If you’re looking to succeed in the healthcare industry with your own practice, then you need to have a good idea of not just how you can provide the best treatment and service possible, but also the obstacles that can get in your way of doing just that. Although it might not seem like a big deal, cancellations and no-shows can be a bigger drain on your practice than you might realize. Here, we’re going to look at why that’s the case, as well as what you can do about it.
How No-Shows and Cancellations Harm Your Medical Practice
What’s The Danger?
First and foremost, it’s good to have an understanding of the far-reaching consequences of no-shows and cancellations. When a patient cancels or fails to show up without warning, the empty slot often goes unfilled, resulting in lost revenue for the practice. Compared to other industries, medical practices tend to have much stricter schedules, meaning that it’s not always easy to fill up that sudden free time with another patient, especially if you’re given little notice. No-shows also create inefficiencies in patient care, such as delaying necessary treatments, which can impact the health of the patients. Practices can often overbook as a response to no-shows, which can lead to longer wait times and patient dissatisfaction, as well.
Send Automated Reminders
A lot of the time, a patient misses an appointment not out of intentional avoidance but simply because it slips their mind. They may misremember when, exactly, the appointment is scheduled for, and this is where automated reminders can come in handy. Busy schedules, work obligations, and family responsibilities can all lead to forgetfulness, but a timely reminder can help keep appointments top of mind. Reaching out by text message or phone typically works better than sending an email. Make sure you include everything they need to be there in the reminder, including the time of the appointment, office location, and if there are any steps they need to take to prepare for their appointment.
Let Patients Adjust Their Scheduling
Another major cause of last-minute cancellations is inflexible scheduling. Patients often cancel because their circumstances change, and if they don’t have an easy way to reschedule, they may opt to skip the appointment altogether. By offering self-service scheduling tools, medical practices empower patients to manage their own appointments. Whether you provide an online portal or provide a mobile app for your practice, letting your patients reschedule when they need to can reduce cancellations. This way, patients are a lot more likely to simply find a time that fits their schedule when they may otherwise cancel. Making this freely available also means that they’re more likely to try to reschedule early, rather than waiting until it’s too late.
Stay In Touch With Them
Alongside reminders, it’s a good idea to stay in touch with patients who are in active treatment. Not only does it make them more likely to remember and attend any appointments, but it helps them feel cared for and catered to by your practice. It may not be easy for you to reach out directly to all of your patients, of course, which is where a virtual medical receptionist can become a valuable member of the team. Outsourcing your routine communications to someone with the experience and skills to represent the face of your business can help you maintain positive relationships with your patients. It can also help them answer any concerns that might be lingering on their mind before an appointment.
Have A Clear Cancellation Policy
Cancellations are going to happen. They’re a simple fact of life for every practice. However, you can ensure that patients are considering the needs of your practice by having a clear cancellation policy that’s communicated to them when they set an appointment. Not only can you take the opportunity to inform patients of the consequences of missed appointments and how it affects how you work, but it can set expectations for things like how much notice is required, and the best process to notify the office. You can’t control the circumstances of your patients and sometimes they simply will not be able to reach out in enough time to help you fill their time slot. However, a well-communicated policy helps create accountability and encourages patients to take their appointments seriously.
Consider A No-Show Fee
For practices struggling with frequent no-shows, implementing a no-show fee can serve as a deterrent. When patients know that missing an appointment comes with financial consequences, they are more likely to show up or at least give advance notice if they need to cancel. If you do enforce a no-show fee, it’s important that they are reasonable and consistent, not excessive. You want to be careful not to appear overly strict, as you can alienate patients, including those who may be experiencing financial difficulty. As such, your policy can include exemptions for genuine emergencies and the opportunity for patients to appeal. Having the fee policy itself can often be enough to encourage patients to attend.
Reach Out To Patients Who Don’t Show
Policies and fees can help enforce some level of accountability, but if you want to take a more compassionate approach, then taking the human angle might be one that better suits your needs. Rather than simply marking a patient as a no-show, reaching out to understand why they missed their appointment can improve patient engagement and retention. Patients have many legitimate reasons to miss appointments, such as transportation issues, family emergencies, or anxiety that they have trouble dealing with. Calling from the office in person or through a virtual receptionist can help show that you care about them, first and foremost. If a particular patient frequently cancels, the practice can offer solutions such as telehealth appointments or a different time slot that better suits their schedule.
The occasional missed appointment is nothing more than a minor convenience but if they become more frequent, they can be more costly than you might assume. The tips above can help you craft your own strategy to ensure patient attendance or better allow them to adjust appointments while giving you more time to schedule around them.
