[This post was originally published on 23th July 2021. It has been updated on 17th June 2024.]

Missed appointments mean missed revenue opportunities. When your patients schedule an appointment and fail to show up, your practice loses money because you cannot charge for services that you would have otherwise rendered during that appointment.

The cost of missed appointments in the United States is $150 billion annually. When booked appointments are missed, it has a staggering financial impact on chiropractic practices. Therefore, it becomes crucial to understand why patients miss up on appointments and how you can break the cycle of missed appointments.

Why do patients miss their appointments?

Patients who miss scheduled appointments, commonly called “no-shows,” not only affect the practice workflow, but also the bottom line.

Understanding why do patients miss an appointment could help your practice reduce the no-show rate and increase profitability. There are many reasons why patients miss scheduled appointments:

1. Forgetfulness

Patients are busy. They sometimes forget that they had scheduled an appointment with a practice. They need chiropractic appointment reminders so they don’t forget about their upcoming appointments.

So how often do people miss appointments? In the US, the no-show rate varies from 10-50%, with the average patient no-show rate standing at 27%.

Texts are seen and read 99% of the time. SMS messages have a high response rate of 45 percent, followed by emails. That’s where chiropractic online scheduling software comes in.

When a patient books an appointment online through the software, they receive chiropractic appointment reminders in advance, even 30 minutes prior to the appointment time. Properly timed missed appointment texts can be key to helping patients keep their scheduled commitments

Chiropractic scheduling software is proven to reduce the no-show rate by sending text and email reminders to patients in advance as well as minutes before the scheduled appointment time. This helps you bring more revenue than you could have otherwise missed because of no-shows.

2. Transportation Issues

Transportation problems can become a barrier to care for some patients. The issues might vary from patient to patient. Some may lack access to transportation to and from the chiropractic office or some people who have their own vehicle may fail to show up for the designated time of their appointment. Patients who have transportation issues can reschedule their appointment when practices offer chiropractic appointment reminders and rescheduling options.

It is paramount for practices to start using chiropractic online scheduling software that is easy to use and accessible 24/7 on any device. It helps patients to schedule and reschedules their appointment. Online appointment scheduling software is easily accessible from anywhere, anytime. Even if patients face transportation challenges and wish to reschedule their appointment, they can pick the time that works best for them and schedule the appointments accordingly. And, when you use software for missed appointments, patients who missed their appointments get a notification so they don’t fall through the crack and book their next visit with ease.

3. Convenience

Convenience-related factors, such as the inability to take time off from work, find child care, and other scheduling conflicts, continue to feature heavily on the no-show rate. Giving patients the option to schedule their appointments online is a more convenient option for patients. They can find the time slot that suits their needs.

In a survey, 53 percent of respondents said they have missed an appointment, primarily because it was difficult to schedule that appointment. Chiropractic practices can drive convenient access to scheduling and rescheduling options by utilizing patient-facing digital tools. In doing so, practices can meet patient convenient-related needs and drive more adherence to chiropractic care.

4. Anticipated long wait times

If you’re trying to improve patient experience in your practice, long wait times can have a detrimental effect on the entire process of providing quality care and services. Research shows that appointment wait time is one deciding factor for patients when they choose a new doctor. When patients anticipate they might have to wait a little longer at the provider’s office, they miss their appointment or cancel it. When a patient misses his or her appointment, it disturbs the practice workflow, causing a delay in care for others. There are some simple ways to reduce wait times:

• Follow-up with a missed appointment text mesage notification and encourage patients to reschedule.
• Use chiropractic scheduling software to send multiple appointment reminders to ensure patients don’t miss their appointment.
• Implement chiropractic practice management software to streamline workflows at your practice and save valuable time.
• Develop strong patient relationships to improve their commitment to your practice through birthday messages, health information, lifestyle tips, and more.

5. Anticipated long wait times

Patients also miss appointments due to bad weather, financial problems, and family and employer obligations.

How chiropractic practices can reduce missed appointments

1. Streamline your scheduling process

Give your patients the ability to book or manage their appointments online. Chiropractic scheduling software lets patients choose the times that are most convenient for them. Software for missed appointments goes a long way in reducing no-shows and helps you streamline your daily schedule as well.

77% of patients consider that it is important for practices to provide the ability to book, cancel, or change appointments online. Instead of wasting time going back and forth for booking appointments over phone calls, provide your patients with digital tools that allow them to book at their convenience. Online chiropractic scheduling tool makes appointment booking a smooth and enjoyable experience for patients and minimizes staff workload. Online chiropractic scheduling tool is one of the best ways to schedule appointments because it makes appointment booking a smooth and enjoyable experience for patients and minimizes staff workload

zHealth’s online scheduling software not only helps you reduce missed appointments but more importantly, it drives operational efficiency and contributes to a positive patient experience.

2. Use an automated appointment reminder system

Appointment reminder systems send out appointment text or email reminders to patients at pre-scheduled times. Incorporating automated reminder software is functionally essential for practices, otherwise, your staff will have to manually text or call patients to remind them of their appointments. If you check the below statistics, you will understand how patients perceive chiropractic appointment reminders.

• 70% of patients say they prefer to visit a practice that offers text appointment reminders.
• Text reminders help to reduce appointment no-shows by 70%.

zHealth’s integrated scheduling and reminder software has helped thousands of chiropractic practices lower no-show rates and increase patient adherence. Automated missed appointment messages are sent to the patients through zHealth, which help them reschedule their appointments.

3. Implement scheduling policy

It’s true that no-shows are going to happen, and sometimes, they happen due to unavoidable circumstances that can’t be controlled by the patient. Implementing a scheduling policy and informing patients will encourage them to be proactive about their health and can prevent unnecessary cancellations or no-shows. You can include appointment cancellation charges in the scheduling policy. The consent forms should include the no-show fee and automate the process of getting their consent for the same through chiropractic online scheduling software. Consider revising it and educate patients that the no-show fee will be waived when they attend their rescheduled appointment.

Conclusion

These are just a few tips to reduce missed appointments in your practice. Missed appointments slow down your overall business growth. Start using online chiropractic scheduling software to minimize no-shows and maximize patient engagement. Understanding the effect of missed appointments on your practice is important. They not only disrupt daily operations but also cause significant revenue loss

zHealth is the best chiropractic software designed specifically for chiropractic practices. Our software puts you a step ahead in your practice growth goals. Our integrated EHR, scheduling, and billing software reduce losses due to missed appointments for your thriving business. It empowers you to leverage automation intelligence so you get to grow your patient base and revenue.