When answering the phone in the medical office the first thing you should always do is?

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Telephone calls are a vital means of communication for a medical office. For this reason, many physicians have their phones answered 24 hours a day, seven days a week, by using a phone answering service outside of office hours. Efficient and effective phone call procedures will serve the needs of the patients and staff in a professional manner.

Handling Incoming Calls

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Know what information is needed from patients. When answering the phone, focus your attention on the caller. Speak clearly and slowly. Record notes as you converse. Have the caller state his name. Address the caller by name during the conversation. Many calls will be patients needing to make appointments, but some will require medical advice from a nurse or doctor. If a callback is needed, record the person’s name and phone number. Ask him to spell his name. If his records will be accessed in order to respond to his request, ask for identifying information such as date of birth. This insures that the correct records will be consulted as the patient name and birth date must both match. Make clear, brief notes as to the nature of the call. Note the time, date and your initials. Give the patient an indication as to when he can expect a return call. Smile as you speak. Smiling effects how you sound. Before completing the call, ask if you have addressed all of the caller’s questions.

Handling Requests for Prescription Refills

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When a patient requests a prescription refill, you will need the following information: patient name and phone number, name of medication, length of time patient has been taking it, symptoms, pharmacy name and pharmacy phone number. Inform the patient if you will be calling back to confirm that the refill has been ordered.

Handling Patient Requests to Speak With Doctor

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Your doctor will determine what constitutes an emergency requiring his immediate presence on the phone. Generally, doctors do not answer phone calls except from other physicians and members of their family. All other calls except emergency calls are returned at their convenience during the course of the day or at the end of the day. Assure the patient that the doctor will call back, and provide an approximate time of the day if that is possible.

Other Office Phone Essentials

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Do not drink, eat or chew gum while answering the phone. Answer the phone by the third ring. Do not use slang or unprofessional words and phrases. Always ask before putting a caller on hold. Check back with the caller within 30 seconds. If necessary, ask if you can call the patient back in a few minutes. Avoid putting several calls on hold at once. Always remember you are in a professional setting.

A large pediatric practice routinely answered the phone by stating its business name and saying,“Please hold,” before the caller could utter a word. This unprofessional manner was provoking. It ceased when one of the doctors in the practice phoned in and received the same treatment as the patients’ parents. He immediately revised their phone answering protocol.

The behavior of your medical office staff on inbound and outbound calls can have a positive or negative impact on your business. Whether a receptionist is scheduling an appointment or a nurse is answering a question, excellent phone etiquette and customer service is required to prevent patient attrition and spread of negative word-of-mouth advertising. Ask your staff to follow these seven rules of etiquette when dealing with patients, vendors, colleagues and others on the phone.

Fast on the Phone

Answer inbound calls as quickly as possible – before the third ring – to prevent a caller from thinking the office is understaffed. Too many rings is an unnecessary irritation in waiting patients and can create a negative office atmosphere. Impress upon your staff that everyone in the office should assist with this issue.

Friendly and Professional

Greet callers in a friendly, professional manner with the office and staff member name: “Good afternoon, Thousands of Smiles Dental office, this is Jacob. How may I be of assistance?” Smile during every call, as smiling can naturally improve the voice to make it seem more energetic and friendly. Avoid eating or chewing gum while talking, as the noises can be most unpleasant for the person on the other end of the phone line.

Appropriate Volume and Speed

Speak in a low tone using moderate volume and speed to convey words in a clear, understandable way. Raise tone or volume to emphasize a point or clarify as the situation dictates. For example, a staff member might raise the volume of his voice for an elderly patient who asks him to speak up.

Be Polite When Placing Caller on Hold

Ask a caller’s permission to place her on hold if necessary. For example, after the greeting and determining the caller’s name, a staff member might say, “Mrs. Anderson, I'm assisting a patient on the other line. May I please place you on a brief hold? (waits for answer) Thank you. Please hold.”

Tip

Advise office staff to always check back with a caller on hold within a specific amount of time to reassure the caller that he hasn’t been forgotten. If a staff member anticipates a long hold time, she should apologize for the continued hold and provide the caller with options such as leaving a voice-mail message, continuing to hold or calling back later. Although hold times vary by medical offices, callers might consider a hold time longer than 30 seconds without a hold message or music, or 90 seconds with a message or music, to be disrespectful.

Use Plain English

Use nontechnical language with patients instead of jargon or medical abbreviations, as a caller or call receiver might not understand medical terminology. If use of a medical term, phrase or abbreviation is necessary, ask staff members to offer a definition in context to clarify meaning. Of course, it's appropriate to use more technical language in conversations with a doctor, medical supplier, pharmaceutical representatives and so on.

Attentive Listening Skills

Listen to the caller or call receiver attentively to determine the best way to assist and to show interest and concern. Advise staff members to take notes while listening, wait for the caller to finish speaking and repeat key points or ask questions to clarify the caller or receiver’s statements.

Satisfying Call Closure

Close the call in a friendly, professional way instead of simply hanging up. For example, “Thank you. I will make certain the doctor gets your message. Goodbye.” or "Mr. Smith, Is there anything else I can help you with? (waits for answer) You’re welcome. Thank you for calling and have a nice day."

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