A preliminary investigation into the effect of the use of the Short Message Service (SMS) on patient attendance at an NHS Dental Access Centre in Scotland.

Aim: This study´s aim was to assess whether the use of Short Message Service (SMS) text reminders sent to patients prior to their dental appointments improved attendance rates for two dentists at a dental access centre in Kirkcaldy, Fife, Scotland.

Method: Automated SMS text reminders were set up through practice management software at Kirkcaldy Dental Access Centre. Two audits, using a research methodology, were then performed. Failure to attend appointments with the two dentists at 150 consecutive appointments was assessed before and after implementing the SMS text reminders. The null hypothesis that SMS reminders do not improve attendance rates at the dental access centre was tested. The Yates´ corrected chi-square test was applied to the resulting data, with the level for statistical significance set at P<0.05.

Results: Patients readily accepted the text messages and found them to be non-intrusive. Failed attendance at appointments for the two dentists was reduced from 46/150 (31%) before the SMS text reminders were introduced to 21/150 (14%) after its introduction (P=0.00088). Thus the use of SMS text reminders resulted in a statistically significant reduction in the number of failed attendances at appointments for the two dentists.

Conclusions: In this preliminary study, SMS appointment reminders reduced the number of failed appointments significantly. They can provide an automated, non-intrusive, and cost-effective method of improving patient attendance at dental appointments.