| Technology is a wonderful thing; it can help us to | | | | no-show appointments can cost a practice a |
| improve efficiency and productivity in nearly every | | | | significant amount of money, each and every month. |
| aspect of our daily lives. Not only has technology | | | | The losses are so real that many medical practices |
| afforded us as individuals to become more efficient | | | | have an entire system designed to counteract the |
| and productive, such as with the invention of the cell | | | | no-show appointment revenue loss, by requiring their |
| phone and answering machines; it has given | | | | front-desk receptionist to call and even mail out letters |
| professionals a way to outsource monotonous and | | | | to remind patients of their appointments. Something |
| time-consuming tasks so that they can concentrate on | | | | that many doctors are not aware of, however, is that |
| things that need their personal and undivided attention. | | | | there are automated appointment reminder services |
| In the medical field, advancements in technology have | | | | on the market; those which not only help the |
| given doctors the tools necessary to improve the care | | | | front-desk receptionist to be more productive by |
| that they give to their patients, and even ways to help | | | | relieving him or her of the mundane, yet necessary, |
| organize and maintain large databases of patient | | | | tasks of calling patients to remind them of their |
| information and records electronically; meaning that | | | | appointments, but can also help to improve the financial |
| patient scheduling and health histories can be obtained | | | | bottom line of the practice by reducing the number of |
| with the click of a button, whereas not too long ago, | | | | patients that fail to show up for their scheduled |
| doctors or their medical receptionists had to sift | | | | appointments. Increased productivity, decreased |
| through thousands of hard-copy paper documents and | | | | revenue loss with online appointment schedulers While |
| filing systems to obtain patient information. A concept | | | | there are many different medical answering services |
| that is unfamiliar to many doctors, unfortunately, is | | | | available today, few provide the benefits of using an |
| certain aspects of technology that can help them to | | | | online system, one that is maintenance free for |
| lower their financial overhead as well as increase | | | | medical office, automated and runs 24/7 to help |
| patient satisfaction by catering to their patients 24 | | | | improve the efficiency of a medical practice. Not only |
| hours a day, 7 days a week. The concept to which | | | | cost-effective, these online systems outperform their |
| we're referring to is online patient scheduling with | | | | human competitors day in and day out; dollar for dollar, |
| automated appointment reminders. Online patient | | | | you cannot beat an online scheduler with automated |
| appointment scheduling Regardless of the skills of a | | | | appointment reminders anywhere. When acquiring the |
| doctors' medical receptionist, he or she is limited to | | | | services of a medical answering service, you are not |
| performing one task at a time, no matter how skilled | | | | much better off than hiring another in-house employee. |
| they are at multi-tasking. Moreover, a medical | | | | There are savings with this solution, but the bottom line |
| receptionist is only available a certain number of hours | | | | is - you are still paying for human effort, not an |
| throughout the day, meaning that any established | | | | automated system. To date, there are not many of |
| patients that attempt to call outside of office hours will | | | | these all-encompassing systems that offer an online |
| not be able to do something as simple as schedule an | | | | scheduler with an automated appointment reminder, |
| appointment; a service that can be offered by doctors | | | | but there are a few that you can choose from. If you |
| that utilize the services of an automated appointment | | | | think that your practice would improve by being |
| scheduler. An online appointment scheduler affords | | | | available 24/7 for your exiting patients and would |
| medical practices the luxury of being available 24/7 for | | | | benefit from cutting your appointment no-show |
| their patients; truly seen as a "self service" solution for | | | | revenue down significantly, you owe it to yourself, and |
| patient appointment scheduling, doctors have the ability | | | | your patients, to find out the options available for your |
| to cater to their existing patients by offering | | | | medical practice. Chances are, you will see the |
| appointment scheduling even when it's outside of the | | | | benefits right away, and end up with more time, and |
| practices set office hours. The sad truth is, though, that | | | | money, to cater to your patients in the long run. |
| many doctors are unaware that these types of | | | | This article is number seven in a series By Andy Press |
| services exist; services that could help to increase their | | | | about Medical Receptionist, Answing Service and |
| practices productivity and increase their patients overall | | | | Online Scheduling. Additional resources and articles |
| satisfaction. Doctors and patients benefit from | | | | written by Andy Press related to Medical Practices |
| automated appointment reminder services Seen as a | | | | Efficiency are accessible on line. |
| major loss financially for most medical practices, | | | | |