The advantages of using medical secretarial services

The effectiveness of medical services is not limited to in-office consultations; it often begins with the first telephone contact. Remote medical secretarial services, an essential but often overlooked component of medical practice, play a crucial role in this initial interaction. This sophisticated telephone call management system ensures fast, professional patient care, improving the accessibility and efficiency of healthcare. Let’s take a look at how this medical secretarial service works, from receiving calls to directing patients to the appropriate services.

What are remote medical secretarial services?

Remote medical secretarial services are outsourced services that enable healthcare professionals such as doctors, dentists, physiotherapists, nurses, etc. to manage their secretarial work, including telephone answering, from a distance. Unlike traditional medical secretarial services, which are usually physically located on the premises of a healthcare establishment, remote medical secretarial services can be outsourced and managed remotely, often by a company specialising in this field.

Remote medical secretarial services are based on the use of advanced communication technologies such as VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) telephone systems, online appointment management software, secure messaging applications and electronic document sharing platforms. This allows the medical secretary to efficiently manage telephone calls, appointments and administrative tasks without being physically present onsite.

In addition, remote medical secretarial services often offer greater flexibility in terms of time availability, which can be particularly advantageous for practitioners with irregular hours or needs for telephone coverage outside traditional office hours.

What does a remote medical secretary do?

A team of qualified remote medical secretaries, based in specialist centres, manage patient calls according to the doctor’s schedule and the patient’s availability. Their tasks include:

Appointment cancellations and rescheduling: managing schedule changes
Emergency management: identifying urgent calls and redirecting them to the doctor or emergency services
Patient follow-up: following up patients who have not kept their appointments
Data entry: drafting of consultation reports, prescriptions, etc.
Calendar management: adding appointments and sending reminders to patients, etc.

They also carry out other administrative tasks, such as handling emails and preparing invoices for the healthcare professional.

Lastly, remote medical secretaries carry out the following tasks:

Answering calls and providing information on opening times, the doctor’s specialities, prices, etc.
Making appointments for patients.

What’s the difference between medical secretarial services and medical hotlines?

Remote medical secretarial services and medical hotlines are two complementary but distinct services in the healthcare sector.

Medical secretarial services focus primarily on the administrative management of tasks such as making appointments, managing patient files and coordinating communications for a specific medical practice. Medical secretaries can work remotely and are generally dedicated to a single healthcare establishment.

A medical hotline, on the other hand, is a service offering 24/7 telephone assistance to patients requiring medical advice or referral to appropriate care outside normal office hours. It is often managed by a specialist call centre staffed by healthcare professionals such as nurses or doctors. Medical hotlines are designed to ensure uninterrupted access to healthcare by providing professional telephone assistance in the event of a medical emergency or a need for urgent medical advice.

What are the advantages of medical secretarial services?

Remote medical secretarial services offer a range of significant advantages for healthcare professionals and their patients.

For healthcare professionals

For professionals, there are many advantages to using remote medical secretarial services.

Saving time and improving efficiency

Remote medical secretarial services free doctors from time-consuming administrative tasks such as booking appointments, managing diaries, entering medical reports, etc., so that they can concentrate more on their core business: caring for their patients.

Improved patient management

Remote medical secretaries are trained to manage patients professionally and efficiently. They can book appointments, answer patients’ questions, manage cancellations and rescheduling, and keep track of medical records. This allows doctors to devote their full attention to their patients during consultations.

Minimising costs

Tele-secretarial services can be more economical than hiring a salaried medical secretary. There are no recruitment costs, training, salaries, social security contributions, etc. to pay. What’s more, remote medical secretaries are generally available on demand, so doctors can tailor their work to their needs.

Flexibility, adaptability and improved image for your practice

Remote secretarial services offer great flexibility in terms of working hours and workload. Doctors can choose to call on a remote secretary for a few hours a week or for a full day, depending on their needs. They can also increase or decrease the number of hours of remote secretarial services, depending on their activity.

A professional and efficient medical secretarial service also helps to improve the image of the medical practice in the eyes of patients. This translates into increased patient satisfaction and customer loyalty.

For patients

Medical secretarial services are just as beneficial for patients:

Greater accessibility

Secretarial services make it easier and quicker for patients to book appointments with their doctor, even outside office hours. They can also ask questions remotely and obtain information about their appointments and medical records.

Reduced waiting times

Thanks to efficient appointment management, patients spend less time waiting at the clinic. In addition, remote medical secretaries are trained to communicate with patients in a courteous and professional manner. They can answer patients’ questions, reassure them and help them understand medical procedures.

In short, remote medical secretarial services help to improve patient satisfaction by providing an accessible, efficient and high-quality service.

Expert advice on choosing the right remote medical secretarial service

Choosing an outsourced medical secretary service can be a tricky process, given the multitude of offers available on the market. To help you make the right choice, here is some expert advice:

Identify your needs

Before you begin your search, it’s essential to identify your specific needs in terms of medical secretarial services. Ask yourself the following questions:

What services do I need (making appointments, managing calls, calendar management, entering medical reports, etc.)?
What is the volume of calls and appointments I generate on a daily basis?
What are my opening hours?
What is my budget?
What are my confidentiality and data security requirements?

Researching and comparing service providers

Once you’ve identified your needs, you can start looking for medical secretarial services providers. You can choose from a number of options:

Word of mouth: ask your fellow doctors if they are satisfied with their remote secretarial services and if they can recommend a service provider.
Specialised websites: there are many websites that list remote medical secretarial service providers. You can compare the services on offer, prices and customer reviews.
Healthcare trade shows: health trade fairs are a great opportunity to meet remote medical secretarial service providers and find out what they have to offer.

Assessing offers from service providers

When comparing offers from service providers, be sure to consider the following points:

Services offered: make sure the provider offers the services you need;
Prices: compare the prices of different service providers, taking into account the services included;
Skills and experience: check the skills and experience of the service provider’s remote secretaries. Make sure they are trained in the medical field and are familiar with the software you use;
Availability: make sure the service provider is available at the times you need;
Confidentiality and data security: ensure that the service provider complies with the confidentiality and data security standards in force.

Test the service before committing yourself

Many medical secretarial service providers offer a free trial period. This is an opportunity to test the service before committing yourself. Take the opportunity to assess the quality of the service, the responsiveness of the remote secretaries and the compatibility with your IT tools.

Choosing the right provider

By following these tips, you should be able to choose the medical secretary services that best suit your needs. Don’t forget that choosing a tele-secretariat is an important decision that needs to be taken with careful consideration. Take the time to compare the different offers and test the services before committing yourself.

In addition to these tips, ask questions about the security measures put in place to protect your data. Don’t hesitate to negotiate rates before signing.

Outsource your medical secretarial services to ProContact

ProContact provides a high-quality remote secretarial service, managed by an experienced team. By rigorously following the scripts you provide, ProContact ensures professional and efficient communication. This contact centre stands out for its ability to handle calls accurately and courteously, thus enhancing your image with your patients.

Reach out to us via our contact form or call us on (+33)1 84 76 24 03 for your tailor-made offer or for more information about our services.