Patient Engagement: The Key to Eliminating the No-Show
CASE STUDY
According to the National Institutes of Health, the average no-show rate for medical appointments is just under 19%.1 While this number varies greatly across U. S. communities, the results are the same: Patient care suffers and so does practice revenue.
Patients miss appointments for a variety of reasons. Sometimes the date is no longer logistically feasible. Maybe the patient now regrets agreeing to the procedure. Possibly, the patient simply forgot.
Dr. Razaghy discovered a software platform that addresses the missed-appointment problem and delivers a host of other benefits. Patient Manager, a Sensei product, seamlessly integrates with Sensei Cloud, Dr. Razaghy’s cloud-based practice management platform. It also conveniently integrates with all
of Sensei’s practice management software solutions.
Doing the Remembering for the Patients
Whatever the reason, whether it’s “something came up” or “I forgot,” strategically timed reminders can drastically reduce no-shows. Patient Manager enables Dr. Razaghy to set appointment reminders at various intervals, determine the type—whether text or email—and then patients can either confirm or request to reschedule.
“I set up my preferences for reminders once, and it’s done. I have one front admin running everything, and she doesn’t need any assistance.”
The software even helps patients arrive on time by sharing traffic reports one hour before their appointment
Helping Patients See the Need for Treatment
Dr. Razaghy has transformed his team’s approach to everyday treatment planning. As a fundamental part of the initial data collection process for patients needing more than two treatments, they carefully collect a comprehensive set of intraoral photographs. Importantly, treatment discussions are deliberately separated from the initial examination session. All the gathered data, including high-definition photographs and radiographs, is then meticulously compiled into a 20-25 page detailed
presentation that clearly outlines all the issues needing attention. This comprehensive presentation is delivered to the patient as a high-quality document and subsequently reviewed with the patient outside of the dental chair.
“This approach signifies the utmost transparency in our patient care. In today’s visually driven world, our patients now have a significantly improved understanding of their dental needs.”
Whether it’s from fear or complacency, sometimes a no-show occurs when a patient is no longer invested in following through with treatment. Dr. Razaghy demonstrates how to draw the patient back in. He sends a link to a presentation that he makes for every patient—complete with intraoral photos, diagnosis and treatment options—and it provides the visual evidence the patient needs to understand why the treatment is necessary. At the least, it restarts the conversation.
Doing the Remembering for the Patients
Whatever the reason, whether it’s “something came up” or “I forgot,” strategically timed reminders can drastically reduce no-shows. Patient Manager enables Dr. Razaghy to set appointment reminders at various intervals, determine the type—whether text or email—and then patients can either confirm or
request to reschedule.
“I set up my preferences for reminders once, and it’s done. I have one front admin running everything, and she doesn’t need any assistance.”
The software even helps patients arrive on time by sharing traffic reports one hour before their appointment.
Other conversations can also feel clumsy. For example, prior to the implementation of Patient Manager, Dr. Razaghy avoided asking patients to review the practice. Now, however, the software allows him to choose the patients he wants to interact with, and they receive a link to review their experience.
“I used to hate asking patients to submit a review. But now that it’s automated, I see the positive reviews coming in and I love it. There’s no awkward, person-to-person conversation required.”
If patients have an issue they’d like to discuss, Patient Manager’s feedback mechanism offers them a convenient, non-intrusive means of doing so. The practice can then reach out to the patient and address the concerns. Without this feature, disgruntled patients may never voice their displeasure and potentially seek care elsewhere.
Saving time for the Practice and the Patient
The number of phone calls to and from the practice that Patient Manager eliminates is significant. So is the amount of time it saves when the patient is in the office. Before an appointment, patients can respond to requests for a photo of their driver’s license and insurance card via text. “They can complete
all the forms before they walk into the office,” Dr. Razaghy says. “Patients value that convenience.”
Taking the necessary steps to ensure that patients know when their appointment is, providing a forum for sharing feedback and making office visits as convenient as possible all serve as a reflection on the level of care that a practice delivers. Patient Manager facilitates all of that through engagement. And an engaged patient is one that shows up for appointments.
You can learn more about Patient Manager here.
