3 more ways to reduce patient no-show rates

From technology solutions to personal phone calls, physician practices are experimenting with various ways to drive down the number of no-show patients, according to a recent Medscape article.

And paying attention to your no-show rate is important. Patients who skip out on their scheduled appointments are costing practices billions in revenue across the country.

Here are three ways physician practices can decrease their no-show rate, according to the article:

  • Self-service. MetroHealth, an integrated delivery network in Cleveland, has allowed patients to schedule their own appointments for the last three years--and the result is a  "show rate" increase of five times the normal rate, according to the article. The online scheduling allows patients to book an appointment time that is convenient and the system sends a reminder to the patient.
  • Confirmation by text. Text reminders have also helped MetroHealth reduce its no-show rate by 10 percent to 20 percent. People are more likely to act on a text reminder than they will to a phone reminder, according to the article. And MetroHealth's patients not only receive reminders, they also confirm their appointments by text.
  • Educate patients. Don't just tell your patients they need to come in for an appointment, tell them why. For example, tell your diabetic patients that you need to see them every three months to monitor their A1C levels--this is a great opportunity to educate patients about what A1C levels are and what could happen if they get out of control.

To learn more:
- read the article