By Joel Sylvester, Chief Client Officer, Five Star Call Centers
Healthcare providers have a primary goal in common: giving patients exceptional care. Medical professionals know that top-notch healthcare encompasses all aspects of treatment—not just doctor visits. Answering client calls promptly, providing needed medical resources, and scheduling appointments are also essential in well-rounded patient care.
However, it’s no secret that medical workers are stretched thin these days. Thus, everyday demands can start to disrupt a positive client experience. Partnering with a healthcare call center can free up providers and staff to focus on what matters most: the patient.
What is a Healthcare Call Center?
Healthcare call centers are composed of expert agents that field inbound customer communications. Healthcare-specific call centers quickly respond to patient inquiries, help schedule appointments, and promote a favorable patient experience. While the agents are outsourced—not part of the in-house office staff—they are available 24/7 to manage all manners of customer service.
Why Do Companies Outsource Call Centers?
The healthcare industry is no stranger to daily hustle and bustle. Administrative professionals and providers have their hands’ full managing patient care. They also find themselves fielding phone calls, balancing schedules, providing healthcare resources, processing payments, and more.
Furthermore, clinics are enduring labor issues, which add extra duties to everyone’s already full plate. In 2021, hospitals saw a 19.5% turnover rate. Some estimates predict a healthcare labor shortage of 3.2 million by 2026.
In-person patient care is often the first priority to staff, so sometimes calls take a backseat. Clients are placed on hold for extended periods of time or have to leave a voicemail and wait for a return call. Both can negatively impact the customer experience. According to recent data, 94% of patients and 93% of providers believe patients’ satisfaction with their healthcare experiences is paramount. The data also reveals that 91% of dissatisfied patients will seek out other provider options.
Healthcare call centers manage time-consuming and crucial tasks, freeing up the workload of providers and staff and giving patients peace of mind. Agents are dedicated solely to patient inquiries, which means timely, attentive, and professional responses every time.
What Do Call Center Outsourcing Companies Provide?
There are a few significant wants patients have when they interact with their healthcare providers:
- Personal attention
- Simplicity
- Quick care
Outsourced call centers provide immediate responses to customer questions. Not only can they handle emergency calls, but agents can alert staff and providers to any priority calls or digital interactions so they can be addressed promptly.
Call center agents specialize in voice, email/SMS, and IVR communications, which means patients can reach out via their preferred platform and get the personal attention they desire. Plus, since agents are on hand 365 days a year, customers will receive quick answers to their questions.
Expert healthcare call centers also offer:
- Appointment setting and consultations
- Provider communication, including medical records and follow-up documentation
- Staff time card approvals
- Patient payments
- Telehealth tech support
- Medical app tech support
- Medical protocol information
- COVID-19 testing site details
- And more
In essence, healthcare call centers elevate the patient experience by taking care of all the details. They also remove some of the weight from the shoulders of healthcare workers.
Looking to Partner with an Extraordinary Healthcare Call Center?
Don’t trust just any call center to manage your clients. Choose Five Star Call Centers for award-winning, professional, and unparalleled customer service.
Our agents are experts in the healthcare field and prepared to handle a wealth of patient questions. We are skilled in meeting compliance regulations, increasing client satisfaction, and supporting providers. It’s no wonder we’ve been one of the top outsourced call centers for nearly 40 years.
Connect with us today to learn more about our customized services.
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