Practice Management Alert

Question: Patient no-shows are really hurting our practice’s bottom line. We use telephone reminders, but what else can we be doing to get patients to show up for their scheduled appointments?

Arkansas subscriber

Answer: No-shows can badly dent a practice’s revenue, and as a result, many practices are moving beyond mere phone calls to prevent no-shows.

According to a recent survey conducted by the Medical Group Management Association, more than 50 percent of practices reported using “multiple methods” in addition to calls, such as text messages and email reminders.

Verbal or digital reminders that ask patients to confirm that they will be at the appointment further reduce no-show rates, one survey respondent said. “The point is don’t just remind – confirm,” practice executive Jeffrey Rydburg told MGMA. “It creates a psychological agreement between the patient and the practice.”

Resource: To read more about the survey’s results, go to: http://www.mgma.com/practice-resources/mgma-connection-plus/online-only/2017/march/using-multiple-forms-of-communication-to-lower-no-show-rates.