Patient appointment reminders are changing the healthcare industry. In the past, providers have had to work hard to make sure their patients make it to their upcoming appointments. Before digital tools, this meant spending hours on the phone calling every patient to make sure they remembered their appointment. Even after a phone call, the patient might still forget and fail to show up to their appointment.
No shows also happened when patients forgot to reschedule their appointment. No show visits and late appointments cost providers each year in lost revenue. Patient appointment reminders are not only helping providers reduce no shows, but also improve productivity, increase patient engagement, improve satisfaction, and increase revenue.
The Impact of Patient Appointment Reminders
Improve Office Productivity
Rather than spend hours on the phone tracking down patients, your staff can now focus on more productive office tasks. In the past, certain members of your staff would spend a huge portion of their time on the phone trying to get in touch with patients to remind them of their upcoming appointment. With automated patient appointment reminders, they no longer have to.
Reduce No Shows
No shows are reduced when providers utilize automated patient appointment reminders. The most common reason for no-shows is that the patient simply forgets they have an appointment. When a patient cannot make it to their appointment and there is not enough time to fill their spot, the provider loses important revenue. Ensure your patients automatically receive multiple reminders in the weeks and days before their visit.
Increase Engagement
Patient appointment reminders increase your patient’s chance at making their doctor’s visit. With more regularity to their care, patients can stay more easily engaged. This tool makes it more convenient for individuals to stay actively involved in their care.
Improve Satisfaction
In the past, phone call reminders were not always effective in getting the attention of the patient. Sometimes patients would miss the call because the office had the wrong number or it was not a good time for the patient to answer the phone. Now, automated patient appointment reminders can be sent in one to three ways. Patients can opt for phone, text message, or email reminders. Patients can opt for the method that will be most effective for them. Patients who work during regular hours might want to opt for text message reminders. This might be because a visual text message reminder is more accessible and more likely to be seen in their workday.
Improve Revenue
By reducing no-show visits and increasing patient engagement, automated reminders can help your practice improve revenue. Holes in your schedule cost money and patient appointment reminders help fill the gaps. Not only this, but patients who are more heavily engaged are more likely to return for follow-up visits and care.
To learn more about automated appointment reminders, click here.
