© OutreachU, ltd.
ISSUE 15
IMAGINE THIS
- Can you imagine a clinician not documenting the details of an encounter and interventions with a patient in their digital medical record platform?
- Can you imagine a flight-line maintenance professional not documenting work done to repair a fixed-wing engine in their maintenance database?
- Can you imagine a Communication Specialist / Telecommunicator not documenting an incident in their SaaS / dispatch platform where there had been confusion in matching radio frequencies between a Fire Department and an en-route helicopter during an approach to an LZ (Landing Zone) for a scene run to a nighttime motor vehicle mishap?
- Now, can you imagine an Outreach Operator who just finished a first time 1-hour meeting with a new Emergency Department physician (that is an important new customer) not documenting in great detail in her or his CRM (Customer Relationship Management) platform the crucial information that was gathered and needs to be available to management and peer Outreach staff?
WHAT IS YOUR OUTREACH ACTIVITY DOCUMENTATION DOCTRINE
For healthcare organizations engaged in Outreach, whatever professional standards and expectations for documentation that you clarify for clinicians, maintenance, and communications staff – these should be similar if not more stringent for your Outreach Operators. Especially as it relates to documentation of encounters with customers.
To follow is a simulation example of some of the key information an Air Medical Transport Outreach Operator documented after a first encounter with a new Emergency Department physician at a critical access hospital that monthly makes requests for several air medical transports. You can ideate on your specific healthcare business or organization for what your customers request.
The CRM platform being used is SalesNexus SalesNexus CRM & Email – SalesNexus and it is custom-configured using ThinkThroughTools’ proprietary TargetingMatrix ® and Set Up for Success intrinsic drivers along with other essential data points.
WHAT THE OUTREACH OPERATOR DOCUMENTED ABOUT DR. AMY, THE NEW E.D. PHYSICIAN Instead of “Had a Meeting.”
© OutreachU, ltd.
(Note this is only a partial screen shot)
On the left you will find common data related to contact information. It’s on the right where the higher-level customer data population resides.
- Using the TargetingMatrix ®, the Outreach Operator documented that Amy is a (Rational Criteria) DECISION MAKER and (Emotional Criteria) she is NEUTRAL. Because this physician is new – there are no records existing to measure which flight programs she requests (or instructs her staff to request.)
- The Customer Focus Action for NEUTRAL is documented as “Convert to LOYAL.” This is manifested by earning her trust and then her flight requests.
- In the DANGER ZONE criteria, the Outreach Operator documented what can anger or upset this physician. Anything sensitive or with potential to create uneasiness without reason.
- Using ThinkThroughTools’ three Set Up for Success Intrinsic Drivers (Career, Community and Legacy) this Outreach Operator documented what was learned during the first visit interview.
- Also – using the SalesNexus NOTES feature – detailed documentation was saved about the entire customer encounter and next action steps were also included. These steps will be input to the TargetTopTen Outreach Operating Plan™.
WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT
Now this is a starting point. The Outreach Operator has created a record that documents many principal factors about the new E.D. physician. This is important. But what is equally important is MANAGEMENT AND PEER OUTREACH OPERATORS NOW HAVE ACCESS TO THIS DATA. What if an incident occurs that needs an immediate Outreach response and the Outreach Operator assigned to Amy is on vacation, or ill and in the hospital or has defected from the flight program and is working in another part of the USA for another flight program? Because the data is accessible to others – whomever is going to respond – can quickly look at the data, the notes, the activity and be well-prepared to respond vs. “It’s all in the head” of the previous Outreach Operator. Make sense?
MOBILITY
© OutreachU, ltd.
As it relates to mobility, this can be providing each Outreach Operator with mobile technologies like unique work mobile phones with unique work numbers, mobile work computing devices with secure connectivity apps and an array of other mobile assets that enable the individual maximum effectiveness while “on the road.”
Likewise, it is Best of Breed Outreach when Outreach Operators are provided with dedicated Outreach vehicles, ideally large well-equipped SUVs that can carry high fidelity simulation technology, Outreach / Marketing branding deliverables, and video recording and transmission technologies to enable TV-Station-like production. Yes, this is Best of Breed, but how is your organization or company investing in your Outreach CRM and Mobility? It’s all a matter of how important these investments in Outreach are to your organization. Keeping in mind – Outreach is greatly responsible for stimulating requests or orders for your services and products. Thus, generating your revenue $. Do you desire more revenue?
BOTTOM ECG ON BROAD SPECTRUM TECHNOLOGIES LIKE CRM
If it was not documented – IT DID NOT HAPPEN. Ideally, a crisis will not arise where having detailed Outreach documentation will make the difference between keeping or losing a LOYAL customer – or worse yet – losing in litigation.
As an Outreach Operator professional standard, if an activity or customer encounter happens, this is information that must be recorded and accessible to others. It’s that simple.
In THE BOOK OF OUTREACH FOR AIR MEDICAL TRANSPORT and THE BOOK OF OUTREACH FOR HEALTHCARE, a detailed template for Outreach Documentation Guidelines is included.
BE IN TOUCH
Please be in contact about what you and your organization or company are doing to document your customer encounters. Or to learn about which CRM platforms ThinkThroughTools recommends and why. e.mail [email protected]
To learn more about the book, the online course, and
the Healthcare Outreach Practitioner LEVEL I Credential
go to
or email [email protected]
© OutreachU, ltd. PRESS, ThinkThroughTools, LLC, all rights reserved
Richard M. Obertots, MBA, NREMT-P (ret.) is CEO/Drummer of ThinkThroughTools, LLC. & OutreachU, ltd., based in Canfield, Ohio, USA. He has 45 + years’ experience in EMS, air medical transport and critical care healthcare. He began as a Nationally Registered Paramedic, then Hospital EMS/Trauma Coordinator and Financial Analyst. Rich has instructed full-time at the University level and been a non-stop business creator and owner for more than five decades. He and his companies have operated in nearly every state of the USA, and he’s had numerous healthcare business endeavors throughout Australia and Canada. All of these involved designing and implementing healthcare Outreach Operating Systems, methods and supporting software.
He is the author of THE BOOK OF OUTREACH for HEALTHCARE; How to Grow Revenue by Astonishing the Right Customers Consistently, the newest edition scheduled for limited release later in 2025. He can be reached at [email protected] 330.623.5910.
