Patient no-shows create a domino effect. Patients might think it’s not such a bad idea because the doctor can spread the time across the day and spend more time with them. But, a doctor alone does not a medical practice make.
Staff supporting a doctor go underutilized. Exam rooms go unused. There’s a direct impact on revenue. It why there’s always a priority placed on calling scheduled patients to remind them of upcoming appointments. Consider the salary of your support staff involved in making these calls. You’ll realize that it’s a cost of thousands of dollars a year—and it might not even pay for itself. Turn that expense into an investment with the right automated appointment reminder system. Here’s what to look for:
Plays Well with Others
Doctors are already aware of the multitude of software systems they have running things throughout the office. One of the biggest frustrations an office can experience is the inability for these systems to communicate with each other. In the end, a system that’s supposed to save time and money ends up actually costing more of both.
Yes, you want to make sure you’re satisfied with the way a system can be used to call patients to remind them of upcoming appointments. Many of these systems may not be capable of interfacing with other systems you have in place—such as your daily patient schedule from your practice management software.
Make sure the appointment reminder system you choose can read patient schedules. Otherwise, you’ll have to manually enter whom the reminder system must call, and you’ll double the amount of work. It can also increase unnecessary data errors.
We’ve Got Enough Hardware and Phone Lines Already
Say, “No, thank you,” to any appointment reminder system that’ll require you to purchase or lease more hardware or phone lines. This is a capital expense that’ll go right to your bottom line. Maintenance and support only adds to the financial burden.
Look instead at Internet-based appointment reminder systems. Yes, the cloud is coming to your office—or maybe it’s your office that’s migrating to the cloud. No matter which direction, an Internet-based appointment reminder system requires no additional hardware or phone line costs. This makes it an operating expense.
The Right Message to the Right Patients
Your staff isn’t just calling patients to remind them of an upcoming appointment. The message often changes based on the type of visit, and there also can be important additional information a patient needs to know. For example, maybe the billing department needs a patient to bring along their new health insurance card, as there’s been a change in coverage.
We also live in a diverse world where the ability to deliver multilingual messages helps to ensure that patients will show up for the appointments they’ve made.
Look for an appointment reminder system that allows you to create customized messages that can be stored and delivered automatically to patients based on the appropriate situation for them. The same use of technology can be put in place to select the most appropriate language for the reminders themselves.
You’re not making the best use of your staff, and you’re also likely losing a lot of money if you still make manual phone calls to remind patients of upcoming appointments. You can make an easy and inexpensive switch if you keep these tips in mind when you let technology make those calls for you.
Technology that makes things easier for medical professionals and their staffs is the guiding principle behind the products Vitacon distributes. The vein finding technology used by the IV-eye portable, handheld vein finder is a proud example. Use this link to have a distributor contact you.
Staff supporting a doctor go underutilized. Exam rooms go unused. There’s a direct impact on revenue. It why there’s always a priority placed on calling scheduled patients to remind them of upcoming appointments. Consider the salary of your support staff involved in making these calls. You’ll realize that it’s a cost of thousands of dollars a year—and it might not even pay for itself. Turn that expense into an investment with the right automated appointment reminder system. Here’s what to look for:
Plays Well with Others
Doctors are already aware of the multitude of software systems they have running things throughout the office. One of the biggest frustrations an office can experience is the inability for these systems to communicate with each other. In the end, a system that’s supposed to save time and money ends up actually costing more of both.
Yes, you want to make sure you’re satisfied with the way a system can be used to call patients to remind them of upcoming appointments. Many of these systems may not be capable of interfacing with other systems you have in place—such as your daily patient schedule from your practice management software.
Make sure the appointment reminder system you choose can read patient schedules. Otherwise, you’ll have to manually enter whom the reminder system must call, and you’ll double the amount of work. It can also increase unnecessary data errors.
We’ve Got Enough Hardware and Phone Lines Already
Say, “No, thank you,” to any appointment reminder system that’ll require you to purchase or lease more hardware or phone lines. This is a capital expense that’ll go right to your bottom line. Maintenance and support only adds to the financial burden.
Look instead at Internet-based appointment reminder systems. Yes, the cloud is coming to your office—or maybe it’s your office that’s migrating to the cloud. No matter which direction, an Internet-based appointment reminder system requires no additional hardware or phone line costs. This makes it an operating expense.
The Right Message to the Right Patients
Your staff isn’t just calling patients to remind them of an upcoming appointment. The message often changes based on the type of visit, and there also can be important additional information a patient needs to know. For example, maybe the billing department needs a patient to bring along their new health insurance card, as there’s been a change in coverage.
We also live in a diverse world where the ability to deliver multilingual messages helps to ensure that patients will show up for the appointments they’ve made.
Look for an appointment reminder system that allows you to create customized messages that can be stored and delivered automatically to patients based on the appropriate situation for them. The same use of technology can be put in place to select the most appropriate language for the reminders themselves.
You’re not making the best use of your staff, and you’re also likely losing a lot of money if you still make manual phone calls to remind patients of upcoming appointments. You can make an easy and inexpensive switch if you keep these tips in mind when you let technology make those calls for you.
Technology that makes things easier for medical professionals and their staffs is the guiding principle behind the products Vitacon distributes. The vein finding technology used by the IV-eye portable, handheld vein finder is a proud example. Use this link to have a distributor contact you.
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