Why More Healthcare Providers are Turning to Customer Service Outsourcing

Have you ever wondered why more healthcare providers are outsourcing customer service? Healthcare companies follow always-changing and flexible procedures, making their operations vulnerable to sudden surges in growth that can quickly overwhelm healthcare resources. Additionally, their staff works tirelessly, 24/ which highlights the crucial need for a reliable and dedicated healthcare customer service system.

Outsourcing customer service in healthcare to specialized providers enables healthcare organizations to utilize cutting-edge data analytics for tailored patient services, alleviate financial strains linked to internal support teams, and enhance their competitive edge in a dynamic market landscape.

This article will analyze and understand the shift towards outsourced customer service in healthcare. What are the benefits of customer service outsourcing in healthcare, and what are the possible challenges and considerations?

Customer service outsourcing in the healthcare industry involves partnering with a third-party provider to manage patient care and support tasks such as addressing inquiries, scheduling appointments, managing data, and assisting with billing and insurance. This can improve healthcare organizations’ patient satisfaction, cost reduction, and scalability.

Providing excellent customer service in healthcare is essential for improving patient outcomes, satisfaction, and loyalty. It involves all staff members, focuses on positive patient interactions, prioritizes confidentiality, provides specialized education, empowers patients, and responds to feedback to enhance healthcare experiences. Positive customer interactions are crucial to improving the overall patient experience and achieving better outcomes for patients and healthcare providers.

Customer service outsourcing can benefit healthcare organizations, including improved patient satisfaction, reduced costs, increased scalability, and access to skilled and trained professionals. By partnering with a reputable and experienced provider, healthcare organizations can improve the quality of their patient care and support while reducing the burden on their internal teams and improving their bottom line. 

Let’s explore the benefits of outsourcing customer service in healthcare and explain them individually.

• Improved Patient Satisfaction
  A Black Book Market Research study found that 83% of healthcare organizations that outsourced their customer service experienced improved patient satisfaction. Customer service outsourcing in healthcare leads to improved patient experiences, increased trust and loyalty, and positive word-of-mouth referrals, ultimately contributing to better patient and healthcare organization outcomes.
• Reduced Costs
  It was also found that 84% of healthcare organizations reported cost savings. Customer service outsourcing in healthcare reduces costs by delegating non-essential tasks like medical billing, claims processing, transcription, medical coding, and data management.
• Increased Scalability
  Customer service outsourcing in healthcare effectively handles diverse workloads, guaranteeing the ability to adjust to evolving situations without sacrificing patient care or customer service standards.
• Access to Skilled and Trained Professionals
  Customer service outsourcing in healthcare provides access to a large pool of skilled and trained professionals without in-house training and cost.

Managing in-house customer service in healthcare can lead to misinformation due to inaccurate databases, resource constraints during peak times, significant training and staffing investments, scalability difficulties, and high operational costs. Additionally, in-house teams may lack specialized services and struggle with language and cultural diversity, potentially diverting focus from core medical competencies and complicating effective patient data management. Outsourcing can mitigate these issues by offering scalability, specialized expertise, cost savings, and improved patient satisfaction, underscoring its benefits over in-house management.

This strategic shift is not just a passing trend but a well-thought-out decision to focus on core competencies such as patient care, medical research, and product development while improving customer relationship management (CRM) and optimizing cost structures. Based on Black Book Market Research findings, many healthcare institutions have found customer service outsourcing highly advantageous. 83% of these organizations have witnessed enhanced patient satisfaction, while 84% have noticed significant cost savings.

Examples of successful healthcare providers who have benefited from outsourcing customer service:

• Hospitals and Healthcare Systems
  Hospitals and healthcare systems can outsource various tasks. Hospitals can improve efficiency, reduce costs, and free up staff to focus on patient care.
• Insurance Companies
  Customer service outsourcing can help insurance companies contact payers, understand their needs, and inform them of their self-service options.

Customer service outsourcing in healthcare allows organizations to tackle the challenges of high patient inquiry volumes and the need for support across various time zones. By leveraging customer service outsourcing in healthcare, healthcare organizations gain access to a more significant option of skilled professionals trained to handle a wide range of patient inquiries and support needs, overcoming typical challenges. 

However, despite the promising benefits, a healthcare provider must consider challenges when choosing a customer service outsourcing partner.

