Best Ways to Reduce Patient No-Shows

Overview

It's no secret that missed appointments are a source of frustration at every practice. It is more than just a minor inconvenience; it can be a huge drain on your bottom line. No-shows can result in lost revenue, changes in your staff’s schedule, and increased expenses. But, you can do something about it. Here are some ways to reduce patient no-shows:

• Use Appointment Reminders

To minimize their no-show rate, some medical practices use appointment reminders. Many patients don’t show up at their doctor’s appointments because they forget about them. However, these can all be avoided through the use of reminder systems. A study conducted by the Department of Primary Care and Social Medicine at Imperial College London showed that no-show rates were 38% lower among patients who received a text message appointment reminder. Reminders significantly reduce no-show rates and in turn, allows medical practices to operate more efficiently and effectively. 

• Use Multiple Methods to Remind Patients

Every patient has a preference on how to be reminded. Some would want to be reminded through email to be more professional while others might want to be communicated through text or call. When a patient schedules an appointment with you, ask them about their preferred method of communication. While trying to decrease patient no-shows, take this into account.

• Keep Your Wait Room Time to a Minimum

There are people who are busy these days and you don’t want them to be waiting for too long. Asking a patient to wait 20 to 40 minutes or more for an appointment will increase the likelihood of them opting out of future appointments. You need to show your patients that you value their time for them to continuously avail of your services.

• Follow a Missed Appointment with A Message 

Sometimes, patients don’t mean to miss their appointments. Something might have come up or they double book themselves. But it doesn’t mean that you should give up on these patients. Let them know that you’re sorry to have missed them and encourage them to contact you right away should they want to reschedule. 

• Create and Enforce a Patient No-Show Policy

It is best for your medical practice to have a cancellation policy in place. It doesn’t have to be very detailed but it should be understandable by the patients. Once you’ve drafted your policy and display it in your waiting room. Also, make sure to put it on your website to ensure that patients who will schedule their appointments online will be able to read them. It is better to have measures in place to help patients keep their appointments and so that they won't wonder should they get charged when they cancel. 

Partner with DrCatalyst

Considering all these ways to reduce your patient no-show rate can greatly benefit your medical practice. But you also need to ensure that your staff has intensive training on how to properly manage scheduled patients so that they will not miss their appointment. This can save both your staff’s time and your practice’s money. 

To learn more tips about how to reduce patient no-shows, you can contact DrCatalyst. We provide over two dozen different medical billing services plus administrative and marketing. Give us a quick call and we’ll get you started. 

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