How To Discourage Appointment 'No Shows" In Your Healthcare Practice

With the recent rise in online healthcare appointment booking services in Australia enabling consumers to make appointments with their doctor a whole lot easier there is also a growing concern that such systems may not aide practice efficiency and because of the lack of the human 'relational' connection with the practice's front desk actually encourage 'no shows'.

According to a recent study in the US from Johns Hopkins on medical appointments 58 percent of people who have doctor appointments don’t show up for them. This is especially common in young and low-income patients. The most common reason?

“I forgot.”

This excuse can be fixed easily by online appointment booking services using new call centre technology. Those annoying robo-calls no one ever wants to get, via an automated voice or an SMS text message, can actually be a beneficial and simple way to help with patient forgetfulness.

Text messages and call reminders for appointments, prescription renewal reminders and annual checkup reminders are just a few ways on how this technology can help keep patients healthy and increase patient volume in medical facilities. The messages may not be personal, but they can serve as a straightforward reminder that an action needs to be taken. And they don’t take manpower away from your employees’ other daily tasks.