University of California researchers recently learned that using automated appointment-reminders – be they in the form of text or emails – for upcoming second dose COVID-19 vaccinations, boosted appointment attendance by over 6%. The researchers also noticed that using terms of “ownership” such as “your second dose” and “the appointment you scheduled with us” in their notifications increased the efficacy of the reminder.
While the research in that particular study pertained specifically to vaccine reminders, the same “psychology” can be applied to healthcare appointments in general, including those your patients make with the physicians at your practice.
Increasingly, customizable, robust patient-intake platforms, like the one we provide at Yosi Health, have automated administrative tasks, including appointment management, which gives patients more control and a real sense of ownership of their scheduling relationship with their primary care giver.
Scheduling, rescheduling, appointment reminders, and follow up communications can now be conducted, not by calling up the office phone, but through an easy-to-navigate platform conveniently accessed from the patient’s cell phone or mobile device.
How does this help the practice? Appointments managed by a platform free up front-of-house staff to handle other tasks while greatly reducing the number of time-consuming, appointment-related, phone calls to the office. In addition, an automated scheduling calendar gives the practice significantly more control when it comes to managing no shows, working in emergency appointments, and accommodating last-minute walk-ins.
When combined with the other patient-intake features of the platform, like insurance verification, patient history, and EMR integration, practices can schedule more patients per hour, cut down on paperwork, and alleviate the impact of appointment changes.
One optometry practice experienced the benefits right away. “Say it’s 9:15 am and only two of the four scheduled patients have shown up for their exams. With automated scheduling, we can take two walk-ins because Yosi has shortened the time it takes us to complete the paperwork. The insurance cards are already scanned and we can send the info over to billing to get verified. Basically, Yosi has allowed us to see more patients because we’re able to schedule differently.”
With nearly a 98% read rate, text messages are the most effective way to communicate with patients. Patients are asked to confirm their appointments and or given a link to click if they have to reschedule the office visit. They’re also consistently “nudged” at the best possible customizable cadence if they fail to respond to the reminder.
“Appointment reminders engage the patients with the practice in a positive manner, giving them a degree of ownership, while having the least negative impact possible on the practice. Response from both patients and practice management has been overwhelmingly positive often citing it as a game changer,” reports Doug Ciarelli, VP of Business Development for Yosi.
The goal is to allow physicians to have more time for patient care and less time doing paper work and standing idle when appointments are canceled. For office staff, with the scheduler shouldering the task for redundant, low priority calls, they can focus on communications and follow-up that require more explanation and a human’s touch.
