Every Audiology practice should have front desk requirements. After all, your front desk person is the first point of contact your clients have when they walk in your office. Let it be a good experience for them (and you) with these simple tips.

SMILING IS OUR FAVORITE

Remember Will Ferrell in Elf? Smiling was his favorite – and it’s ours too.

Smile! Whether you’re on the phone or in person, smile.

You’ve been on the receiving end of a stranger’s smile before. Someone glances over; smiles at you and instinctively, you smile back. Just like that, both parties feel more comfortable and at ease with one another. This allows for communication to flow more freely between your front desk person and patient, which in turn makes for a smoother check-in process too.

Every time your office phone rings, pick it up with a smile. Sure, your caller won’t be able to SEE your smile, but I promise you, they’ll be able to HEAR it! Always offer your caller an appointment time by giving them a time range. “Dr. Reed has some time today between 3:00pm and 5:00pm. When is best for you?” This way they know they can get in on the same day, it just won’t be the exact time they may request.

Smiling isn’t the only imperative responsibility your front desk person needs to have mastered. They also need to be detailed—in every possible way.

IT’S IN THE DETAILS

Obtaining proper insurance information, identification, subscriber information for the named insured, and so on can make the difference in claims being denied or paid. Data entry needs to be a honed in on skill. One that comes second nature almost. Accuracy when entering patient demographics needs to be precise.

In addition, correct documents need to be obtained, and the necessary signatures on relevant forms is crucial. Have you seen the fines HIPAA charges for non-compliance these days? Sheesh!

So, what forms are crucial, necessary, or just added info good to have?

Good question.

Certainly, (for starters) the HIPAA privacy form needs be signed by the patient. That’s a must. There are so many versions of this form though, how would you know which one is right? Hear Billing Solutions offers consulting services helping you to these answers, ensuring you’re following all the HIPAA guidelines, and obtaining all the necessary information for processing a clean claim.

For your convenience, we’ve provided you with a link offering more information regarding what’s needed on your HIPAA Privacy Act form.

There are many other duties a front desk person has when accepting this position. Distributing faxes accordingly, what mail is junk and what isn’t, drafting letters, creating documents & spreadsheets, or even verifying insurance. Attention to detail is imperative especially when entering patient demographics in your EMR. With so many detailed tasks associated with this career path, it’s beneficial to hire someone who examplifies these qualities.

How do you manage your patient birthday card list? Or do you? Here’s a handy YouTube link where you can send a variety of virtual birthday cards via email. Patients want to know you’ve remembered their special day, and this is one way to show your appreciation for their business.

After all, it really IS the little details that make BIG differences.

RESULTS A CLICK AWAY

We recently started offering a Front Desk Boot Camp for the entire staff which you won’t want to miss. It covers all the answers to these commonly asked inquiries.

Still have questions?

That’s okay!

Reach out and let us show you how we can assist you and your front office staff today.