The Benefits of Hiring Turnkey Receptionists for Therapists
Psychologists, psychiatrists, therapists, counsellors, and physicians find themselves tied down in administrative tasks and employee management, which leads to a vast amount of time being diverted from patient care and other tasks that could help grow the therapy practice.
What is a virtual receptionist for therapists?
Virtual receptionists take care of basic patient needs from a remote location by receiving and making calls, responding to written correspondence (email, letters, text, live chat, social media, etc.), and assisting with various other administrative tasks that the therapy practice may demand.
The use of medical receptionists in the medical industry has been drastically increasing, the cost benefits associated with hiring a virtual assistant, and the need to improve patient experience due to the changes in consumer or patient behaviour.
How can virtual receptionists for therapists help a therapy practice?
- Reducing the administrative burden
Enhancing the patient experience at a therapy practice is not only essential to reduce stress for the patients, but it is proven to help improve the reputation of the therapy practice that, ultimately, contributes to fostering growth.
Turnkey Receptionists reduce administrative burdens on practice owners by proactively taking ownership of patient appointment scheduling through calls and messages. In addition, we also answer emails, phone calls, and text messages, all of which are recorded, monitored, and performance monitored.
According to the National Library of Medicine, medical providers spend 35% of their time documenting patient data. Turnkey Receptionists are experienced in document management and adding documents to patient records in EMR. This frees time for the therapists, who could then use this extra time to see more patients instead.
2 . Managing Patient Prior Authorisations
Turnkey Receptionists can handle various tasks like determining eligibility, cost of care estimation, and also determining whether prior authorization is required or not.
From a mental health perspective, the US has seen a drastic drop in the mental health of individuals in the last three years, and the demand for therapy has drastically increased. With a shortage of therapists in the country, the workload has become unbearable to some, and the burn-out rate of therapists excelled to an all-time high.
Source: Forbes
Given the growing demand for care, and the associated pressure placed on healthcare providers, the last thing they need is additional stress caused by non-clinical administrative issues.
Two vital factors that contribute to additional stress in practice include:
- Absence of staff
2 . Quality of staff job performance and monitoring
Reducing costs
One of the major contributors to the sudden demand for virtual receptionists across Australia is the savings associated with hiring Turnkey Receptionists instead of an in-practice person.
Turnkey Receptionists for therapy practices lead to a reduction in operational costs in the region of 70%. There are also savings in the form of providing equipment like a computer, software, and other fixed costs. The biggest, of course, is the time spent on training and supervision. Now, many practices do not proactively check the work, but it’s always a good practice to monitor and coach your employees, so they meet a performance standard set by you.
Your in-practice receptionists require electricity, water, hardware, software licenses, furniture, etc., to do their jobs. None of these are necessary for virtual receptionists, leading to additional cost savings.
With the savings generated from decreased front desk attendant costs and labor costs, medical providers can spend it on marketing, for instance, to improve growth in the practice. Things bring us to our next point.
Enhanced Client Communication
Improved Availability
With Turnkey Receptionists services, your practice can offer 24/7 support for client inquiries and appointment scheduling, ensuring that no call goes unanswered. This constant availability reduces missed calls and enhances client satisfaction by providing timely and professional responses to patient needs.
Professional Call Handling
The first point of contact is crucial in building trust with patients. Turnkey Receptionists ensure that every interaction is handled with the utmost professionalism and empathy, fostering strong relationships with your clients from the very first conversation.
By hiring Turnkey Receptionists, you can be confident that your patients are receiving the care and attention they deserve, even before they step into your office.
Efficient Scheduling, Rescheduling and Reminders
One of the significant benefits of Turnkey Receptionists is the highly efficient approach to appointment management. By leveraging advanced scheduling tools, a virtual front desk attendant can efficiently manage bookings, minimizing scheduling conflicts and last-minute cancellations. This not only saves time but also ensures a smoother experience for both patients and healthcare providers.
Cost-Effective Solution
- Lower Operational Costs
One of the key reasons to hire Turnkey Receptionists is the cost-effectiveness it brings to your practice. You save on office space, utilities, and equipment, as well as reduce the need for full-time, in-house administrative staff. This not only lowers your overheads but also offers a low-cost alternative to traditional staffing models. Wondering, how much does a virtual receptionist cost? It’s a fraction of what you’d spend on in-house staff, making it an attractive option for many healthcare practices.
- Flexible and Scalable Support
The cost of a virtual receptionist is not just lower but also flexible. You can adjust the level of support based on demand, hiring virtual receptionists on a part-time or full-time basis as needed. This flexibility means that whether your practice is experiencing growth or seasonal fluctuations, your administrative support can scale accordingly. If you’re asking, what is the cost of a virtual receptionist and how scalable is it? The answer lies in its adaptability to your practice’s unique needs.
The benefits of virtual receptionists are numerous. From improving client communication to offering cost-effective and scalable solutions, a virtual receptionist can transform the way your practice operates, ultimately leading to better patient care and increased efficiency.
Increased Productivity and Efficiency
Maximising productivity and efficiency is crucial for healthcare practices looking to provide top-tier patient care while managing their operations effectively.
Time Management
In the demanding world of healthcare, particularly for mental health professionals and therapists, time is a precious commodity.
