June 30, 2020
3 tips to reduce your patients' absences
Simple strategies to improve management and communication with patients
June 30, 2020
3 tips to reduce your patients' absences
Simple strategies to improve management and communication with patients
June 30, 2020
3 tips to reduce your patients' absences
Simple strategies to improve management and communication with patients
Before we think about the best practices to reduce the number of patient no-shows in your office or clinic, it is important to identify the possible causes of this and what makes a patient actually miss an appointment.
Patient disorganization is the main reason, which results in forgetting the appointment, often scheduled long in advance. The absence of a clear cancellation policy also leads many patients not to worry so much about avoiding a no-show, or at least contacting to reschedule. Another relevant cause, and the responsibility of the office or clinic itself, is delays in appointments that create a crowded waiting room and can result in the patient giving up on waiting to be seen.
In light of these causes, we list 3 simple and important tips for you to reduce your patients' no-shows.
1) Have a clear cancellation policy
Your patient needs to understand that their no-show creates problems and, at times, a penalty. Have a good and clear cancellation policy so that your client pays more attention and doesn't simply skip the appointment without notifying.
Clearly stating these conditions at the time of scheduling the appointment, and that if the patient cannot attend, they should cancel within a specified notice period, is extremely important for the clinic/office to reschedule and have enough time to utilize the lost slot.
On the other hand, it is important to note that the cancellation policy cannot exceed certain limits, as this may also lead to distancing your patients.
2) Use digital tools to improve your management and communication with patients
A clinic that does not use integrated management and communication tools is undoubtedly wasting time and potentially losing clients. Whether you run a small office, a multi-specialty clinic, or multiple locations, an integrated system will certainly assist you in managing and optimizing your results.
The Shosp, for example, is a complete medical system that allows you to increase efficiency, reduce bottlenecks, and produce detailed reports to analyze and organize assertive actions for a clinic or office. The management platform offers features directly related to Patient Relationship, such as a highly customizable Patient Loyalty module, Satisfaction Surveys, Medical Marketing, and other actions that increase patient retention rates and reduce the number of no-shows.
3) Contact the patient and confirm the appointment 24 hours in advance
By contacting your patient, you significantly reduce the likelihood of their no-show to an appointment. At this confirmation stage, to avoid delays, it is also important to mention the scheduled time. Nowadays, the best option for this type of communication is through WhatsApp, an application used by 99% of Brazilians who own a smartphone, through which you will undoubtedly have an easier time reaching the patient.
Zapper Duo is a service that offers a professional WhatsApp number to be used on WhatsApp Business, without even needing a chip or a new phone, and can count on specific app functionalities such as: automated messages, labels for client segmentation, operating hours, among others that will further facilitate this communication. Therefore, with a well-organized and integrated CRM and appointment scheduling system, you can, for example, send standardized confirmation messages for appointments happening the next day, to the respective patients at a certain time every day. Just by having this simple confirmation, no-shows in your clinic/office can drop by up to 30%.
Services like Zapper Duo facilitate communication between clinics/offices and patients.
On certain occasions, expecting no-shows, the clinic or office itself practices scheduling more appointments than the physician can cover in that time frame. This practice is adopted to optimize the healthcare professional's time and avoid idle slots in the schedule. However, this can have the opposite effect, leaving waiting rooms crowded and appointments delayed, causing discomfort and dissatisfaction for the patient.
Thus, adopting the measures and practices listed above becomes very important for the relationship and loyalty of patients and crucial for a natural reduction of no-shows, thereby decreasing the need for any schedule adjustments and waiting lines.
Before we think about the best practices to reduce the number of patient no-shows in your office or clinic, it is important to identify the possible causes of this and what makes a patient actually miss an appointment.
Patient disorganization is the main reason, which results in forgetting the appointment, often scheduled long in advance. The absence of a clear cancellation policy also leads many patients not to worry so much about avoiding a no-show, or at least contacting to reschedule. Another relevant cause, and the responsibility of the office or clinic itself, is delays in appointments that create a crowded waiting room and can result in the patient giving up on waiting to be seen.
In light of these causes, we list 3 simple and important tips for you to reduce your patients' no-shows.
1) Have a clear cancellation policy
Your patient needs to understand that their no-show creates problems and, at times, a penalty. Have a good and clear cancellation policy so that your client pays more attention and doesn't simply skip the appointment without notifying.
Clearly stating these conditions at the time of scheduling the appointment, and that if the patient cannot attend, they should cancel within a specified notice period, is extremely important for the clinic/office to reschedule and have enough time to utilize the lost slot.
