Comm One ON-CALL

How it works

 

First and foremost, the Comm One On-Call answering service does not use live operators to answer the calls. Instead, our system uses an ultra-reliable hosted IVR (Interactive Voice Response) platform to answer the incoming calls from both patients and medical professionals such as doctors, nurses, and hospital staff. Our system interacts with the caller by asking one or two easily answered questions, and also confirms the caller's phone number - usually the caller ID. After collecting this initial information and optionally taking a voice message from the caller, the system immediately notifies the scheduled on-call doctor via pager, mobile phone, or both.

Comm One On-Call does not involve any end-user equipment at the doctor's office. The only thing you need is the Practice Manager software (included with the service) and the toll free number to forward your calls to. We maintain all of our online servers, software, toll free numbers, and IVR applications.

 

Setting your call schedule -- The Practice Manager software

The Practice Manager software is the Windows software application that the doctors or office manager will use to program the call schedule, as well as set individual preferences on a doctor-by-doctor basis. The software allows you to set the call schedule weeks or months in advance, simply by clicking on the individual days in the calendar screen, and selecting an on-call doctor for each one. In the 'Doctors' section of the software, you can set preferences for each doctor that control how the call is handled, for both 'patient' callers as well as 'professional' callers. When you make a change in the Practice Manager software, the software immediately updates the information on our online servers using an internet connection, so updates take effect immediately. The software application is fully protected by id and password, so only authorized users can make changes to your practice settings.

 

Forwarding your calls to our service

If you are using our service as a typical after-hours answering service, then your office will route calls to our system in the usual way. At the end of the business day, you forward your office number to the Comm One On-Call system, using the specific toll free number that we give you. That toll free number will belong to only you and your medical practice. Once your office phone is forwarded to Comm One On-Call, our system takes over answering all of your office calls. In the morning when your office staff returns to the office, you simply cancel the call forwarding so that incoming calls are again handled in your office, as usual. You may also forward your calls to our system during your lunch hour, if desired, and of course on holidays.

 

Answering the Call

[The following is only an example call flow; your call flow is fully configurable from beginning to end.]

Our system first answers the call and plays your specific practice greeting to the caller. For example..."Thank you for calling Riverside Internal Medicine. You have reached our answering service". This initial greeting is configurable in the software, so you can set it to any greeting that you like.

The system then asks the caller one or two simple questions, which are easily answered by a '1' or '2' on the phone keypad. Specifically, the caller is asked whether he is a patient, or medical professional. If medical professional, the caller will enter '1'. If he is a patient, he will enter '2'. The caller is then given the option to leave a non-urgent message, i.e. a message that can be handled by the office staff during the next business day (prescription refills, appointment requests, etc).

If the caller indicates that he indeed would like to speak to the doctor, then the system will do one of two things, depending on the doctor's call preferences. If voice mail is enabled, then the caller is asked to leave a brief voice message, including name and reason for the call. If voice mail is not enabled, then the system simply retrieves the call back number from the caller (usually, the caller ID). Either way, our system immediately sends a message to the doctor's pager or mobile phone. The message will include the type of caller (patient or professional), and the caller's call back number, which the doctor should use to return the call. If in voice mail mode, the doctor will need to listen to the voice message, by calling the toll free 'voice mail retrieval' number on our system; then the doctor will return the call. If voice mail was not employed, then the doctor simply returns the call to the patient or professional, using the indicated call back number.

Example page/txt message the doctor would receive (if using voice mail):

"A patient at 843-555-1234 has left a message. To listen and confirm delivery, please call: 888-123-4567"

 

Example page/txt message the doctor would receive (no voice mail):

"Please return patient call at 843-555-1234"

 

If the caller chooses the non-urgent option, the system will take a voice message from the caller, and then it will deliver that message to the office email address (as a sound file) so it can be handled by the office staff during the next business day. Usually, you can simply double click on the sound file attachment directly within your email application, to listen to the message. Handling non-urgent messages in this manner will reduce the number of after-hours calls that the on-call doctor has to take.

 

Triage Services

Our system has the capability to transfer your patient calls to a triage service, if desired. In the Practice Manager software, you can set the specific times and days that you would like the calls to be transferred. Sending calls to a triage service in this manner allows you to reduce the calls that your doctors have to take. For example, you could set all calls after 10pm to go to triage. Your doctors would handle the calls up till 10pm, but after that they would no longer be bothered (and they could get some sleep!). Calls from medical professionals are handled normally and are not sent to the triage service.

 

Customizing the Call flow

While the call flow described above will work for a majority of medical practices, we also realize that you may have your own special needs or call processes. Perhaps you need the system to ask an extra question or two. Or perhaps you feel less is better...maybe you'd like to remove the question regarding patient vs. professional. Our system is highly customizable, and lends itself well to making relatively quick modifications. Please contact us to discuss your particular requirements, whether they involve call scheduling, advanced call flows, or anything else.

Contact us for more information or download your free trial today!