Outsourcing ENT Medical Billing to Improve Customer Service
Do you know what the number one reason why patients leave a practice or clinic? Studies show that it is lack of customer service. The words that they use, however, include “poor bedside manner,” “rude office staff,” “hard to reach a real person on the phone,” and “problems with billing.” All of those comments translate to issues with customer service. It can be challenging to balance all of the aspects of your medical practice and excel in every single area. Your first focus, of course, is to provide quality patient care. Your second focus is often ENT account management and comprehensive record-keeping, thanks in large part to the new regulations and requirements placed on the healthcare industry. Unfortunately, that means that customer service often finds itself at the bottom of the pile.
Provide Comfort and Care
When your patients arrive at your office, it is important to offer them a waiting room space that is comfortable, clean, and inviting. Provide free beverages while they wait, such as water bottles, coffee, or tea. If you have a television, make sure to keep it at a comfortable level and make sure patients, and other visitors cannot change the channel or volume. Train your staff to be smiling and kind when dealing with patients. This should extend to the telephone, which is often the place where patients get the most frustrated. Some practices tap one employee to be in charge of hospitality to ensure that nothing gets overlooked. A healthcare consultant can help you find other ways to improve the initial experience for your patients and start each visit off on the right foot.
Communication Skills
Learning how to communicate effectively with patients is a win-win for everyone involved, helping to ensure improved information gathering and an understanding of health concerns. A simple question, “how can I help?” can both provide you with the details you need to make an accurate diagnosis and let your patient know that you care about their well-being. Other phrases can be worked into the visit that will convey a similar message, “I understand your frustration,” and “I would feel the same way if that happened to me” shows empathy and support for their situation. However, the only way that using these phrases will help patients to feel understood, cared for, and supported is if they are genuine. It needs to be expressed verbally and through facial expressions, body language, and tone.
Eliminate Distractions
While medical billing and coding are an integral part of any medical practice, they can often become a negative distraction. How much time does your staff spend on coding and claims submissions? How much time is dedicated to following up on insurance company payments to ensure that revenue is being received? If you find that you are splitting your focus on patients too much with ENT account management and billing, it might be time to consider outsourcing medical billing services. While some physicians think that outsourcing these essential services means losing control over account management, it can provide them with an increased ability to manage the business end of their practice. Monthly reports show the number of claims submitted and give details on 30-day, 60-day, and 90-day outstanding accounts, along with collected payments for the practice. This overview can help physicians to see what improvements need to be made without spending hours looking at pages and pages of data.
How Outsourcing Works
When you decide to outsource your ENT account management, coding, and billing to a third-party service, you need to make sure that the service you hire specializes in the type of work that you do. MD Pro Solutions only works with Ear, Nose and Throat physicians, clinics, and practices to provide our clients with the level of knowledge and experience required to get the best results. Outsourcing medical billing practices allow you and your in-house staff to focus on patient issues, including quality medical care and customer service. Highly trained and experienced medical billing specialists handle your accounts and a professional healthcare consultant can work with your staff to improve front desk insurance verification and procedures.
If you would like to learn more about outsourcing medical billing services or want to inquire about training and support for better ENT account management, contact MD Pro Solutions by calling 508-946-1665. We can answer any questions you have about our services for comprehensive record-keeping, billing and coding, auditing and reviews, or credentialing services. Or you can schedule a free evaluation and consultation with one of our experienced healthcare consultant specialists.