Page 54 - 2020 Risk Reduction Series Effective Systems_Part 1_Flipbook

SVMIC Risk Reduction Series: Effective Systems

• All phone calls in which a patient requests medical advice

or prescription refills.

Answering Service

If an answering service is used when the office is closed, such
service should be evaluated periodically for courtesy, efficiency,

accuracy, and proper recordkeeping. The service should be
instructed to immediately tell the caller that he/she is speaking

to an answering service and (the physician’s office) and should
also be given guidelines on what to ask the caller and what

action to take in the event of an emergency. The service will be
viewed by patients as an extension of the physician, and if the

patient has a negative or frustrating experience, it may easily
transfer to the physician and serve to diminish rapport.

Under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability

Act of 1996 (HIPAA), an answering service is considered a
business associate since the service involves the use and/or the
disclosure of protected health information. A business associate

agreement must be in place with the answering service (a

sample “Business Associate Agreement” is available at www.
svmic.com). Additionally, telephone policies should require that
the answering service maintain a telephone log with defined

requirements including:

• Date and time of call

• Patient’s name

• Date of birth

• Reason for call

• Response to the call

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