FAQs for Hospitals

1. How is PerfectServe deployed?

The PerfectServe suite of physician contact solutions includes: PerfectServe One-2-One and PerfectServe OnCall. PerfectServe One-2-One is deployed as a hospital-sponsored initiative to improve physician-to-physician and hospital-to-physician communications. It is provided to medical staff members at no cost.

PerfectServe OnCall is a practice-based call management tool that replaces the conventional answering service or voice mail system with a more accurate, more reliable solution. PerfectServe OnCall is deployed at the physician’s option with the cost incurred by his or her practice.

Each service is fully integrated with the other. Combined, they provide physicians with a seamless, easy-to-use solution for all patient care communications.

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2. Does the hospital need to install servers or special equipment?

No. Because PerfectServe is deployed as a service, no hardware or special equipment is necessary. Access to PerfectServe is provided through toll-free numbers. All that is required is for the hospital to configure speed dials and/or off-premise extensions on its PBX system. No system integration is involved.

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3. Do physicians need special equipment?

No. PerfectServe works with any cell phone or standard phone for real-time contact, and all paging networks and wireless carriers for message notification. However, for physicians who want to access PerfectServe using a smartphone device, PerfectServe supports only those devices running the Windows Mobile 5 operating system.

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4. What are the key steps in the implementation process, and how long does it take?

As part of your evaluation process, a detailed implementation plan is created targeting an initial service go-live date. Prior to that date, a number of activities take place:

• A communications campaign is launched to create awareness of the program and communicate goals and benefits to physicians and nursing staff.
• The PerfectServe One-2-One hospital application and services are configured.
• PerfectServe call management consultants contact each physician practice to determine individual and group communications management needs and requirements. Customized call flow process designs are created based on individual and group physician requirements.
• Physicians are configured in the system and a go-live date is scheduled. At that time, they are accessible by their colleagues and the hospital using the PerfectServe One-2-One system.

The entire implementation process requires approximately 60 to 120 days based on the size and complexity of your organization. Typically, an initial PerfectServe One-2-One go-live begins with 25-50 physicians, with remaining medical staff members added in groups on a bi-weekly basis until implementation is completed.

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5. Once physicians are added to PerfectServe, who is responsible for making call schedule changes?

Using any phone or Web browser, physicians and/or their practice administrators can change variables such as signing “on” and “off” call, creating and modifying group on-call schedules, and modifying individual contact preferences.

For physicians and practice administrators not comfortable with making changes themselves, a PerfectServe Client Service Team member is always available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to make schedule changes, troubleshoot issues and answer questions.

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6. What happens if a doctor is not responding to calls? Do nurses revert to a manual process?

During implementation, PerfectServe representatives conduct in-service sessions with nurses and unit secretaries. They are instructed on each physician contact method and assured they can rely on PerfectServe’s failsafe messaging process — which automatically escalates notification based on a physician’s predefined protocols.

However, if a physician does not employ failsafe messaging and does not respond to a direct page or text message, nurses and unit secretaries are instructed to contact PerfectServe Client Services and a representative will promptly investigate and resolve the issue.

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7. Once PerfectServe is deployed, do we still need to distribute physician on-call schedules to hospital departments?

No. Because on-call schedules are integrated into individual call flow processes, calls route automatically to the correct physician on-call in the precise way that doctor chooses to be reached. Nurses and unit secretaries will never again have to refer to printed or faxed schedules to contact physicians.

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8. What kinds of reports are available?

The PerfectServe system automatically collects a tremendous amount of data regarding physician-to-physician and hospital-to-physician contacts. During implementation, a PerfectServe representative will work with you to determine what data is important to you. Reports are then compiled and distributed on a weekly or monthly basis according to your needs.

In the event that you experience an acute contact problem, PerfectServe representatives can provide call detail reports specific to an issue within the same, or at latest, one subsequent business day.

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9. What is PerfectServe’s track record for system uptime?

PerfectServe’s current 12-month system availability and uptime performance exceeds 99.999 percent.

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10. Which department in a hospital typically “owns” a PerfectServe initiative?

Medical staff services most commonly own the hospital’s relationship with PerfectServe. However, individual departments might manage specific components based on the way PerfectServe is applied in that hospital. For example, the department of cardiology might own an open-heart team communications process delivered through PerfectServe One-2-One.

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