As a healthcare industry, we must work diligently to avoid missed appointments. Not only do they cost the healthcare system billions of dollars each year, but they also lead to longer wait times for patients seeking care and limit a patient’s access to treatment.
Whether it’s a scheduling conflict, financial issues or a recurring appointment, there are many reasons that patients fail to show up for their scheduled appointment. Regardless of the reason, missing a medical appointment can have long-lasting negative effects on the health and wellbeing of the patient.
Healthcare trends to avoid missed appointments
Many studies have found that healthcare organizations can reduce their no-show rates by offering appointment reminders to patients. For example, a simple text message reminder can significantly reduce missed appointments. Providing transportation options is another way to help patients get to their appointments. Several healthcare organizations have partnered with rideshare services like Uber and Lyft to give patients a free ride or discounted rate.
Other factors that can affect no-show rates include the type of appointment, whether it’s ongoing or preventative. For example, cancer patients are more likely to miss an in-person chemotherapy appointment than a routine checkup. A telemedicine platform can help reduce no-shows by allowing patients to digitally sign up for their visit, pay their co-pay and fill out forms ahead of time.
Finally, a non-confrontational approach to reducing no-shows is to simply let patients know that they will be charged for their missed appointment. This lets the patient know that there’s a consequence to not showing up and will likely encourage them to reschedule. The Mend telemedicine solution suite offers this feature and also manages digital payments, consents and other forms for an integrated appointment process. healthcare trends to avoid missed appointments