The Vital Role of the Receptionist in a Therapy Practice

There is no denying the vital role that the receptionist plays in a physical therapy practice. From greeting patients and helping them sign in to handling billing and insurance inquiries, the front desk staff are the face of your clinic. A great receptionist can make all the difference in the world for patients and help to create a positive experience that leaves them wanting to come back. On the flip side, a bad receptionist can sink your practice. In this blog post, we will discuss some of the key qualities that make up an excellent physical therapy receptionist!

The first and most important quality for any physical therapy receptionist is customer service skills. This means being able to greet patients with a warm smile, answer their questions, and provide them with the information they need in a timely manner. Excellent communication skills are also essential, as the receptionist will be dealing with patients, doctors, insurance companies, family members and other referral sources. It is also important to be able to multitask and stay organized in a busy environment. Most physical therapy clinics have a lot of moving parts, so it is essential that your receptionist thrives on being busy!

It is also important for the receptionist to be knowledgeable about the clinic’s policies and procedures, so they can answer any questions that patients may have. Many physical therapy clinics have guidelines they follow for patient appointments, such as their no-show and cancellation policy. It is important for your receptionist to be well versed in how to handle confrontation or disagreement about any practice policies. Being able to do this tactfully can be a major benefit to the entire office.

The physical therapy receptionist is often the first person that patients interact with, so it is essential that they are friendly, helpful and knowledgeable. A good receptionist will make patients feel comfortable and welcome, which can set the tone for their entire visit. By greeting patients by name, the receptionist can set the tone with each patient that they are considered family. This small gesture can make a big difference in the overall patient experience.

Lastly, the physical therapy receptionist should have a strong work ethic and be passionate about helping patients. This means being able to handle administrative tasks such as billing and insurance inquiries, as well as managing the front desk duties. The receptionist is often the first person that patients interact with when they come in for their appointment, so it is important that they take pride in playing a huge role in the overall recovery of each patient that walks through their door.

In addition to customer service skills, physical therapy receptionists should have knowledge of insurance and billing procedures. They should be able to answer questions about deductibles, copays, co-insurance and other insurance related topics. It is also important to be familiar with deciphering a patient’s insurance benefits prior to starting physical therapy. This will help to avoid any surprises when the bill arrives.

If you are looking for an excellent physical therapy receptionist, be sure to consider candidates who have strong customer service skills, knowledge of insurance and billing procedures, and friendly demeanor. By choosing the right person for this important position, you can ensure that your patients have a positive experience from start to finish!  Another major factor to keep in mind, in addition to selecting the right candidate, is to make sure that your receptionist has all of the tools they need to do their job as efficiently as possible.  The following is a list of 5 examples that can make your receptionist more efficient:

1. Have a system in place where your receptionist does not have to enter patient data more than once.  This is not only important because it’s time consuming, it also opens up more room for data entry errors.
2. Utilize a patient portal!  This will allow for the patient to enter all of their demographics and other patient information directly into their own chart.  You can also have standardized outcomes filled out ahead of time, making it so much easier on everyone in your practice.
3. Have automated reminders set up so that your receptionist isn’t spending countless hours texting, calling or emailing patients about their upcoming appointments.
4. Have an integrated credit card processing company set up within your EMR.  This will allow for your receptionist to “bill card on file” versus having to swipe a card every single time.  This also works well for no-show fees and payment plans.
5. Utilize an integrated contact log.  This means that any communication about a patient, or potential patient, is logged.  This way if one receptionist leaves a voicemail for a patient, the patient calls back and someone else answers — they know where the last person left off!  It keeps your internal communication running smoothly so that the patient’s

What are some of the key qualities you look for in a physical therapy receptionist? Let us know in the comments below!