On the other hand, it is important to note that the cancellation policy cannot exceed certain limits, as this may also lead to distancing your patients.
2) Use digital tools to improve your management and communication with patients
A clinic that does not use integrated management and communication tools is undoubtedly wasting time and potentially losing clients. Whether you run a small office, a multi-specialty clinic, or multiple locations, an integrated system will certainly assist you in managing and optimizing your results.
The Shosp, for example, is a complete medical system that allows you to increase efficiency, reduce bottlenecks, and produce detailed reports to analyze and organize assertive actions for a clinic or office. The management platform offers features directly related to Patient Relationship, such as a highly customizable Patient Loyalty module, Satisfaction Surveys, Medical Marketing, and other actions that increase patient retention rates and reduce the number of no-shows.
3) Contact the patient and confirm the appointment 24 hours in advance
By contacting your patient, you significantly reduce the likelihood of their no-show to an appointment. At this confirmation stage, to avoid delays, it is also important to mention the scheduled time. Nowadays, the best option for this type of communication is through WhatsApp, an application used by 99% of Brazilians who own a smartphone, through which you will undoubtedly have an easier time reaching the patient.
Zapper Duo is a service that offers a professional WhatsApp number to be used on WhatsApp Business, without even needing a chip or a new phone, and can count on specific app functionalities such as: automated messages, labels for client segmentation, operating hours, among others that will further facilitate this communication. Therefore, with a well-organized and integrated CRM and appointment scheduling system, you can, for example, send standardized confirmation messages for appointments happening the next day, to the respective patients at a certain time every day. Just by having this simple confirmation, no-shows in your clinic/office can drop by up to 30%.
Services like Zapper Duo facilitate communication between clinics/offices and patients.
On certain occasions, expecting no-shows, the clinic or office itself practices scheduling more appointments than the physician can cover in that time frame. This practice is adopted to optimize the healthcare professional's time and avoid idle slots in the schedule. However, this can have the opposite effect, leaving waiting rooms crowded and appointments delayed, causing discomfort and dissatisfaction for the patient.
Thus, adopting the measures and practices listed above becomes very important for the relationship and loyalty of patients and crucial for a natural reduction of no-shows, thereby decreasing the need for any schedule adjustments and waiting lines.
Before we think about the best practices to reduce the number of patient no-shows in your office or clinic, it is important to identify the possible causes of this and what makes a patient actually miss an appointment.
Patient disorganization is the main reason, which results in forgetting the appointment, often scheduled long in advance. The absence of a clear cancellation policy also leads many patients not to worry so much about avoiding a no-show, or at least contacting to reschedule. Another relevant cause, and the responsibility of the office or clinic itself, is delays in appointments that create a crowded waiting room and can result in the patient giving up on waiting to be seen.
In light of these causes, we list 3 simple and important tips for you to reduce your patients' no-shows.
1) Have a clear cancellation policy
Your patient needs to understand that their no-show creates problems and, at times, a penalty. Have a good and clear cancellation policy so that your client pays more attention and doesn't simply skip the appointment without notifying.
Clearly stating these conditions at the time of scheduling the appointment, and that if the patient cannot attend, they should cancel within a specified notice period, is extremely important for the clinic/office to reschedule and have enough time to utilize the lost slot.
On the other hand, it is important to note that the cancellation policy cannot exceed certain limits, as this may also lead to distancing your patients.
2) Use digital tools to improve your management and communication with patients
A clinic that does not use integrated management and communication tools is undoubtedly wasting time and potentially losing clients. Whether you run a small office, a multi-specialty clinic, or multiple locations, an integrated system will certainly assist you in managing and optimizing your results.
The Shosp, for example, is a complete medical system that allows you to increase efficiency, reduce bottlenecks, and produce detailed reports to analyze and organize assertive actions for a clinic or office. The management platform offers features directly related to Patient Relationship, such as a highly customizable Patient Loyalty module, Satisfaction Surveys, Medical Marketing, and other actions that increase patient retention rates and reduce the number of no-shows.
3) Contact the patient and confirm the appointment 24 hours in advance
By contacting your patient, you significantly reduce the likelihood of their no-show to an appointment. At this confirmation stage, to avoid delays, it is also important to mention the scheduled time. Nowadays, the best option for this type of communication is through WhatsApp, an application used by 99% of Brazilians who own a smartphone, through which you will undoubtedly have an easier time reaching the patient.
