4 Ways to Manage Medical Practice Overwhelm

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We\’ve certainly seen the recent surge in patient volume within our medical contact center, and know the trend is hitting medical practices across the U.S. It\’s a welcome trend after many were hit hard from the pandemic closures, but it does not come without incredible pressure to manage while also delivering the same standard of excellence in a client experience.

 

1. Organize

Kind of sounds obvious, especially when it\’s the hardest thing to do when you\’re overwhelmed. But it\’s worth finding some time to stop and look at data to break down the flow of patients.

How many prospects versus current patients are calling in? Have you set up a process to triage phone calls between new and existing patients? This can help ensure prospects aren\’t put on hold, but are quickly routed to trained staff that has the time to answer their questions.

Are there days or times when volume is higher than usual? Understanding these types of trends can help you properly staff around the busiest times.

 

2. Mind the Gaps

When your practice is overwhelmed, certain areas can start to slide. The in-office patient experience is one example and probably the most important. When you\’ve made every effort to get them in your office, the last thing you want is for patients to be in a stressful environment where tensions can run high.

Another gap happens after the procedure. A patient finally has surgery and is so excited about their results. It\’s the perfect time to have them share their experience with others. In fact, according to our Medical Marketing Outlook, referrals are consistently the #1 source of practice leads and reviews are also one of the top things prospects check before contacting a practice. Don\’t let your staff become too busy to follow-up after a patient\’s visit to understand their experience and request a review to help drive continued growth.

Finally, patient re-activation can often slip through the cracks. Re-activation requires pro-active outreach from your practice to ensure patients are seen for due or overdue appointments. This is typically the first task to be put off until later, which is why outsourcing can be a highly-profitable solution. Our Boomerang patient re-activation program averages a 10 to 1 return on investment with guaranteed positive ROI within the first 90 days.

 

3. Automate & Digitize

There are also several tools out there to not only help take the burden off your staff, but deliver a personalized and consistent experience to patients.

Online scheduling is one way that makes it easy on prospects to schedule appointments any day and any time. Setting up email automation and lead nurture programs can help stay in touch with prospects who have expressed interest but maybe aren\’t ready to book.

 

4. You Don\’t Have to Do it By Yourself

When volume still seems unpredictable, outsourcing or offloading functions can be the most effective way to grow your practice to a point where you can then choose to bring on full-time staff. OptiCall has a variety of programs 100% focused on helping medical practices who are overwhelmed not drown in their success. Contact us to learn how we can serve as an extension of your staff  to help your practice thrive.

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