Proper Steps for Patient Access Registration Services
Handle new patient access registration through a medical call center to improve operations in your practice.
Depending on who you ask, “patient access” can mean different things. An article by Advisory.com focuses on the differences in opinion. There are persons who view “patient access” as the department within the hospital that manages registration, insurance verification, eligibility, and others. And there are the ones who see “patient access” as any activity that affects a patient’s ability to get proper care when and where they need it.
No matter how you define patient registration to receive medical services, it remains a critical component for medical practices and patients alike. Patient access registration services can assist in saving valuable time and improving the overall patient experience.
Read Advisory.com full article: ‘Patient access’ means something different to everyone—but they all agree it’s essential
A medical answering service trained to deliver patient access registration services can assist your practice and doctors to streamline your processes, deliver a better patient experience, as well as free up staff.
Leveraging Patient Access Registration Services by Phone
The registration process can be a frustrating experience for new patients. Providing the proper insurance information and answering medical history questions for their medical record can be time-consuming and some folks may even find it confusing.
By providing a direct line with a trained agent, persons can be walked through the pre-registration process over the phone. This leads to a better patient experience and less room for error in the registration process. A trained agent can answer questions and provide guidance to patients for improved accuracy and a better experience with the registration process.
Why Consider Phone Patient Access Registration for New Patients?
Phone outpatient registration can be the answer to the following common inefficiencies often found in medical practice management systems:
- The patient can complete the registration process before coming into the medical office.
- Free up your team to focus on higher-value activities, while a trained agent enters patient information.
- A streamlined system is in place, creating a seamless experience for both patients and primary care physicians.
- Never worry about staff shortages.
How New Patient Phone Registration Works
When a patient makes an appointment for a visit at your medical practice, they are encouraged to use the phone registration process. Depending on your protocols, there are various registration options. Patients can be given a number to call to complete the registration process at their convenience and discuss any special requirements they might have.
Another option is to schedule a time when a trained person from the registration desk can call them. The patient’s answers are recorded electronically, eliminating the need to re-key the information later, as well as the potential mistakes that result from transcribing someone’s handwriting. During the patient registration phone call, the trained agent will solicit all the necessary information to fill in the registration form, discuss patient billing, and answer any questions the patient may have regarding the healthcare provider.
What some medical answering services forget is that not all practices are the same. A quality medical answering service should be willing to adapt to the practice size and processes. Specifically, adapt to how you want the patients to be managed. If implemented correctly, the patient will never know they are talking with a medical answering service and not an in-house member of the administrative staff.
Improve Patient Satisfaction
Phone registration has been proven to improve patient satisfaction because it means less waiting in the office and allows patients to perform this task at a time convenient for them. Because they are guided through the process by the medical call center agent, confusion and uncertainty are minimized. With the medical industry being as competitive as it is, improving patient satisfaction is critical to success.
Reduce Costs and Improve Practice Operations
Offering convenience and flexibility are cornerstones of creating a better patient experience and delivering high-quality service levels. But, when met with the realities of running a practice, it sometimes takes a back seat to keep costs within the set budget.
Finding an effective solution to reduce costs, streamline operations, and improve patient satisfaction is what can make a medical practice competitive in the marketplace. A patient access registration service can improve your bottom line by making the office appointment process more predictable, removing the labor to manually re-key, and making better use of your administrative and clinical staff.
Is This the Right Service for My Practice?
It is important for any company offering patient access registration services to understand that their practice and needs are unique. Some practices require more detailed processes to be implemented while others have a simpler task list.
No matter if you are a large or small practice, you can benefit from this service. At Unicom, we only charge for live agent talk time. You don’t have to worry about being locked into a large contract. Just pay for what you use.
About Unicom Teleservices
24-hour answering service company located in Chicago, Illinois. Our Medical Answering Services offers live agents 24 / 7 / 365. We never close.
For 25 years, Unicom has worked with companies large and small practices to discuss their needs. Understanding their processes allows us to determine how we can deliver value.
With Unicom, simply request an answering service quote. Together we can determine if there is a good fit to manage your patient’s phone calls.
Post Update: The article was updated on July 25th, 2023, originally published on February 28th, 2017. It has been completely revamped and updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness.
