FAQs

Why do you need to know what my Call Volume is ahead of time?

By knowing your estimated monthly call volume ahead of time, we can match it with accumulated hourly call data per physician and reasonably determine, if and where added staff coverage may be needed. Careful, efficient, computer assisted staff scheduling procedures, result in prompt response for patient/caregiver callers, and contributes to operational cost effectiveness. Subscriber benefits are consistently swift delivery of high standard care advice…and affordable triage services.

Can I change my hours of coverage?

Yes. Whenever possible we will accommodate your requests. All we ask is for you to provide us with as much advance notice possible, so we can assure adequate staffing, and not compromise our delivery of quality service.

Can I use Night Nurse services for only a limited schedule?

Yes. We’re here to serve you. We recognize that “one size does not fit all.” You can consider using us for critical overnight hours; just weekends or for vacations and special occasions. There are no surcharges for using our service during any hours of regular coverage.  Check Operating Hours.

Can patients call Night Nurse directly?

No.  Patient calls their doctor’s office.  Call is answered by physicians’  answering service…caller data is immediately faxed to Night Nurse Call Center….medical dispatchers prioritize the call within one minute…then calls are dispatched to nurses properly certified to triage within patient’s state of residence.  Calls are swiftly directed to qualified nurse responders by our specially designed HIPAA compliant and secure Night Nurse Communications Network.  Check Competitive Advantage for further procedural information. 

Can you recommend a reliable and professional Answering Service?

Yes. Night Nurse triage operations are capably coordinated with over 30 answering services in 23 states from Maine to California. Contact Us for further information.

Are all calls to the practice handled by Night Nurse?

No. Night Nurse is primarily used after hours, to provide care advice for patients who may be safely treated at home, are in need of follow-up care at physician’s offices, or needing immediate attention and direction to emergency medical facilities. Most calls for prescription refills, referrals, test results, new baby calls, hospital admissions or well visit appointments, can be directly relayed to physician offices by their answering service. Your instructions regarding physician preference information are elicited during subscriber set-ups and customized to suit individual physician preference.

Can I direct Night Nurse to which Emergency Room to refer patients?

Yes. Physicians select the medical facilities to which their patients are referred and tailor the management of their patients’ care. Night Nurse strives to emulate the caliber of care advice physicians would provide, in accordance with appropriate protocol recommended levels of care.

Can I specify what types of calls or situations I want to be immediately notified on?

Yes. Physicians can specify how they want to be notified for emergency room referrals or any special situations. In addition, all patient encounter reports are delivered to you within minutes of the completion of the triage call or instantly via the use of our physician portal.

What if I have questions related to the Patient Triage Encounter Reports that are faxed to my office each morning?

Contact us. Night Nurse medical professionals respond with immediacy. Patient related calls or emails from physicians or practice management inquiries receive instantaneous attention, within 24 hours or sooner. We research documentation, interview triaging nurse and if necessary, the patient triage encounter will have been reviewed with one or more of four active Night Nurse Medical Directors. 

Can you schedule appointments for next day visits for patients that you have attended to after-hours?

Yes. Our comprehensive services are designed to suit your needs.  Provide us with slots available for urgent visits.  We’ll schedule appointments and get the information to you, along with the Patient Triage Encounter Reports, delivered to you within minutes of the completion of the triage call or instantly via the use of our physician portal. …at no extra charge.

Can I obtain references from your existing subscribers?

Yes. We will readily arrange to provide you with references, and…pleased to do so. Our best sources of endorsement are Night Nurse subscribers.

Are there any fees in addition to the rate per call?

Yes. There’s a nominal one time set-up fee and a modest Annual Maintenance Fee based upon number of full and part time physicians we’re serving. Also passed on are very few and rarely necessary Language Line translation fees. Note: Night Nurse does not charge regular per call rate for Ancillary Calls related to the triage call. On average, one in seven triage encounters require an Ancillary Call.

How can I be sure that you will only bill me for for my patient calls or for patients under my responsibility?

Night Nurse provides detailed triage call totals, by physician with monthly billings. Not all triage services similarly do so. Monthly billings of calls by physician are directly comparable with the daily Patient Encounter Reports physicians receive. Also assisting assessment of monthly charges by physician and your ability to ensure subscribers are correctly charged, subscriber billings are automatically prepared from secure patient call data within our computer systems. 

Can I get a breakdown for all calls by physician in my group?

Yes. This is provided as a standard billing feature.