Dr. Dial Enhances Patient Communications, While Saving Practices Time and Money
by Louise Petraitis
(February 2009 - Volume 5 - Issue 8)

Good communications between patients and medical practices is critical.

But, it can also be time-consuming and costly. When done manually, simple tasks - from confirming appointments to delivering lab results - can entail hours of phone calls by office staff and, in some cases, the expense of direct mail. Plus, functions such as collections are commonly outsourced today, resulting in additional dollar outlays by the practice.

Enter Dr. Dial. Established three years ago, this Web-based, HIPAA-compliant system improves the efficiency and profitability of patient communications, says President and co-founder David Swart. Sophisticated, yet user-friendly, Dr. Dial streamlines and customizes phone procedures, ultimately bringing greater patient satisfaction, higher office productivity, and a better bottom line for medical practices.

"With the click of a mouse, you can contact hundreds of patients within minutes,’’ explains Swart. "This frees staff from calling them one-by-one, which is antiquated, expensive, and far less effective."

Through Dr. Dial, calls can be sent days, nights, and weekends, and forwarded through multiple mediums, from land lines and cell phones, to text and emails. Messages can be recorded in a staff member’s, doctor’s, or dentist’s voice, making them more personal, and responses can be delivered through an automated menu or live calls to the office, depending upon the practice’s preference.

"We offer options, realizing that every practice is unique," says Swart. "Our goal is to enhance offices’ existing processes and tailor our services to their needs."

A key benefit of Dr. Dial, according to Swart, is reducing patient "no shows" for scheduled appointments, and filling cancellations with standby requests.

"On average, the national ‘no show’ rate is 18 to 20 percent," says Swart. "This impacts both patients and providers: patients’ health can be jeopardized by the lack of continuity of care and timely interventions, while practices lose revenue (2008 estimates are $36 million nationwide) and face greater risk of liability if a patient suffers injury or death due to a missed medical visit."

To help minimize practices’ exposure to liability, Dr. Dial identifies and documents, in real-time, patients’ responses to calls. It also archives all messages, which can easily be retrieved for legal purposes.

Besides confirming patient visits, Dr. Dial can provide reminders for prescriptions, test preps, and routine procedures such as mammography screens and teeth cleanings. The system can deliver test results as well, and help with bill collections.

"When it comes to bill collections, Dr. Dial is a cost-effective alternative to telemarketers, who generally charge 30 to 50 percent in commissions," notes Swart. "Doctors can also record the message in their own voice, which significantly boosts the success rate for securing payments."

Accessing Dr. Dial is easy and inexpensive. It involves going to the website, creating a user name and password, and uploading patient data. Within 48 hours, the system can be up and running.

Swart gives practices an opportunity to experience Dr. Dial through a free, one-week trial. When they subscribe, they pay a monthly fee, which covers all services and is discounted with increased patient volume. There is also a one-time charge to set up the services, and provide staff training and support.

"Our rates are the cheapest in the country," claims Swart. "What’s more, we don’t have contracts -- people pay for Dr. Dial as they use it."

Swart markets his business through "synergistic alliances." Right now, his biggest distribution network is professional associations, which offer a 10 percent discount on services as a benefit to members. As part of this "affinity program," Swart also contributes five percent in monthly sponsorship dollars to each association.

Today, Dr. Dial is endorsed by medical associations and societies, and health care management companies, coast-to-coast. And, it continues to grow, both in customers and services. One of Swart’s newest alliances is with Visionary Medical Systems, one of the top ten EMR companies. At the end of January, Dr. Dial also launched a new service, insurance verification, through a partnership with Availity, the second largest provider of coverage verification in the United States.

"Our growth illustrates that technology can be a powerful tool for medical practices," says Swart. "Dr. Dial is a proven way to enhance patients’ health and well-being, patient and staff relationships, and practices’ success overall."