• HIPAA Compliance
  Ensuring the outsourcing partner has the necessary training and experience to handle protected health information (PHI) in a HIPAA-compliant environment is essential. This is vital to avoid potential violations and uphold patients’ trust.
• Experience with Legal and Medical Terminology
  Healthcare providers must verify that the agents of their outsourcing partner comprehend the specialized legal and medical terminology utilized in the healthcare sector. This facilitates more effective and accurate communication with patients.
• Stress Training
  The customer service outsourcing representative must be specially trained to work well under pressure and handle stressful situations with compassion, understanding, and patience. This improves the patient experience and fosters more robust relationships.
• Aligned Goals
  The customer service outsourcing partner’s goals must be aligned with the healthcare provider’s goals in giving high-quality service that meets or exceeds a patient’s expectations.
• Integrations with Healthcare Technology
  Enhances operational efficiency and improves process effectiveness. This integration, such as combining medical billing software with electronic health records (EHRs), ensures accuracy in billing and optimizes revenue cycle management by reducing errors. Furthermore, merging customer relationship management (CRM) systems with clinical software allows for a deeper understanding of patient needs and preferences, enabling personalized care and boosting patient satisfaction. It also aids in regulatory compliance and facilitates adaptability to changes in the healthcare industry.
• Language and Cultural Considerations
  Customer service outsourcing enables healthcare providers to tap into a global talent pool, effectively addressing language and cultural diversity. This broad access helps meet varied patient needs, foster stronger connections between patients and providers, and enhance the overall patient experience.
• Cost-Effectiveness
  Outsourcing customer support in healthcare offers significant cost savings by eliminating the need for hiring, training, and maintaining in-house staff. This approach allows healthcare providers to concentrate on their core competencies, enhancing the efficiency and quality of patient care. Partnering with a reputable outsourcing provider ensures that customer support is managed professionally and effectively, boosting patient satisfaction and loyalty. Outsourcing customer support emerges as a strategic move for healthcare providers aiming to optimize their operations and deliver a seamless patient experience.

By addressing these challenges and carefully selecting an outsourcing partner, healthcare providers can reap the benefits. But how important is it for the health service provider to choose the right outsourcing partner?

Selecting the right outsourcing partner is a pivotal decision that influences the success of any business. Essential factors such as expertise and experience in the relevant industry, scalability, and flexibility of services are fundamental in ensuring the outsourcing partner can support your organization’s growth and adapt to changes. Additionally, effective communication and collaboration must be considered. Evaluating an outsourcing partner’s communication practices, responsiveness, and commitment to providing regular updates and progress reports is crucial. These elements ensure that both parties can work together seamlessly, with a clear understanding of goals and expectations.

Furthermore, maintaining high service quality and safeguarding data are paramount. To uphold your brand’s reputation and customer satisfaction, verifying that the potential partner has stringent quality control measures, including well-defined processes, performance metrics, and robust service level agreements (SLAs), is vital. Equally important is assessing their commitment to data security and confidentiality, ensuring they adhere to industry standards and have adequate data protection policies. Lastly, the cultural fit and values alignment between your organization and the outsourcing partner play a significant role in the partnership’s success, affecting everything from daily interactions to long-term strategic goals. A thorough evaluation and due diligence in these areas will help establish a productive, enduring outsourcing partnership.

Healthcare providers increasingly turn to customer service outsourcing to focus on their core functions, such as patient care and medical research, motivated by the significant benefits of improved patient satisfaction and cost efficiency. This strategic shift addresses the challenges of managing customer service internally, like misinformation and resource constraints, and offers advantages such as operational scalability, access to skilled professionals, and the delegation of non-core tasks. By choosing customer support outsourcing, healthcare organizations can better navigate fluctuating demands, reduce operational costs, and enhance patient experiences, prioritizing superior patient care and optimizing overall operational and financial performance.

At SupportZebra, we value the importance of customer service outsourcing in healthcare. As your healthcare services grow and patient questions rise, handling more customer service calls can feel like a lot. We want to help ease this load so you can focus on improving patient care and growing your services. Our team, composed of proficient English-speaking agents based in the Philippines, delivers support across multiple channels, including calls, texts, emails, social media, and in-app messaging. This multi-channel approach ensures that we meet your patient’s needs promptly and efficiently wherever they choose to reach out. Our strategy is to engage your patients efficiently while giving you a cost-effective solution to cut your labor costs by half without compromising service quality.

Want to see how SupportZebra can transform your customer support? Contact us today, and let us start building a world with better customer service.