Home Forums Discussions Problems Ringadoc

hi,
Does anyone have experience with this answering service RINGADOC that AC is now linked to ?
I am looking for a reliable answering service
thanks
Ganapathy

How is AC linked to this? Another doc in town is using it, and says it works well. I have never used an answering service because I did not see the benefit. What is the benefit? My patients usually leave a message, but can ring through to my cell if needed.

I'm on day 1 of Ringadoc, so I'll keep you posted. The first month is free. I've already had a phone conversation with support and they seem attentive and interested in product improvement. I like the option of 1) Hitting call-back and having my office number, not my cell number show up on their phone, 2) Recording a voice message and sending it to the patient (my favorite), 3) Forwarding the call to the office. The patient is instructed to say and spell their name, confirm the call-back number, record their question in their own words and hang around by the phone (All Day) until the doc calls back. Pts can also elect to leave a "Non-urgent" message that goes directly to the office for the next day, bypassing me entirely. I've been using a human (ie. fallible) answering service for the last 10 yrs (at twice the price) and wanted to try something new.
I'll keep you posted.

Dave
FP, Ringadoc guinea pig.

Presently I have a system set up with no answering service. Patients call my office and they are told to call 911 if it is an emergency. If they would like to leave a message, press 1, if they have some other non-emergent condition but cannot wait for normal office hours, press 2 to ring the doctor. They rarely call option 2. I might get one call on a weekend, almost never after hours. I am surprised, and continued to be surprised, that patients respect me enough not to awaken me. That can't be said for the ER docs, however.
This costs 7.99 per month. I am not sure how a service would help me, or why doctors use them. You will still get a call from the service...
With Ringadoc, don't you have the phone beeping at you on every message they leave?

Chris,

Glad you have that luxury. I knew an FP who had a recorder that said, "Call in the morning or call 911." Fulfilled the board requirements.

I am not sure your specialty. But if you take 100 patients on the weekends that have issues, 10% of FP patients will call and 90% of pediatric patients will call. It is simply a different population.

If I used a similar method as yours, I would soon have no calls.

Unfortunately, the best system is too costly. And, that would be to have an RN service triage the calls. But, some of those charge $25.00 per call.

One of the good things of being solo, is my patients know I know them. They trust me. And, they tend to leave me alone. Problem is most don't know I have carried a pager 24/7/365 for seven years.

At the very least we should get paid $5.00 to $10.00 a call. But, once again, you can't charge Medicaid 50 cents.

What do you mean, that this is alienating the patients?

Call is very individualized. As an FP in a 7 man practice I would take call every 7th weekend, but get over 100 calls during that time (no joke). Now as a solo doc in a town of 12,000, I'm on call 24/7/365, but I get maybe 1 or 2 calls a week. Bert is right about patients respecting your time. They know I've got a family, other community commitments, etc. and that I'll always be there in the morning. They also know I'll come in at midnight to sew up their 2 yr old's coffee table laceration. As a group doc, I was just the guy on call and fair game for every 2am "What's the Tylenol dose for a 2 yr old?" question.

Chris, it's worth $49/month to have that little breather space between the page and the call-back. There's something psychological and empowering about that. A ring-thru means I have to immediately stop whatever I'm doing and take the call. I did that for 4 years (with the group) and felt like a slave to my patients.

Hey, everybody's different. That's why we like AC. Everybody uses it a little differently.

Dave
FP
(Don't call me)

It certainly seems that there is something devaluing of the individual doctor about a group practice that the patients can sense. When I was with a group, I would get those Tylenol calls, "I'm standing in Walmart and looking at the cough syrups" at 2 am. But my patients wouldn't dare do that now. Maybe we just have a closer relationship in a practice where they always see the same doctor, and have to show their face after such a stunt.

I meant to say "patients." Yes, it is alienating. This weekend, I received a call from a parent (good insurance, etc.) whose page pertained to an infant with Sandifer's syndrome. To them it looked like a seizure with breathing issues. I couldn't get back to them, and an hour later they called back. Sure, my passive-aggressive gene took over and I wanted to not call. But, had I not, they would have left the practice, and besides I should call.

If they had acid reflux, they would get a Tums. If their first baby with Sandifer's, they are scared to death. It is just different. They would have been at PCHC at 8 am the next day.

I certainly wasn't putting down your system.

@Dave, I used to be in a five-physician group, and I had the same situation. We took call Friday through Sunday but had four weekends off. Given I was going to get 30 calls per day, I just showed up at the office and saw 15 and took the other 15. Had a nurse with me triaging the calls. So, I made $750 dollars and didn't fight it. Usually, went home at 2 pm, watched some football, took a nap and schedule a few more for 6 pm.

@Bert

I'm not sure why you think it is alienating. This is the standard message on all the doctor's phones I've called. Maybe you missed the option where patients are put through to my personal cell phone. If patients every have a serious issue, they can call.

I did.

@Bert

"I did" think it was alienating

or

"I did" miss the option?


Now I'm just post whoring, but I'll never get up to your 9163...

Because I only skim posts and, therefore, miss things like options, I have more time to post 9163 times. Or is that 9164 times?

9169

Here's my promised follow-up report on this notoriously hijacked thread. After a week on Ringadoc, I'm canceling my previous answering service of 13 yrs. I've had no significant problems with Ringadoc. Urgent calls get through with better documentation. Non-urgent calls are logged and reviewed each am by my staff. No patient complaints about talking to a robot vs a live, highly skilled, trained professional answering service person. Ringadoc staff seem motivated and helpful. I feel that this is a work-in-progress that is perfectly good now, but will get even better over time with appropriate physician feedback.

For disclosure purposes, I have no monetary relationship with Ringadoc, other than owing them $49 a month after my first free month, but would readily accept a paid consulting position for the right figure.

Dave
FP
Still slugging it out in NW WA.

Bringing this out of hibernation - any follow up or more opinions on Ringadoc? Looks like the price has gone up to $69. My local answering service has been sold to a large company which is much more expensive.

I love Ringadoc... Works quite well..... I got in at $49... My old service was $500/mo. Would strongly recommend

The original poster,Bala, said RINGADOC is linked to AC. What exactly does that mean?