Proper Steps for Patient Access Registration Services

Handle new patient access registration through a medical call center to improve operations in your practice.

Depending who you ask, “patient access” can mean different things. In an article by Advisory.com, they outline the differences in opinion. There are those that view “patient access” has the department within the hospital that manages registration, insurance verification, and much more. While others, see “patient access” as any activity that affects a patient’s ability to get proper care when they need, and where they need it. But, no matter how you define it, it remains a critical component for medical practices and patients alike. A specific area that can assist in improving the overall patient experience is “patient access registration services.”

Read Advisory.com full article: ‘Patient access’ means something different to everyone—but they all agree it’s essential

A medical answering service that is trained to deliver patient access registration services can assist your practice 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 can be time-consuming and some folks may even find it confusing. By providing a direct line with a trained agent, patients can be walked through the 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 the patient so they are comfortable with the registration process.

Why Consider Phone Patient Access Registration for New Patients?

Phone registration can be the answer to the following common inefficiencies in a medical practice:

• The patient can complete the registration process before coming into the medical office.
• Free up staff to focus on higher value activities, while a trained agent is responsible for entering in patient information.
• A streamlined system is in place, creating a seamless experience for your patients.
• Never worry about staff shortages.

How New Patient Phone Registration Works

At the time that the patient makes an appointment with your office 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. Another option is to schedule a time an agent can call the patient. 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 from the patient.

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 your processes. Specifically, adapt to how you want the patient to be managed. If implemented correctly, the patient will never know they are talking with a medical answering service.

Improve Patient Satisfaction

Phone registration has been proven to improve patient satisfaction because it means less waiting in the office, and it allows patients to perform this task at a time that is 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. But, when met with the realities of running a practice, it sometimes takes a back seat to balancing a budget. To find an effective solution to reduce costs, improve 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 staff.

Is this service right for my practice?

It is important for any company offering patient access registration services to understand your 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. To understand 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.