Business

Benefits of a specialist medical telephone answering service

Published

3 years ago

October 4, 2021

Benefits of a specialist medical telephone answering service

Investing in a medical telephone answering service can help you run and manage your practice more efficiently and drastically improve your patient communication.

Whether you’re a solo practitioner or part of a bigger medical practice, a specialised medical telephone answering service has a lot of benefits.

With COVID-19 forcing businesses to consider whether they’ll bring staff back to the office or continue with remote working (24% intend to increase home working in the future) a remote call answering service for your medical practice could be just the answer.

What is a telephone answering service?

A telephone answering service works just the way a traditional receptionist would in terms of dealing with calls.

Using a team of virtual receptionists, your telephone answering service can deal with incoming calls, take messages, pass calls to the right members of your team, act as a screen against unwanted sales calls, and free you and your team up to focus on the job of looking after patients.

The only difference is they work in a remote capacity, meaning you don’t have to worry about manning the phones in a physical office.

But how can a specialist medical telephone answering service actually benefit your practice?

Improve patient communication

A telephone answering service can give you a reliable, consistent call handling function in your practice.

Instead of risking sending patients to voicemail, leaving them on hold, or letting the phone ring constantly, your call answering team can deal with every call that comes into your practice.

And instead of an automated, robotic voice, patients will be greeted by a real person who can deal with their enquiries quickly and even help them book appointments with you.

This is important as 11% of patients in a recent survey said they’d found it difficult to book appointments with their clinic or GP in the past.

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Improve your reputation for patient care

While you might think patient care begins at the start of a consultation, it actually starts from the moment a patient contacts you.

From the first phone call, patients want to feel reassured and confident that they’re being dealt with professionally, in a personal way.

Calling to book a medical appointment, only to be met by voicemail or an automated message isn’t going to offer any reassurance.

Plus, with a telephone answering service dealing with incoming calls, your practice staff can spend more time caring for the patients in front of them.

This is something in demand now for clinicians.

A report by the BMJ found that patients had struggled to access services, book appointments or access treatments at clinics and GP surgeries through 2019 and 2020.

Save money

The traditional receptionist role – manning a desk, greeting people and answering the phone – is actually highly inefficient and not cost effective.

In a physical clinic, they might be able to greet people and answer the phone, but once they’re on one call, they can’t deal with anything else until that call is finished.

And if you operate a mobile clinic, having an office or desk space just for a receptionist is a massive waste of resources that could be better spent on other areas of the business.

With a telephone answering service dealing with your practice’s calls, you can save money on the wages of a receptionist and use the money to invest in other members of staff with the skills and experience to deal with those patients who do require further in-person consultations.

Free up your time

If you’re a solo practitioner, running your own clinic, you won’t have the time to answer every call that comes through.

If you do answer every call you won’t have the time to actually take care of patients.

Even if you work in a bigger practice, is it a good use of a salary to have someone just dedicated to answering the phone?

By bringing in a call answering service you can free up clinical staff to spend more time with patients and improving patient care.

Extend your opening hours

Just because you run a practice from 9-5 doesn’t mean patients will only try to call you during those times.

Many patients will be working during the day and not have time to call to book an appointment.

Or they might need to book at the weekend.

If your practice doesn’t pick up the phone you’re not offering a great patient experience.

And if you run a private clinic or solo aesthetic business, you risk losing revenue with patients likely to try somewhere else if they can’t get in touch with you.

Get specialist call answering help

Because of the nature of medical and health practices, patients are often calling for sensitive reasons or to book appointments.

These aren’t things a regular call centre answering service can help with.

Operators in call centres don’t receive specific training to deal with this type of enquiry (they literally just take messages).

Nor can they be used to book appointments or help manage diaries.

So if you want to free up time and money, hiring a specialist medical call answering service is the best option.

Grow your practice

If you rely on increasing patient numbers for revenue and profit, then a specialist clinic call answering service can help.

For one, it ensures you never miss an incoming call, which could include new patients trying to register with you or trying to book appointments.

Plus, because it frees you up from answering calls, you can spend more time working on your practice when not seeing patients, rather than spending all day handling calls.

For a solo practitioner, this provides vital time to market your business and attract new patients.

Also Read: What is Third Party Logistics (3PL)?

Avoid unnecessary calls

As well as dealing with patient calls, you likely get a lot of calls from salespeople trying to sell services or products.

These calls are a huge distraction when you’re running a busy practice, and you don’t have time to deal with them.

Not only can a telephone answering service for your medical practice screen your calls for you, but it can also have you removed from sales lists so you don’t have to deal with these calls in the future.

Invest in a telephone answering service to improve your medical practice

If you want to find out how you can benefit from outsourcing for call answering services, contact Pulse by Face For Business.

We’ve got a team of virtual receptionists who specialise in call answering for the health and medical sectors who can help you better manage your calls and appointment booking.
Click here to find out more about Pulse by Face For Business or get in touch.

World

Prime Hydration Faces Lawsuits Claiming Its Sports Drink, Prime Energy, Contains PFAS and Excessive Caffeine

Published

4 hours ago

April 24, 2024

Manoj Nair

Prime Energy, the sports drink from Prime Hydration, has been hit by a number of lawsuits for containing excessive amounts of caffeine and PFAS. Another lawsuit was filed on April 8 in the Southern District of New York, accusing Prime Hydration, the parent company which manufactures the sports drink, of engaging in misleading and deceptive practices.

Prime Hydration was founded by two Logan Paul and KSI in 2022, and the products became very popular thanks to the huge followings of the YouTubers. However, the company is now facing a slew of lawsuits over the ingredients in their energy and sports drinks.

