Hot Line

Affiliated Monitors’ Hot Line provides an opportunity for informal communication of complaints or concerns to an independent third party.
 
Patients, customers, employees or other parties can call the toll-free Hot Line 24 hours a day, seven days a week without fear of recrimination.  Calls may even be made anonymously.
 
The Hot Line also benefits employers, because:

• Complaints that might otherwise be registered through a time-consuming formal process can be handled quickly and with a considerable savings of time and money.
  
• Employers become aware of problems that might otherwise be overlooked.
  
• Customer satisfaction will improve, as customers and patients will have an opportunity to give feedback about issues they believe need to be addressed.
  
• Employee morale will improve, as employees can have an immediate outlet for addressing their concerns.
  
• Future problems can be avoided.  Small problems can be addressed quickly today, avoiding big problems tomorrow.

The Hot Line is ideal for issues relating to quality of service, concerns about office policies, claims of fraud, and reporting of illegal or unethical behavior.  Complaints need not be related to regulatory requirements.
 
The Hot Line can also be used to measure customer and patient satisfaction, and to reduce frivolous and nuisance claims.
 
Affiliated Monitors will provide wall posters for your office to announce the Hot Line.  The posters emphasize that all callers can contact the Hot Line without their identity being revealed and that they will be protected from retaliation.
 
Hot Line Protocol

How does the Affiliated Monitors Hot Line work?

1. All calls are logged.
   
2. Affiliated Monitors notifies the client about all complaints.
   
3. Affiliated Monitors keeps call files active until closure.
4. Depending on the nature of the call, a response can also include:
   
• Referral to an independent mediation service to resolve any dispute
• Referral to the client’s legal counsel for appropriate action
• Referral to the provider’s insurance carrier
  
• Independent investigation by Affiliated Monitors and consultation on how to avoid recurrence and improve the business or practice as a result of the call

When complaints involve serious health, welfare or safety issues, referral to proper authorities may be required.
 
Although Affiliated Monitors protects the confidentiality of the source, the service requires that clients agree that there will be no retaliation against anyone who uses the Hot Line.
 
Affiliated Monitors maintains call logs and files for all clients who subscribe and can provide monthly, quarterly or annual reports of activities, as requested.