Unlike other service industries, the hospital front office is where people come to visit when either they or their close one is unwell. This makes the people coming to the hospitals impatient, anxious, curious, and maybe low or high level of the resilient zone. Now, here comes the importance or necessity of handling such patients or their family members with more professionalism, compassion, empathy, and courteous manner while following all front office in-hospital operational protocols.
Hospital Front Office Executives
The front office department in a hospital is a department of the hospital that directly interacts with the patients when they first arrive. The staff of this department is very visible to the patients or their family members. It functions as a central point of contact across the organization. The department keeps information and records of all the patients of the hospital. It also plays a key role in forming overall impressions of the services provided by the organization.
The front office staff in hospital i is often the first person that patients or their well-wishers interact with when making contact with the hospital. So they are essentially the face and voice of the hospital and for this reason, they play an important role in the representing of the organisation. A front office executive in hospita is a person who works in the hospital front office and manages a variety of tasks. Let us know in detail about the front desk executive.
Qualities of a Hospital Front Desk Executive
Here are some of the qualities that a front office executive in hospital or any healthcare institute must have:
- Neat and professional appearance as it maintains professionalism
- Being pleasant and approachable
- Disciplined and punctual
- Speak multiple languages, especially in the regional language where the hospital front office is based
- Strong interpersonal skills – working with the team and getting along with a variety of different people
- Multitasking capabilities and organizational abilities
- Technical prowess
- Ability to stay calm under pressure
What are the roles and responsibilities of a Hospital Front Office & Billing Executive?
There are various roles and responsibilities that a front office executive in hospital should perform at a Hospital or any healthcare institute to make sure that the hospital runs smoothly. Some of the important front office executive duties and responsibilities in hospital are –
- A front office staff in hospital is responsible for attending the incoming calls, responding to them, and transferring the call to the appropriate department
- Scheduling the appointments at the correct time and with the correct doctor
- Listening to clients and communicating in a positive and confident manner with those over the phone or clients in the reception area
- Handling billing and detailing client invoices
- Collecting payment to ensure the practice turns a profit so everyone gets paid
- Copying, faxing, and emailing documents between clinics, hospitals, and patients
There is a whole lot more that goes into making a hospital a great place to work, an even better place for clients to visit, and ensuring things run smoothly and efficiently from the moment the doors open.
The Growing Importance of Digital and Technological Skills for Hospital Front Office Executives
Information technology has emerged as a crucial tool that is instrumental in the management of health facilities. The Hospital Front Office Executive job description now goes beyond answering patients’ inquiries, booking appointments, and collecting payments. Due to the implementation of EHRs, telemedicine, AI chatbots, and digital payment methods, front-office executives need to be IT specialists.
Why Digital Proficiency is Essential for Front Office Executives?
Electronic Health Records (EHRs) Management:
It is now time to say goodbye to numerous paper documents and files that were used in the past. Currently, EHR systems are implemented in most hospitals so as to store and retrieve patient information, medical history, prescriptions, and reports. It is, therefore important for front office executives to master the use of these systems in order to enable fast access to information, proper record keeping, and efficient communication with other offices.
Telemedicine and Virtual Consultations:
As the application of telemedicine rises, front office executives schedule appointments, help patients to use the video conferencing facilities, and update the records after consultations. They should also assist patients on how to connect to the telehealth systems, manage some technical problems, and facilitate clear communication.
Cashless & Digital Payment Processing:
Currently, hospitals have adopted the use of cashless payments through online banking, mobile wallets, and QR codes. It is therefore important for front office executives to master these payment systems so as to facilitate efficient billing transactions to the patients and their families. They must also be able to describe different insurance claims and types of digital billing for the benefit of the patients.
With the ever increasing technological advancement in health facilities, front office executives and managers have to be open for training and development. The training is now being offered within the hospitals, though certification courses in healthcare management, medical billing software as well as patient management systems are also emerging.
How to Become a Hospital Front Office & Billing Executive?
There are various educational institutes that offer training in medical billing & the introduction of front office department in hospital. To apply for this course, aspirants are required to be a graduate or pursuing the last year of their graduation. And this course is ideal for candidates who want to manage medical billing, reception, and administration at leading hospitals.
Tech Mahindra SMART Academies for Healthcare also offers a certificate course in hospital front office and Billing Executive. This course is a classroom program that trains students on medical billing, patient hospitality, and front office department in hospital operations. The course also enables students to eventually make a career in overall hospital management and administration.
Currently, Tech Mahindra SMART Healthcare Academies are offering this course in online and offline mode. Also, aspirants applying for this course are eligible for a special COVID pandemic scholarship.
Important skills of a Hospital Front Desk & Billing Executive
Every healthcare institute looks for a front office executive in hospital that has the following skill sets:
- Basic office skills and knowledge of medical terminology and hospital
- Excellent communication and customer service skills are one of the most important aspects of running a front office in hospital and should be able to convey information to other support staff, medical professionals, and patients who visit the hospital
- Good computer skills in order to accurately and efficiently process patient information, including payments and insurance claims
- Manage the office database and patient records, and manage the physician’s schedule
- Should also be able to write and prepare reports and transcribe and type medical reports
- The ability to listen and understand the patient’s needs and the physician’s or other medical professional’s instructions
- Problem-solving skills i.e. think on their feet and solve problems as they arise; a prompt and courteous response preserves a hospital’s valuable reputation
- Efficient front office staff in hospital enhances the patient experience and reduces wait times, making a big difference to patient retention rate and new referrals
The introduction of front office department in hospital setups has led to an increase in the demand for qualified professionals. The front office executive duties and responsibilities in hospital are essential for coordinating the daily administration of doctors, staff, visitors, and patients at a healthcare facility. They schedule appointments and answer patient inquiries. Therefore, qualified staff with proper knowledge of operations management working as a front office executive in hospital is needed for the smooth running of large-scale hospitals and to provide quality care to patients.
This would be fair to say that hospitals can convert the first impression into an everlasting impression by hiring professionally trained hospital front office executives.
