Members Present:

Pamela Bennett
Angela Broderick
Elwyn Hull
Suzanne Jacque
Julie Landesberg – ex officio
Cindy Lochte – ex officio
John Rutherford, MB.ChB. – Chairman
Paul Weatherall, M.D.

Members Absent:
Douglas Arrington, Ph.D.
Cecelia Brewington, M.D. – Co-Chair
Morris Bryant, M.D.
Sheryl Fox
Barbara Haley, M.D.
Glenda Haynes
Ellwood Jones, M.D.
Carol Key
Rick Lange, M.D.
Robert Rege, M.D.

1. Clinical Telephone Standards

The Task Force reviewed the revised standards for clinical telephones.   The following revisions were recommended:

• Routine Patient Calls: reference the current policy number regarding the proper documentation for patient phone calls.

• Urgent Patient Calls:  1) phone agents will forward urgent patient calls to a nurse for triaging; 2) nurse will triage call immediately and page physician.  Call is to be handled within 30 minutes.  3) Physician is to return urgent page within 10 minutes.
• Emergent Patient Calls: Add – if patient refuses to follow the nurse’s advice for emergent situation, call is handled as an urgent call and documented per policy.

• Prescription Refill Requests: handled in one business day.

• Cell Phone Standards: Refers to employee cell phones.

The Task Force also recommends that ACD phones are utilized for all patient calls, no matter where a phone agent is located, and that any employee handling patient calls be required to receive Phone Pro skills training.

2. Voicemail Standards

The Voicemail Standards discussed and revised at the June 16th meeting were reviewed.  

• Voicemail will be discontinued for clinics utilizing UT Smart.  Patient calls will be documented via the UT Smart System.

• In clinics not yet using UT Smart, live agents will answer and screen all patient calls seeking medical advice.  Voicemail will be used as a last resort; voicemail must be checked twice per day; group password will be used to assure messages are received and handled during absences; a standardized script will be used for voicemail; a written plan will be required for the management of the voicemail process.

The Task Force recognizes that the transition may be difficult.  With prior approval from Ambulatory Services Administration, clinics may utilize CTCS operators to assist with their phones for limited periods of time.  There will be a cost recovery charge for this service.  Assistance will be available to the clinics for this transition, and education and training for the implementation of live agent screening will be offered.

Cindy Lochte made a motion to accept the new voicemail standards as revised.  The motion was seconded and unanimously approved by the Task Force.

3. Standardized Voicemail Greetings for Clinics

Proposed standardized messages for any voicemail used in the clinics was reviewed and revised by the Task Force. 

It was recommended by the Task Force that voicemail standards greetings be implemented by September 1st.

Dr. Rutherford will take these telephone standard recommendations to the Executive Committee of the Clinical Chairs for their review and approval.

Dr. Rutherford announced that the next assignment of the Task Force would be to review the Patient Registration process.  The schedule for future Clinical Support System Task Force meetings will be set and communicated to members soon.