Reducing no-shows at a small clinic
Reminder timing, easy rescheduling and a fair policy cut missed appointments without upsetting patients.
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For a small dental, physio or chiropractic practice, every missed appointment is lost revenue and a slot another patient could have used. Most no-shows are forgetfulness, not rudeness, which means they are fixable.
Send two reminders, not one
A reminder two days before gives patients time to reschedule; a short text on the morning of the appointment catches the forgetful ones.
Make rescheduling easier than skipping
Include a link or a reply option in every reminder. If cancelling requires a phone call during office hours, many patients simply will not show up.
Write a fair, visible policy
State your cancellation window plainly when the booking is made. Apply it consistently but with judgement for genuine emergencies; heavy-handed fees generate bad reviews. See how to earn good reviews.
Keep a short-notice list
Patients who want an earlier slot are happy to take a last-minute opening. A simple waitlist turns cancellations into filled chairs.
More practice tips in health & wellness.
This guest column was reviewed by the Local Dispatch editors before publication. Views are the author's own. Write for us.
