1. Use Patients Frist Name

A person’s name is the most significant connection to their identity and individuality. Make a habit of using your patients’ names when they visit the office. This rule also applies when you have callers; since there is no visual connection, using their names makes it more personal. In his famous book How to Win Friends and Influence People, Dale Carnegie stated that “a person’s name is the sweetest and most important sound in any language.” This is one of the most essential medical reception best practices, and a personal touch helps create a bond between your practice and patients.

2. Confirm Patient Information

Although this medical reception best practice seems simple, accuracy is vital. When gathering new customer information, always confirm it, especially if they call through the phone. Confirming prevents miscommunication with important information. Some of the most vital information to confirm is as follows.

• Home and billing addresses: with these, invoicing can be easier.
• Call back information and email: If a call drops, or they miss an appointment, you want to be able to contact them.
• Insurance information: If your receptionist transposes even one number wrong, it can set back getting paid by months.
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These details are necessary to avoid issues in billing collection and customer service. To confirm, always read back the information and get verbal confirmation from the customer.

3. Keep Reception Clean and Organized

Your reception area represents your practice, so make sure you put your best foot forward. Keeping a clean and organized workspace also helps you stay on top of the workload and have a clear mind.

Keep the reception area looking nice. You want patients to feel comfortable, which means ensuring things stay clean and updated. Floors should be vacuumed/swept daily, surfaces wiped, and trash emptied. Also, if the paint starts chipping or furniture gets damaged, update/ replace it. A neat, clean reception area in the medical field can ease customers, especially if they have an extended wait time.

 Keep electronic and paper filing systems organized. Patients who see you are not keeping their information secure will instantly lose trust. If a filing system lets you sort and manage customer information, you will need help accessing it. Consider investing in an electronic filing system.

4. Use Scripts for Phone Calls.

Create a script your receptionist can use to ensure all callers get accurate answers. Scripts can help for several different reasons; the top few are:

• Decrease training time: The system easily guides receptionists through each call. It provides them with a custom script with the exact information they need when they need it. Updates can easily be made to the script if patient or visitor policies change.
• Increase productivity: Instead of putting the caller on hold and searching for answers, staff who use scripting can find the information they need in just a few clicks. Therefore, proper scripting can resolve many calls within a few minutes.
• Promote consistency and reduce errors: Scripting ensures that the correct customer info is collected, giving the caller the most updated information. Scripts also keep receptionists from violating regulations since they will always know the next thing to say, taking the proper action at the end of the call. Please read our blog to learn more about scripts that can benefit your practice.

5. Preregister New Patients

Once a new patient is gained, please don’t wait until the last minute to get all their information. Send them a preregistration link in advance via your EMR. This way, you collect as much information as possible before their initial consult and save everyone time. If you can do this, you will significantly reduce errors and free up your receptionist’s time.

A fully staffed reception helps you stay caught up and process patients faster. However, some things, such as maternity leave, sick days, and vacations, can result in an understaffed reception. If doing all these medical reception best practices regularly seems daunting, outsource when necessary. A short-term and often more efficient tool is an answering service. MedCall Plus is the healthcare industry’s leading Telephone Answering Services and Call Center Support Services provider. With over 25 years of medically focused communication management expertise, MedCall Plus provides solutions that empower our professionally trained agents to become a seamless extension of your practice.