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We will begin shortly
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Presenters
Steve Johnson Al Fiandaca Senior Sales
Consultant Director of Sales 1-800-889-0450
204 1-800-889-0450 210 stevenj_at_spectrasoft.com
al.fiandaca_at_spectrasoft.com
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Agenda

• Improving Your Reminder Program
• Strategies for Your Front Desk
• Scheduling Tactics
• Enhancing Patient Compliance
• Analytics

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Definitions

• No-Show The patient does not show up for a
  scheduled visit and gives no advance notice.
• Cancellation The patient contacts you with
  enough advance warning that you can typically
  fill the time slot or reschedule affected
  resources

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Reminders

• Poll Question 1
• Does your office make reminder calls?

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User-Friendly Reminders

• Full-page sheet, not a card
• All appointments on that sheet
• All instructions on the sheet

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Reminders Key Points to Include

• Importance of compliance
• Were not just care-givers this is how we make
  our living!
• Cancellation policy
• Keep it positive we love helping people get
  better

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Multi-Prong Reminders

• People process information differently
• Your reminder program should include
• Printed reminder letters
• Phone calls
• Emails

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Consistency requires automation

• Handwritten reminders are error-prone and are
  very time-consuming
• Manual phone calls and emails dont get made on
  hectic days
• Or simply, I forgot

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Automated Calling

• Less than 10 of practices use an automated call
  reminder system
• Contact rate improves dramatically
• Repeat calling
• Evening calling
• No I forgot days
• Its hands-free you dont have to remember a
  thing
• Source Practice Management News

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Automated calling is affordable
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Creative Tips

• Reminders should come from the therapist whenever
  possible
• Dont make it too easy to cancel
• Keep it positive! Focus on
• Compliance (We want to see you get better)?
• Make the patient a partner (We rely on you to
  stay in business)?

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Front Desk Strategies

• Poll Question 2
• Do you include your front desk staff when
  discussing ways to reduce no-shows?

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Review reminder letter eye-to-eye

• Go over it point by point
• Review key sections
• Dates/Times
• Instructions
• Co-Payments
• Cancellation Policy
• Cheerleader Were strict because we want you to
  get better!

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Track All Practice Activity

• Check in each patient accurately
• Arrived
• Seen
• If the patient cancels or no-shows
• Call
• Get the reason
• Reschedule

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Use your software

• Make sure your front desk knows how to use your
  software and
• USES IT!!! Dont take no for an answer.
• Contact your software vendor for training
• Its usually pretty simple

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Its this easy

• Most front desk systems make it easy to check in
  patients, track wait times and office activity

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Best Practices for Scheduling

• Detailed patient intake
• Work with your physician
• Coaching on what to say
• Brochures (w/ photos)?
• Limit wait times
• Use scheduling software to book complicated
  recurring visits quickly

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Enhance Patient Compliance

• Help patients overcome fear, pain
• In a survey of no-show patients, roughly
  two-thirds said negative emotions about going to
  the clinic outweigh perceived benefit of keeping
  the appointment.
• These no-show patients focused on short-term
  symptoms "When my feet were swollen it was on my
  mind, but as soon as the swelling went down, I
  forgot about it."
• Make the patient your partner
• Nearly half of respondents did not know what
  happens in a clinic if there is a failed
  appointment. Many believed that canceled
  appointments occur regularly and allow the
  practitioners to catch up or take a break.

Survey source The Annals of Family Medicine
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Establish a compliance program

• These are just ideas
• brainstorm with your staff!
• Use email to remind patients about their home
  regimen.
• Reward compliance with a "Patient of the Week"
  Award.
• Recommend motivational articles, books
• Always focus on the goal getting better
• Set aside time for emphasizing importance of
  compliance.

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No-Show Analytics

• No-show and cancellation rate (tracked
  separately)?
• Reasons for cancellations no-shows
• Average patient wait times
• Cancellation no-show rate by practitioner

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Conclusions

• Everyone in the office has a role to play
• Automation is essential
• Use the software tools you have
• Track results, set goals for improvement

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Q A

• We invite you to ask any questions or share your
  thoughts

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Thank You

• This presentation will be available online.
  Details will be sent to your email.
• For more info about reducing no-shows, download
  our free white paper at spectrasoft.com/noshow