Skip to main content

All great healthcare services start with great communication. More than any other form of service, healthcare relies on trust as a key factor. Without the patient’s trust, healthcare services will struggle to find new patients let alone retain existing ones for a long period of time. The unique nature of the healthcare industry demands a unique form of healthcare customer service. One that is not only responsive and available 24/7, but is also provided by agents with healthcare knowledge as well as the ability to connect with callers on a deeper level.

As the number of patients grows, all healthcare companies struggle to pick up calls and will eventually turn to third party call center service providers. Infact, call centers are now claiming the largest ever growth in healthcare clients with many hospitals, clinics and even solo practitioners turning to call centers for customer service. As this trend continues to grow, IdeasUnlimited has been at the forefront of this change and has gained valuable insight. In this blog, we’ll be discussing how call centers play a crucial role in the healthcare industry and why more and more companies are beginning to utilize them.

1. Better Engagement with Patients

Call centers are experts of communication. Many agents answering the phone have years of experience in dealing with troubled and irate customers. This makes them capable of taking on almost any type of phone call. More importantly, it makes them vital for maintaining great communication with your customers and keeping them coming back for more.

Call centers apply the same skill set in the healthcare industry. Ofcourse, agents are careful to first go over regional specific requirements for the call such as:
a. Insurance verification
b. Patient History
c. Confidentiality

However, once the conversation is underway, agents ensure that customers always leave the call satisfied. This is because teams of agents train and coach for this specific purpose, typically following tried and tested guidelines as well as pre-planned scripts to ensure their calls are pleasant for the patient.

One other concern, ofcourse, is whether or not a call center agent will be able to handle healthcare related questions without being a medical professional themself. That is why call centers always make sure that healthcare customer support is only being provided by agents that have prior experience in the field. Furthermore, many call centers recruit former nurses, paramedics, pharmacists and receptionists as their agents. Healthcare call center administrators provide proper training and certifications to ensure that representatives are well qualified to deal with patients.

Doctors may receive training to deal with patients face-to-face, but call center agents have significantly more experience in enhancing communication over the phone. Since the telephone is usually the first line of communication before patients enter, it is imperative that medical organizations focus on improving it with the help of call centers.

2. Patient Profile Management

Call centers have evolved to utilize many different forms of technology into their service. One very common tool being used is customer profiling which maintains customer history, their behavior, call records and anything else that is relevant for business. Call centers have been using this for a very long time. Computerized calls and VoIP have only made it easier to create detailed profiles of clients calling in.

The same tools can be easily transferred to healthcare answering services. Many healthcare call center outsourcing companies maintain detailed patient records in order to make sure that the right treatment is being given out. When call centers are utilized, this process is even easier for them since third-party centers will assist in the storage and maintenance of patient data.

Patient’s medical history is not all that call centers can maintain. Call history, patient’s purchase behavior, their satisfaction score, all this and more can also greatly benefit healthcare providers who are always looking for ways to understand their clients better. It helps in not just improving engagement with patients, but also in finding new opportunities for healthcare service or perhaps to find weaknesses and gaps in the current one.

Call centers are not just places where phone calls are made and received; rather, they have evolved into complex client profile managers and some of the best forms of ‘CRM’ that can be leveraged by other companies. In the healthcare industry, where client relationships can make or break a business, call centers are the secret formula for success.

3. Omnichannel Integration

In a recent survey, 8 out every 10 people stated ‘Google’ as the first place they go to for healthcare concerns. As in-person appointments are becoming more cumbersome, many people are turning to the convenience of the internet or phone before actually visiting a doctor. In other words, healthcare, for better or worse, has spread to all digital channels and many are now demanding the availability of services such as live-chat or online appointments.

Adding omnichannel support to your business is no simple task. There are too many things to take care of such as software licensing, appointment booking, query forwarding, ticket management and so much more. Fortunately, this is exactly where call centers can step in to help. Companies like IdeasUnlimited have been handling omnichannel support for years and are experienced in helping others establish and execute complete omnichannel support for their customers. When it comes to healthcare organizations, the process is no different. Agents handle queries coming in on not just telephones, but live-chat and text as well. Furthermore, agents can also easily connect patients with the right doctor and make the whole medical process easier for the provider and the recipient

Furthermore, more and more call centers are now being employed to handle digital lines of communication. Consequently, they have become experts in seamlessly integrating themselves with healthcare providers as their primary line of communication.

Conclusion

In today’s economy with stiff competition, healthcare is no longer just about the practice of medicine. It is about how well a company can communicate with their client and make their experience pleasant from the get go. Call centers will always be a one-stop shop for any form of business that wants to improve customer satisfaction and, therefore, revenue.

Getting started is now easier than ever. If you’re looking for affordable call center services for your business, you’re already at the right place. Simply head over to ideasunlimitedonline.com/contact-us and let us now how we can help you solve your customer service challenges. We look forward to taking your business to the next level!

Leave a Reply