Why Hire a Virtual Healthcare Medical Receptionist?
The first person that your prospective patients interact with is your receptionist. They must be warm and welcoming, having a calming effect on your patients. Commonly, people get nervous or stressed out when they reach out to a medical office, and a friendly receptionist can make a difference for them.
Medical receptionists take care of a wide range of administrative tasks to assist the staff as well as patients. Here at MedVA, our medical receptionists have medical experience and can help with many other tasks as well.
These tasks include but are not limited to:
Answer phone calls and emails – The most common routine task at a medical office is answering patient questions via email or phone call. A skilled medical receptionist can answer any questions regarding payments, documentation, records, schedules, and much more.
Digitize medical records – Nowadays, electronic health records are the norm. A medical receptionist can help digitize patient health records in the database and make sure all information is up to date and valid.
Appointment and schedule maintenance – The organization of the schedules and appointment coordination for patients is vital to a smooth-running medical office. A medical receptionist can take away the timely and detail-oriented task of managing the schedules in the office.
Reminders – Your medical receptionist can help patients stay on track with their appointments by sending reminders for upcoming consults, appointments, and follow-ups to maximize scheduling efficiency.
Process billing and insurance – Medical receptionists with a higher skillset can help with processing payments for billing, as well as preauthorize accounts that may be eligible for insurance coverage.
Document patient visits – In addition to keeping patient records updated, a medical receptionist can assist with the documentation of each visit.
Many times, offices have unique procedures when it comes to record-keeping, billing, appointment scheduling, intake paperwork, and so on. Having a medical receptionist doesn’t necessarily mean they must stick to the work of a receptionist; think of them as your right hand, meaning, if you have some extra clerical work or administrative duties, you may assign these things to your receptionist as well, freeing up some time for your in-office staff. There are so many options and opportunities that hiring a medical receptionist can open for medical offices.
Reasons You Should Hire a Virtual Medical Receptionist
A virtual medical receptionist can do all the same as an in-office receptionist, virtually. There are many advantages to a virtual receptionist including but not limited to:
Increased flexibility. A virtual medical receptionist has a lot more flexibility in their hours than an in-office employee, who may need certain hours to adjust to other outside factors. Decreased cost. Staffing tends to be costly. However, thousands of dollars can be saved by hiring a virtual medical receptionist, due to decreased overhead costs alone.
Reduced administrative workload. In-house administration employees have reported that paperwork tends to be their most time-consuming task. With a virtual medical receptionist, you can delegate these tedious tasks, so your in-house staff may focus on some more pressing duties.
Phone calls and emails are always covered. Many patients prefer a more friendly and welcoming experience when they reach out to a medical office. No need for an answering service, as your medical receptionist can answer phone calls and emails for you in a kind, professional manner.
Insurance verification. The daunting task of handling insurance verification for new and existing patients can be covered by a virtual medical receptionist, and free up time for your in-office staff.
Refilling patient prescriptions. A virtual medical receptionist is capable of refilling patient prescriptions or reaching out to the appropriate staff in your office to complete refill requests. They can also reach out to the local pharmacy for the patient.
Going virtual seems to be the go-to nowadays, especially since the pandemic. Opening up your office to virtual work can be scary at first, but the rewards are exceptional. The pandemic truly forced employers, especially in the medical field, to create virtual options for employees. This switch across the boards seems to now be a huge benefit to employees and their employers.
Medical offices have many required in-office duties, but many of the clerical and administrative tasks can be completed virtually, giving medical offices a chance to decrease costs and attract some great talent. Many workers in the US quit their in-office jobs to go to a virtual option, so they may attend to their loved ones and other interests outside of the workplace.
A Virtual Medical Receptionist is a “No-Brainer”
A large number of benefits come along with a virtual medical receptionist that can help your doctors, patients, and clerical staff. Hiring a virtual medical receptionist can bring a positive addition to your office by bringing freedom and flexibility to a workplace that can be highly stressful and busy.
Is it Safe?
There may be hesitation due to some of the concerns of hiring any virtual employee such as patient confidentiality, or the inability to ensure an employee is working on the clock. Here at MedVA, we ensure our virtual medical receptionists are trained, and their equipment is ready to protect patient records, as well as giving you the ability to make sure they are working efficiently and effectively during work hours.
How Do I Know the Virtual Medical Receptionist I Choose is the Right Fit?
At MedVA, we offer an extensive interview process, and we consider your wants and needs for your office. We then send you a list of candidates you’d like to meet with and set up a virtual meet and greets so you may discuss your office with them to ensure it would be a good fit. However, sometimes it may just not work out, and we can help. You are free to switch or cancel your medical receptionist at any time, as our goal is to help you find the right fit for your office.
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