New Lawsuit Against Prime Hydration

The latest lawsuit, filed on April 8, accuses the company’s 12-ounce energy drinks of containing 215-225 milligrams of caffeine, exceeding the permissible limit of 200 milligrams. The lawsuit was filed by Lara Vera, a resident of Poughkeepsie, New York.

The lawsuit details that the plaintiff had purchased Prime’s Blue Raspberry products on numerous occasions in August 2022 for about $3 to $4 each, unaware that the products contained caffeine beyond the permissible limits. The plaintiff is seeking damages of $5 million from the company. Lara Vera’s lawsuit alleges that Prime advertised 200 milligrams of caffeine, which is equal to six Coke cans or two 12-ounce Red Bulls. One Red Bull can could contain 114 milligrams of caffeine.

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The suit also alleges that there are no safe limits of caffeine for children and that caffeine has been indicted for causing tachycardia, headaches, convulsions, tremors, upset digestion, and adversely affecting mental health.

Earlier, Senator Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., had asked the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to investigate Prime energy drinks in 2023 after reports that the products contained high levels of caffeine. The Senator also accused the company of using vague marketing tactics focused on young people, influencing parents to buy the caffeine-laced drinks for their kids. The lawsuit by Vera also quotes the Senator’s call to the FDA.

Prime is also facing another lawsuit filed on Aug. 2, 2023, in the Northern District of California by the Milberg law firm on behalf of Elizabeth Castillo and others. The lawsuit charges Prime’s products with using flavors containing PFAS, or “forever chemicals.” Forever chemicals are a class of chemicals that are not degraded in the human body or nature and have been indicted as a carcinogenic substance. Independent third-party testing has confirmed that Prime Hydration grape flavor contained PFAS.

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Net Worth

George T. Conway Net Worth 2024: How Much is the American Lawyer Worth?

Published

8 hours ago

April 24, 2024

Vishnu Chaudhary

George T. Conway Net Worth 2024: How Much is the American Lawyer Worth?

Who is George T. Conway?

George T. Conway, also known as George Thomas Conway III, is a distinguished American lawyer and political activist. Born on September 2, 1963, in Boston, Massachusetts, Conway is renowned for his legal expertise and vocal opposition to former President Donald Trump’s administration.

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George T. Conway Career

Conway’s legal career is illustrious, marked by significant contributions to various fields such as securities, mergers and acquisitions, contracts, and antitrust issues. He began his career as a law clerk at the US Court of Appeals and later joined prestigious law firms, including Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen, and Katz. Notable cases include representing Paula Jones in a trial against President Bill Clinton and securing a victory against the National Australia Bank. Furthermore, Conway has been actively involved in political activism, co-founding groups like Checks and Balances and the Lincoln Project, which oppose Trumpism and advocate for democratic principles.

George T. Conway Net Worth

As of 2024, according to Celebrity Net Worth, George T. Conway’s net worth is estimated to be approximately $39 million. His wealth primarily stems from his successful legal career, where he has handled high-stakes cases and served as a partner in prestigious law firms. Additionally, Conway’s involvement in political activism, public speaking engagements, and media appearances contribute to his financial status.

George T. Conway Age

Born on September 2, 1963, George T. Conway is currently 60 years old as of 2024.

George T. Conway Family: Wife and Children

George T. Conway was previously married to Kellyanne Fitzpatrick Conway, a prominent political consultant and former White House counselor. The couple has four children: Claudia, Vanessa, Charlotte, and George Jr. Their marriage ended in separation in 2023.

George T. Conway Height and Weight

George T. Conway stands at 5 feet 7 inches tall and weighs around 84 kg. He possesses a charming personality with black hair and captivating black eyes.

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World

Grindr, LGBTQ+ Dating App, Faces Lawsuit in UK Over Alleged Sharing of Users’ HIV Status

Published

8 hours ago

April 24, 2024

Manoj Nair

Gay dating app Grindr has been slapped with a lawsuit instituted by hundreds of its users. The lawsuit alleges that the app shared private information, including the HIV status of users, with third parties without consent. Filed in London’s High Court, the lawsuit, according to Austen Hays from the law firm representing the plaintiffs, suggests that thousands of Grindr users in the United Kingdom may have been affected.

The law firm claims that Grindr shared highly sensitive user information with third parties for commercial purposes, including HIV status. Grindr, the largest dating app catering specifically to the LGBT community, is accused of sharing data with data analytics companies Apptimize and Locally.

The lawsuit further alleges that the app used covert tracking technology to gather sensitive information, which was then unlawfully shared with advertisers. With over 13 million monthly users and more than 924,000 users reported in the UK as of May 2023, Grindr boasts the highest engagement among dating apps, with users spending an average of six hours and 49 minutes on the app per month.

A spokesman for the gay dating app stated that they would “respond vigorously to this claim, which appears to be based on a mischaracterization of practices from more than four years ago.”

The lawsuit, signed by more than 670 respondents, claims that the breach occurred between 2018 and 2020. It is anticipated that more people could join the case, potentially numbering in the thousands. If successful, plaintiffs could receive thousands of pounds in damages.

The managing director of the law firm representing the plaintiffs, Chaya Hanoomanjee, stated, “Grindr owes it to the LGBTQ+ community it serves to compensate those whose data has been compromised and have suffered distress as a result. The company must ensure all its users are safe while using the app, wherever they are, without fear that their data might be shared with third parties.”

Grindr’s spokesperson reiterated the company’s commitment to protecting user data, asserting that they have robust processes in place that fully comply with data privacy regulations in the UK and elsewhere.

Also Read: Johnson Controls subsidiary Tyco Fire Products to pay $750 mn to settle ‘forever chemicals’ lawsuit