Phone calls after hours: Service or recording?

[emd123]

My group currently has an after hours service where patient calls are screened and you can be paged if needed. The cost is only $60 +/- per doc and I rarely get called, maybe once every 3-6 months, rarely about anything important and never after 8 pm. We've discussed possibly getting rid of the service and replacing it with a recording that says something to the effect of "If this is an emergency call 911 immediately. If no, please call back during regular business hours which are as follows..."

On one hand, I like the idea of getting no after hours calls and saving money, albeit not a lot of either. On the other hand I worry that if I did a procedure and the patient had symptoms of a complication I'd like to be available. That being said, if there were signs of a complication I'd simply be telling them to go to the ER immediately and having someone else work up and admit (if needed) anyways.

What do you guys do?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[painfree23]

Live operator that tells patient to go to ER if they want. 2-3 patients took them up on it, all workup negatives.

Exactly this: “that being said, if there were signs of a complication I'd simply be telling them to go to the ER immediately and having someone else work up and admit (if needed) anyways.”

 

[Gauss]

screening is a life saver, was in a PP without it and hated life. in academia RN's screen and triage now which is better than having everything going through the residents first
for PP it depends on what "standard of care" is in your area, if no other group is doing recording check with your medmal carrier

 

[painfree23]

screening is a life saver, was in a PP without it and hated life. in academia RN's screen and triage now which is better than having everything going through the residents first
for PP it depends on what "standard of care" is in your area, if no other group is doing recording check with your medmal carrier

RNs screen after hours calls??

 

[mid|ine]

If evaluating option, this is my friends company:

Medical Answering Services For Doctors & Physicians By On Call Central

Two-week trial. No contract. On Call Central is an automated medical answering service for doctors that saves money, protects privacy, and automates documentation.

www.oncallcentral.com

 

[emd123]

screening is a life saver, was in a PP without it and hated life. in academia RN's screen and triage now which is better than having everything going through the residents first
for PP it depends on what "standard of care" is in your area, if no other group is doing recording check with your medmal carrier

Great idea. I'm going to do this.

 

[drusso]

Live operator 24/7 ---> on-call 1st responder RN ---> on-call 1st call PA ---> Supervising MD

 

[painfree23]

Live operator 24/7 ---> on-call 1st responder RN ---> on-call 1st call PA ---> Supervising MD

Has it ever gotten to you? What would u ever say differently than RN? Overnight call is basically go to ER or dont go, which honestly anyone can triage.

 

[Gauss]

Has it ever gotten to you? What would u ever say differently than RN? Overnight call is basically go to ER or dont go, which honestly anyone can triage.

scope of practice license restrictions limit what non physicians can advise or recommend

 

[deleted993114]

My group currently has an after hours service where patient calls are screened and you can be paged if needed. The cost is only $60 +/- per doc and I rarely get called, maybe once every 3-6 months, rarely about anything important and never after 8 pm. We've discussed possibly getting rid of the service and replacing it with a recording that says something to the effect of "If this is an emergency call 911 immediately. If no, please call back during regular business hours which are as follows..."

On one hand, I like the idea of getting no after hours calls and saving money, albeit not a lot of either. On the other hand I worry that if I did a procedure and the patient had symptoms of a complication I'd like to be available. That being said, if there were signs of a complication I'd simply be telling them to go to the ER immediately and having someone else work up and admit (if needed) anyways.

What do you guys do?

How much does a malpractice case or complication cost that is not tended to quickly?

I really, really want to know if a patient is having troubles after hours. Due to a medical condition, I only sleep about an hour at a time anyway, so I am up all night and dealing with after hours calls is no problem. I really have nothing to do at 2-3 am and do not mind meeting a patient in the ER if I think there is a potential problem.

A jury will forgive a complication, but not perceived laziness in not addressing the problem quickly.

 

[emd123]

How much does a malpractice case or complication cost that is not tended to quickly?

I really, really want to know if a patient is having troubles after hours. Due to a medical condition, I only sleep about an hour at a time anyway, so I am up all night and dealing with after hours calls is no problem. I really have nothing to do at 2-3 am and do not mind meeting a patient in the ER if I think there is a potential problem.

A jury will forgive a complication, but not perceived laziness in not addressing the problem quickly.

I wasn't thinking of making myself negligently unreachable, but instead of paying for a live answering service, replacing it, either with a separate burner phone that I give to only my procedure patients or the $5 per month "Burner" app that allows you to have a completely separate phone # and line on your personal cell phone.

 

[promethius]

I take my own call and do not use an answering service. I have an after-hours message that says if it is a life-threatening emergency, to call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. Otherwise, to leave a message, and the call will be returned on the next business day. I have access to the voicemail, so if a message is left, I can decide whether or not to return the call right away, or it can wait until the morning.

 

[winder333]

Sorry for reviving this thread. Have any of you used any of those answering services? Is it worth it?

 

[lioneljohn]

Here's a guide to help you choose one.

 

[A Deep Breath]

Somewhere along the line, I learned that the local standard of care is important.

So, one night, I called all of the local practices at 3 AM and documented what happens when a patient calls.

A slight majority had the patient leave a voicemail rather than giving the option to speak with a human. Since that was the answer I wanted in the first place, I used voicemail prefaced by instructions for emergencies.

I'm not sure this is a legally sound method, so don't take my word for it.