While putting patients first has always been a top priority in the healthcare industry, consumers are demanding more streamlined, connected, and patient-focused healthcare experiences. At the same time, staffing shortages put medical practices at risk of decreasing patient satisfaction with long hold times, and extended email and chat response times. Outsourcing your patient communication services could greatly benefit both your healthcare company and your patients. Here are three key benefits of outsourcing healthcare patient communication services.
Improved Patient Experiences
One of the largest complaints patients have is long wait times. Usually when calling a doctor or hospital there is some sense of urgency. Being held in a phone queue for twenty minutes or over twenty four hours for an email can feel like an eternity when your health is on the line.
Outsourcing can lead to reduced wait times, faster response times, and improved issue resolution rates, resulting in an overall positive experience in the patient’s healthcare journey. While an outsourced patient care operator cannot answer health-related questions, they can schedule appointments, coordinate virtual visits, answer frequently asked questions, and triage communications so that urgent calls, texts, and emails are answered first. Just being able to talk to a human quickly can improve patient satisfaction greatly. In addition, outsourced agents can handle back office tasks like appointment reminders, billing follow ups, and health insurance preauthorization to name a few.
Increased Flexibility
By outsourcing customer service, healthcare companies have the flexibility to scale up or down their customer service operations in response to patient demand. Healthcare businesses may ensure that their patients receive prompt assistance without having to hire and train more internal staff at busy times by using outsourced customer service providers, who can more easily handle increased volumes of patient calls. Practices also have the option of having a live operator available after hours so that even when the office is closed patients still get the attention they need.
Reduced Costs
Medical practices can reduce costs by outsourcing patient communication services. Why bear the burden of hiring, training, managing and retaining in-house staff when a third party can take it on more cheaply, with better customer service, and greater flexibility?
While many healthcare providers may be leery of outsourcing patient communications, Tyme Global is here to reassure the industry that it can be beneficial to both the company and their patients. Our native English-speaking and bilingual agents are HIPAA compliant and trained to the highest customer service standards. Our teams seamlessly integrate with yours to offer a frictionless patient experience.
Patient communications are an essential touchpoint in a patient’s overall healthcare journey. Let us show you how we are reimagining healthcare customer service. Learn more today.