The decision
A dedicated assistant works agreed hours on your practice's tasks. A shared answering service supplies a team that handles calls for several businesses. The distinction matters more than whether both providers use the word receptionist.
What to compare
Dedicated staffing suits a recurring combination of calls, scheduling, intake and back-office work. Shared answering can suit irregular overflow and after-hours message capture. Neither automatically includes a particular EHR integration or clinical escalation process: those need to be scoped.
Before you commit
Compare coverage as well as cost. A 20-hour assistant does not provide 24-hour availability. A minute allowance is not 20 hours of exclusive labour. Request a sample call flow, an absence plan and a written list of tasks the provider will not handle.