Decreasing No-Show Rates in an Outpatient Specialty Clinic

Decreasing Patient No-Show Rates in an Outpatient Specialty Clinic Abstract Problem: Non-attendance or no-shows of patients in an outpatient clinic is a prevalent occurrence that impacts the quality of patient care and cost utilization in the clinic. Context: A collaborative effort was undertaken with the clinic nurse manager to implement a quality improvement intervention to reduce patient no-shows in the optometry and otolaryngology clinics. The electronic health record EPIC data analysis revealed language variability in the occurrence of no-shows, indicating the need for improvements. Interventions: Tools were employed to gather comprehensive information regarding the factors contributing to patient no-shows and identify potential strategies for enhancing communication within the clinic, thereby reducing instances of missed appointments. In addition, patients who did not attend their appointments offered suggestions on communication strategies that could effectively reduce the number of missed appointments in the future. Measures: The data collection encompassed the patient reasons for no-shows. Individuals who failed to attend their appointments provided recommendations regarding communication strategies that could effectively discourage future instances of missed appointments. Results: The data analysis indicated that the most common reason for no-shows was the patients\u27 failure to recall their scheduled appointments. To minimize the occurrence of missed appointments, patients commonly recommended receiving text messages one to two days before their scheduled appointment. A positive correlation was identified between patients who did not have access to MyChart, a platform that enables the transmission of appointment reminders via text messaging, and an increased frequency of missed appointments. Conclusion: The optimal approach for reducing patient no-show rates entails providing patients with comprehensive education on the utilization of MyChart, a platform that offers text messaging in advance of their scheduled appointments. Empowering patients by equipping them with the necessary tools to access MyChart ensures they can effectively manage their healthcare. Keywords: no-show rates, outpatient clinic, patient perceptio