A medical virtual receptionist can answer phones remotely, just as if they are in your office. They can also support you with a wide range of other administrative duties and free up your time so that you can give more attention to your patients.
They will also enable you to free up some time for yourself during the day so that you don’t become overwhelmed.
The Virtual Assistant’s (VA) Duties
Different medical practices such as surgeons, physicians, psychologists, dentists, and specialists can benefit from using the services of a VA. If you work as a team of doctors, you might be able to share one virtual assistant.
Assistance With Administrative Tasks
The medical VA can assist with most kinds of administrative tasks in a medical office for which specialized medical knowledge is not needed.
- This can include making and canceling appointments, and sending reminders to the patients.
- They can manage your calendar, and organize meetings and events, as well as patient appointments. The VA can also check up on patients after their appointments, and refill their prescriptions.
- The VA can also keep track of your office supplies and order new items when you need them. The VA can also manage your email box and respond to messages.
- If you can find a VA who has experience with doing the data entry for electronic medical records (EMR) and electronic health records (EHR), they can connect to you in the exam room and make notes of the examination in real-time. This will provide you with additional information you may need to complete forms.
Financial Assistance
The VA can manage your payroll, produce financial reports, and check your expenses. They can also handle communication with insurance companies and send claims immediately, thereby eliminating the wait time for verification.
The VA could also manage to obtain pre-authorization for treatment.
Receptionist
The VA can resolve issues telephonically, take messages, and forward important calls to the doctor. They can give attention to the other administrative tasks while waiting for calls.
The advantage of having a VA receptionist is that you will also have the same person answering your phone calls which will help you develop better relationships with patients.
It’s also helpful to have someone who can screen your calls so that you don’t have to worry about spam calls that waste your time.
The VA can also assist when a patient contacts you through text messages, email, or live chat on your website.
Marketing and Technical Skills
The VA could even do marketing campaigns to find new patients for your practice. Some virtual assistants may have good writing and design skills and they could update your practice website, as well as your social media platforms.
With your input and approval, they can also respond to reviews you receive on social media.
If your VA is good at learning new computer programs, they can help you set up new software and train your other staff members to use it.
Final Thoughts
The main benefit of using a VA is that the extra help will free up your time so that you’re able to spend more time with your patients and provide them with a better service.
You can give patients all your attention without worrying about paperwork that still needs to be completed, and your practice will receive better reviews. Happy and healthy patients will help you grow your practice.
Other financial benefits include saving money as you won’t have to train the person, as they are usually trained by the agencies where you obtain their services. You also don’t need additional office space or equipment, as the person will never work from your office.