life’s hard enough, so make your job easier with a doctor’s answering service.

Having human contact during a crisis creates optimal healing. While we can’t control getting sick, a medical answering service is the best response. It truly is a service to all parties involved.

For more on business operations, check out our other blog posts!