A patient calls after hours with a question. Another calls while your front desk is busy. And someone else needs to leave a message about a prescription or health concern.
These aren’t normal phone calls. They can include private health information, which means they need to be handled with care. A HIPAA compliant answering service gives patients a way to reach your practice when your staff can’t answer. But not every answering service is set up for healthcare.
Here’s what to look for before you choose one.
What Is a HIPAA Compliant Answering Service?
A HIPAA compliant answering service handles patient calls in a way that protects health information.
Medical answering services may collect protected health information (PHI). This could include a patient’s name, symptoms, medications, or appointment details. Any service that handles this information needs to know how to protect it.
What Should You Look for in a HIPAA Compliant Answering Service?
HIPAA compliance is important, but you also need a service that works well for your practice. Before you choose one, find out how it protects patient information and handles calls.
A Business Associate Agreement
Your answering service may hear or collect private patient information every time it takes a call for your practice. That means you need to know the company will protect that information.
One thing to ask about is a Business Associate Agreement (BAA). This is a written agreement that covers how the answering service will handle and protect patient information. HIPAA may require one when another company handles PHI for your practice.
Ask about the BAA before you sign up. A company that works with medical practices should be ready to explain whether you need one and what it covers.
Secure Technology
Ask how the service stores and sends patient messages and who can see that information. You should also know what happens to patient information after the call ends.
Find out how the company handles saved messages, call recordings, and other patient information. It should be able to explain how that information is protected.
HIPAA Training for Staff
Secure technology can only do so much. The people answering your phones also need to know how to protect patient information.
Ask how the company trains its operators and how often they get HIPAA training. Staff should know how to collect patient information and send it to your team safely.
Experience With Healthcare Calls
Patients don’t always call with a simple question. They may be worried about a new symptom, confused about their medication, or trying to reach a doctor after hours.
You want someone answering who knows how to handle those moments. Operators should know what questions to ask, what information your team needs, and when to pass a call along. Just as important, they should know where their role ends and leave medical advice to your clinical team.
Ask about the company’s experience working with medical practices and how it prepares operators to handle patient calls. Patients should feel like they’re talking to someone who is actually listening, not just reading from a script.
Find a HIPAA Compliant Answering Service for Your Practice
A HIPAA compliant answering service should protect patient information and follow your call instructions. It should also give patients a reliable way to reach your practice when your staff isn’t available.
Oclinicals provides answering services for healthcare organizations that need dependable support for patient calls. Contact us to learn more about HIPAA compliant answering services for your practice.