Doctor appointments are sometimes made months in advance, and it can be a lot to ask a patient to remember it when the time finally comes. According to a study completed by the Journal of Family Medicine and Disease Prevention, 37% of patients forgot or were not aware of an appointment, and 16% had issues arise that caused them to miss it; previous studies have shown that up to 55% of appointments are missed throughout the healthcare industry. In the end, making an appointment so far in the chances of the future increase that a patient will not be able to make that appointment.
Increasing patient retention with a reminder system
You can decrease the number of patients who miss appointments with a simple reminder system. Not only does this help your practice maintain a steady stream of business but it can also ease patient stress. Understanding the multifaceted benefits of this system can justify the time it takes to set one up for your practice.
Reach patients effectively
Communication is key for doctor’s office management and maintaining a good relationship with patients. By implementing a reminder system, you can shoot a quick message straight to a patient’s phone. With the amount of time people spend on mobile devices, this is one of the most effective strategies for communicating with a patient who has an upcoming appointment.
Reschedule with ease
Patient experience does not just start and end when a patient enters and exits your office for an appointment. Patients will frequently rate a doctor’s office based on the ease of communication and the ability to reschedule. A reminder system not only lets a patient know about an upcoming appointment but it can also allow them to reschedule on the spot.
Save staff time and energy
Sending out patient reminders and rescheduling appointments can be a full-time job for one of your staff. If you do not have someone specifically for that role, the rest of your staff may get strained constantly working the phones and computers alongside other important tasks. A reminder system can free up valuable time to let staff get back to focusing on present patients.
Increase patient attendance
For the many patients who simply forget appointments, the reminder system is a perfect solution. Set your reminders to go out anywhere between a week and a few days in advance, and you will be able to keep the majority of your upcoming appointments. This can be incredibly effective with patients who did not make an appointment for a routine checkup, such as a biannual dental cleaning. You can reach these patients with reminders for important checkups, even if there is no appointment currently scheduled. This can help retain patients that you have not seen in a while.
Create an automated patient reminder system today
You can create your reminder system in no time at all, even if you are not great with the technological aspects of healthcare management. Doctor Genius is here to make your transition with new systems and other marketing strategies seamless. Contact us to find out how to implement your system and start retaining more patients today.
Doctor Genius, located at 16800 Aston Street, Suite 270, Irvine, CA 92606, provides a range of services for practice success. We seek to meet our clients’ needs by providing a variety of marketing, SEO, practice optimization tools, and coaching to transform the healthcare experience. Though we work to provide the most accurate information, the content found on this website is solely intended for entertainment purposes. Therefore, we cannot guarantee that the information provided is entirely correct. You may not use the information on this site to cure, prevent, or diagnose a perceived medical issue. If you have healthcare-related needs, please speak directly to a healthcare professional. Never self-perform medical treatments discussed on this website. All images displayed are also for entertainment purposes only, and personal experiences may differ. Please note that the business tactics mentioned on this site might not be applicable to your industry or practice.
