HIPAA News

New Medical Answering Service Uses Automated Technology to Mitigate Provider Malpractice Risk

(Feb 18, 2009)-- Acumantra Solutions, developer of web-based software solutions, has discovered a way to use automated technology to reduce a medical provider's malpractice risk. After thoroughly researching the risks associated with after-hours patient calls, the company has built automatic safeguards into their premier medical answering service, On Call Central, to specifically address malpractice concerns and HIPAA obligations.

Not only does our medical answering service eliminate the 'your word against mine' conflict, providing exculpatory evidence that supports a provider's position in a claim, it also delivers the security needed to help a provider meet their obligations under HIPPA.

With a traditional medical answering service, human operators act as "middlemen," relaying patient communications to providers. However, manually tracked patient messages and callback numbers are prone to errors, and little if any permanent documentation is created relating to patient-provider interactions. In addition, live call centers often have high employee turnover rates, which can lead to inadequately trained operators. All of this results in potential communication breakdowns, which put the patient and the provider's medical practice at risk.

Re-Engineering the Medical Answering Service:
With On Call Central, Aucmantra has re-engineered the traditional physician answering service to eliminate the middleman, creating a more secure and reliable after-hours call management system. To better document a patient's after-hours medical issue, On Call Central automatically records the patient's initial call, as well as all subsequent incoming and outgoing calls. The provider can even record a note after speaking with a patient to document specific directives. The recordings can be securely archived for an indefinite period of time, providing a permanent record of after-hours patient communications. A provider may even choose to transcribe recordings to be placed in the patient's medical records.

Automatic Time Stamping:
Time stamps are another key element of On Call Central's risk management features. Time stamping establishes a clear timeline of interactions, while providing evidence of a provider's diligence in responding to medical issues. On Call Central automatically time stamps all calls and events, including:

* Incoming patient calls
* Initial notification to the on-call provider that a message is waiting
* Message reminders, if any, sent to the on-call provider
* The time that the provider retrieves a patient's message
* The time that the provider returns a patient's call

"With its secure recording and time stamping features, On Call Central becomes a first line of defense for medical providers faced with a potential malpractice situation," said Acumantra President and CEO, Sidney VanNess, Ph.D. "Not only does our medical answering service eliminate the 'your word against mine' conflict, providing exculpatory evidence that supports a provider's position in a claim, it also delivers the security needed to help a provider meet their obligations under HIPPA."

Physicians, practice managers and other health professionals interested in learning more about On Call Central's risk management features can visit www.OnCallCentral.com

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