Do Automated Reminders Decrease No-Show Visits in an Outpatient Palliative Medicine Clinic?

Abstract

BackgroundIndividuals who do not show up for medical appointments can lead to unfavorable outcomes for both patients and health systems. Automated methods are available to confirm appointments in addition to patient service coordinator (PSC) telephone calls. This study aims to determine the no-show rates for automated methods of confirmation, in-person and virtual visits, and patients living in underserved areas.MethodsData was gathered retrospectively through electronic medical record review. Completed, canceled and no-show visits for in-person and virtual (telehealth) visits from January to June 2023 were collected along with automated and PSC reminders, and whether patients resided within community outreach zones (COZ), areas of healthcare underutilization.ResultsOf 8054 scheduled appointments with 2161 unique patients, there were 4563 (57%) completed, 3036 (38%) canceled, and 455 (6%) no-shows. Overall no-show rate was 6% (CI: 5%-6%). No-show rate for in-person visits was 5% (CI: 4%-6%); 9% (CI: 8%-11%) for virtual visits. Patients who confirmed by PSC telephone call had a significantly higher chance of no-show compared to those who did not confirm by other means (OR 1.57; 95% CI 1.23-2.01; P = 0.0003). Patients living within COZ had a significantly higher chance of no-show compared to patients living outside (OR 1.88; 95% CI 1.51-2.34; P < 0.0001). For virtual appointments, patients living within COZ had a significantly higher chance of no-show compared to patients living outside (OR 1.65; 95% CI 1.11-2.46; P = 0.0141).ConclusionPSC telephone calls, individuals living within COZ and virtual visits had higher no-show rates.