Zapper Duo is a service that offers a professional WhatsApp number to be used on WhatsApp Business, without even needing a chip or a new phone, and can count on specific app functionalities such as: automated messages, labels for client segmentation, operating hours, among others that will further facilitate this communication. Therefore, with a well-organized and integrated CRM and appointment scheduling system, you can, for example, send standardized confirmation messages for appointments happening the next day, to the respective patients at a certain time every day. Just by having this simple confirmation, no-shows in your clinic/office can drop by up to 30%.
Services like Zapper Duo facilitate communication between clinics/offices and patients.
On certain occasions, expecting no-shows, the clinic or office itself practices scheduling more appointments than the physician can cover in that time frame. This practice is adopted to optimize the healthcare professional's time and avoid idle slots in the schedule. However, this can have the opposite effect, leaving waiting rooms crowded and appointments delayed, causing discomfort and dissatisfaction for the patient.
Thus, adopting the measures and practices listed above becomes very important for the relationship and loyalty of patients and crucial for a natural reduction of no-shows, thereby decreasing the need for any schedule adjustments and waiting lines.
Before we think about the best practices to reduce the number of patient no-shows in your office or clinic, it is important to identify the possible causes of this and what makes a patient actually miss an appointment.
Patient disorganization is the main reason, which results in forgetting the appointment, often scheduled long in advance. The absence of a clear cancellation policy also leads many patients not to worry so much about avoiding a no-show, or at least contacting to reschedule. Another relevant cause, and the responsibility of the office or clinic itself, is delays in appointments that create a crowded waiting room and can result in the patient giving up on waiting to be seen.
In light of these causes, we list 3 simple and important tips for you to reduce your patients' no-shows.
1) Have a clear cancellation policy
Your patient needs to understand that their no-show creates problems and, at times, a penalty. Have a good and clear cancellation policy so that your client pays more attention and doesn't simply skip the appointment without notifying.
Clearly stating these conditions at the time of scheduling the appointment, and that if the patient cannot attend, they should cancel within a specified notice period, is extremely important for the clinic/office to reschedule and have enough time to utilize the lost slot.
On the other hand, it is important to note that the cancellation policy cannot exceed certain limits, as this may also lead to distancing your patients.
2) Use digital tools to improve your management and communication with patients
A clinic that does not use integrated management and communication tools is undoubtedly wasting time and potentially losing clients. Whether you run a small office, a multi-specialty clinic, or multiple locations, an integrated system will certainly assist you in managing and optimizing your results.
The Shosp, for example, is a complete medical system that allows you to increase efficiency, reduce bottlenecks, and produce detailed reports to analyze and organize assertive actions for a clinic or office. The management platform offers features directly related to Patient Relationship, such as a highly customizable Patient Loyalty module, Satisfaction Surveys, Medical Marketing, and other actions that increase patient retention rates and reduce the number of no-shows.
3) Contact the patient and confirm the appointment 24 hours in advance
By contacting your patient, you significantly reduce the likelihood of their no-show to an appointment. At this confirmation stage, to avoid delays, it is also important to mention the scheduled time. Nowadays, the best option for this type of communication is through WhatsApp, an application used by 99% of Brazilians who own a smartphone, through which you will undoubtedly have an easier time reaching the patient.
Zapper Duo is a service that offers a professional WhatsApp number to be used on WhatsApp Business, without even needing a chip or a new phone, and can count on specific app functionalities such as: automated messages, labels for client segmentation, operating hours, among others that will further facilitate this communication. Therefore, with a well-organized and integrated CRM and appointment scheduling system, you can, for example, send standardized confirmation messages for appointments happening the next day, to the respective patients at a certain time every day. Just by having this simple confirmation, no-shows in your clinic/office can drop by up to 30%.
Services like Zapper Duo facilitate communication between clinics/offices and patients.
On certain occasions, expecting no-shows, the clinic or office itself practices scheduling more appointments than the physician can cover in that time frame. This practice is adopted to optimize the healthcare professional's time and avoid idle slots in the schedule. However, this can have the opposite effect, leaving waiting rooms crowded and appointments delayed, causing discomfort and dissatisfaction for the patient.
Thus, adopting the measures and practices listed above becomes very important for the relationship and loyalty of patients and crucial for a natural reduction of no-shows, thereby decreasing the need for any schedule adjustments and waiting lines.
Claudia Campanhã
Journalist, broadcaster, and postgraduate in social media from FAAP
Claudia Campanhã
Journalist, broadcaster, and postgraduate in social media from FAAP
Claudia Campanhã
Journalist, broadcaster, and postgraduate in social media from FAAP
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