{"id":55789,"date":"2025-09-04T16:38:04","date_gmt":"2025-09-04T16:38:04","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"-0001-11-30T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"-0001-11-30T00:00:00","slug":"reducing-phone-calls-and-follow-up-tasks-how-pre-visit-lab-testing-transforms-communication-in-medical-offices-2014123","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.simbo.ai\/blog\/reducing-phone-calls-and-follow-up-tasks-how-pre-visit-lab-testing-transforms-communication-in-medical-offices-2014123\/","title":{"rendered":"Reducing Phone Calls and Follow-Up Tasks: How Pre-Visit Lab Testing Transforms Communication in Medical Offices"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

One big task that takes time and resources in medical offices is managing communications about lab testing\u2014phone calls from patients asking for test results, staff follow-ups, appointment reminders, and rescheduling.
Recent studies and real-world experience show that pre-visit lab testing can greatly reduce these communication tasks by getting test results before the patient\u2019s appointment.
As a result, practices have smoother workflows, fewer phone calls, less follow-up work, and better use of staff and doctor time.<\/p>\n

This article explains how pre-visit lab testing works, how it affects communication in medical practices in the United States, and how using AI and workflow automation can improve these benefits for medical groups.<\/p>\n

What is Pre-Visit Lab Testing?<\/h2>\n

Pre-visit lab testing is when doctors order needed lab tests for patients before their scheduled visits.
Instead of ordering labs during or after the appointment, patients do the tests first, and doctors get the results before seeing the patients.
Having the test results ready during the visit lets doctors review, talk about, and make decisions right away instead of waiting until later by phone or mail.<\/p>\n

This method can also work for other tests like X-rays or other scans, making sure patients finish all needed tests in time to help doctors make decisions.<\/p>\n

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How Pre-Visit Lab Testing Reduces Phone Calls and Follow-Up Tasks<\/h2>\n

Studies and real experiences show that pre-visit lab testing improves communication and how offices run.
Dr. Ben Crocker, a primary care doctor from Boston, started pre-visit lab testing in 2012 with good results.
He found that phone calls to his office dropped by 89 percent after he began using it.
This happened mainly because patients did not have to call back after visits to ask about their lab results.<\/p>\n

Also, Crocker\u2019s practice sent 85 percent fewer letters to patients that used to be needed to share lab results or follow-up steps.
Sending fewer letters saves staff time and reduces costs.<\/p>\n

Since test results were talked about during visits, fewer patients needed to come back for extra visits\u2014these dropped by 61 percent in Crocker\u2019s practice.
This means fewer calls to make new appointments, less staff follow-up, and fewer return visits because lab problems got handled quickly.<\/p>\n

Money-wise, this saved about $25 per patient visit in doctor and staff time, which is important for small and medium-sized practices with tight budgets.<\/p>\n

Additional Benefits to Scheduling and No-Show Rates<\/h2>\n

Pre-visit lab testing works well with advanced scheduling, where some practices book appointments months or even a year ahead.
Planning so far ahead helps offices know what work to expect and staff properly.
Sometimes patients need to change these appointments, but the saved staff time spent managing schedules is worth this minor issue.<\/p>\n

Automatic reminder systems are part of good pre-visit planning.
These send alerts to patients about upcoming lab tests and appointments, so patients are less likely to miss them.
If a patient does miss a lab test, the staff can quickly call to reschedule or encourage patients to finish tests before their visit.
This helps stop patients from forgetting important tests and supports better care.<\/p>\n

Role of Team-Based Care in Supporting Pre-Visit Lab Testing<\/h2>\n

Care teams play an important role in pre-visit lab testing and communication.
Research from the American Academy of Family Physicians shows that doctors who work with teams of medical assistants, nurses, coordinators, and pharmacists can give non-clinical tasks to others.
These tasks include reminding patients, following up on tests, and helping patients understand tests and appointments.<\/p>\n

Support staff can do agenda setting, collect patient histories, check medication lists, teach patients how to prepare for labs, and put information into electronic health records (EHR).
This helps work go smoothly and reduces interruptions for doctors.<\/p>\n

Registered Nurse (RN) care coordinators work with doctors to help high-risk patients and cut down on unnecessary repeat hospital visits.
They remind patients about follow-up lab work and appointments, which also lowers the number of phone calls to the office.<\/p>\n

Improving Communication Beyond Lab Testing: Post-Hospital Follow-Up Visits<\/h2>\n

Good communication is also important after hospital stays.
Quick follow-up visits after going home from the hospital lower readmission rates and stop problems.
Studies in New York with Capitol District Physicians\u2019 Health Plan found that when primary care doctors saw patients within seven days of hospital discharge, 30-day readmissions dropped from 14 percent to 6 percent.<\/p>\n

This needs good communication between hospital doctors and outpatient doctors.
Discharge summaries often miss important details or come late, making it hard for outpatient teams to prepare for follow-ups.
Electronic health records that send clear discharge instructions\u2014like why the patient was hospitalized, what follow-up is needed, and pending tests\u2014help primary care doctors plan better care.<\/p>\n

Pre-visit reminders before follow-up visits, checking medications, and teaching patients clearly during visits lower phone calls and confusion.
This helps reduce readmission risks and extra communication.<\/p>\n

AI and Workflow Automation: Transforming Communication in Medical Offices<\/h2>\n

Artificial intelligence (AI) and workflow automation help improve pre-visit lab testing and cut down related phone calls and follow-up tasks.
AI tools can look at patient schedules, find gaps in care, and automatically order needed lab tests or procedures before appointments.<\/p>\n

Reminder systems that are automatic send notices to patients about lab tests by text, phone calls, or patient portal messages, cutting down no-shows.
If a patient misses an appointment or test, AI systems quickly alert staff to follow up.<\/p>\n

AI can also sort patient portal messages by answering common questions and sending harder problems to the right clinical staff or doctors.
This lowers the number of calls and messages doctors have to handle, letting them focus on patient care.<\/p>\n

AI tools also remind staff about visit preparation through brief meetings or checklists.
This helps make sure lab results are ready, care gaps are fixed, and any abnormal results are flagged early so doctors can focus on care during the visit.<\/p>\n

Using AI in lab testing also helps sync prescription refills and keep track of chronic disease patients.
This reduces follow-up calls about medicines and labs.
Pharmacists who work with care teams and use AI tools can help manage medicines better, lowering extra work.<\/p>\n

For IT managers and administrators in medical offices, using AI tools linked to lab testing and appointment software saves staff time, cuts unnecessary phone calls, and helps keep patients involved.<\/p>\n

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Practical Steps for Medical Offices in the United States to Adopt Pre-Visit Lab Testing<\/h2>\n