Reducing Patient No Shows
Few things are as disruptive to the efficient operation of a medical practice as patients who don’t show up for their appointments. Patient no shows create holes in physicians’ schedules, reduce billings and lower productivity. Here are some steps that medical practices can take to help boost the percentage of patients who keep their appointments.
Let Patients Know the Importance of Keeping Appointments
Inform every new patient of the importance of keeping appointments. Some practices find that displaying a clearly worded statement in the waiting room that states the practice’s policy regarding missed appointments helps reduce the number of no shows.
Regularly Contact Patients Before Their Appointments
A phone call one to three days before an appointment is most effective in reminding patients of their upcoming appointments. The call can also include a message that serves to reinforce the importance of uninterrupted, continuing medical care as a critical component of the patient’s long-term health care. And reminder calls give patients who need to cancel or reschedule appointments the incentive to contact your office.
Review Data on No Shows
Call no shows to learn the reason for the missed appointment and to reschedule the appointment. And keep a record of all missed appointments -- that data can help you detect patterns. For example, the data may show that certain times of the day or certain days of the week give rise to most missed appointments. You can use that data to target and refine your reminder calls to patients who have appointments at those times.
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