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A glossary of important terms for medical call centers
When first committing to medical answering services, many office managers and doctors can feel overwhelmed by the unique terminology being used. While it’s true that there are many words and phrases that are exclusive to call center companies, that doesn’t mean that the average person can’t understand them. Here are some important terms to know as you move ahead in working with outsourced call centers:
Virtual hold – One of the most frustrating things that can happen to a patient is to be stuck on hold listening to waiting music while waiting to speak to a nurse or operator. A virtual hold allows them to enter their contact information and then hang up, with a program designed to automatically call them back and directly connect them with a live person as soon as one is available.
Telephone triage – This is the process that a medical answering service will use to diagnose a patient’s condition and recommend further action. These are also sometimes called “protocols” and are generally based on recognized guidelines for treatment.
Remote Agent – This term applies to anyone who works from home or another destination other than a main call center. A system made up entirely of remote agents is a virtual call center.
Decision Tree Software – This is a software program that uses a series of “yes” or “no” questions to lead an agent to one of several pre-determined solutions. This can be extremely useful if a call center employs non-medical staff to make decisions on whether or not to send calls to nurses or other medical personnel.
Electronic Medical Record – The trend in the medical community is to moving medical records away from paper and into electronic form. This makes it easier for providers to share information with patients and other providers, but also increases security risks.