The Advantages of Having a Nurse Triage Answering Service for Your Health Practice
Nurse-led telephone triage is increasingly used to help manage demand for consultations across a wide spectrum of medical specialties. Even though we live in a world where many patients communicate via social media, the majority of patients will still attempt to reach their physician, clinic, or hospital via smartphone first. There is an increased call volume during the Pandemic as well, and this puts an added stress on your already overburdened human resources.
If you do not currently have a nurse triage answering service for your practice, then it may be time to consider getting one. There are several benefits that you can reap from having a service that has been trained to follow your practices specific protocols.
Takes the Load Off of the Physician or Switchboard
The doctor’s offices are usually busy. That is why many physicians are overworked and are unable to spend enough time with their patients. A nurse triage service will help take the stress off of the physician or hospital switchboard. Registered nurses are able to give medical advice and direct medical care. Not only does this make things easier for the physician, but it also allows them to spend more time with their patients. This can lead to an improvement in patient care.
Benefits Patients
There are several reasons that patients call the doctor’s office. For example, they may suffer a minor injury and want to know what they need in order to treat it at home. Parents may call because their baby is running a fever and don’t know what to do, so they call their pediatrician. Additionally, some people call because they want to know when to go to the emergency room.
Patients will have peace of mind knowing that they can get advice from a registered nurse. They will also know what to do in order to manage an illness or injury.
Helps Determine if an Office Visit Is Needed
There are some common health problems that can be handled at home. Most people would like to avoid going inside of a doctor’s office if it is unnecessary. A nurse triage service can reduce the number of unnecessary trips to the doctor’s office.
After Hours Care
The doctor’s office is the place that many people go when they are in need of care. However, medical problems can sometimes arise outside of the 9 to 5 hours. If you have a triage service, then patients will be able to get care outside of normal business hours. This can prevent someone from making an unnecessary trip to the emergency room, which can help them save time and money.
Increased Patient Satisfaction
Patient satisfaction is extremely important. If patients are happy with the care that they receive at practice, then they will likely come back to the practice. A nurse triage service can improve patient satisfaction. They will be happy with the fact that they can get professional medical advice over the phone.
If you are interested in learning more about implementing a nurse triage service for your practice, clinic, or hospital, contact Call4Health for a complimentary consultation. We are a leader in customized nurse triage solutions for physician practices, health systems, health plans, and home care agencies.