How to get patients to keep their appointments?

Everyone is busy, including your patients. In the hectic day-to-day life, your patients’ healthcare often takes a backseat. Professional deadlines, social commitments, and family obligations can seem more important in your patients’ minds than a routine dental appointment or an eye exam. More often than not, they start considering canceling their appointments.

Missed appointments are detrimental to your medical practice, and your patients also suffer by not getting the care they deserve. If you are dealing with cancellations because your patients are busy and strapped for time, these three tips can help you increase show-up rates while strengthening your relationship with patients.

1. Know your patients’ needs:

To ensure that your patients keep their medical appointments, it is critical to tell them the importance of your services, why they should visit you regularly, and how you can help them take control of their own healthcare. This will demonstrate that you care and that your services can help patients ensure their wellbeing.

2. Send appointment reminders:

Reminding patients about their upcoming medical appointment is one of the most effective strategies to help them stick to the schedule. Relying on your busy patients to remember their appointments might result in a lot of canceled visits. Even your most organized patients will appreciate a quick text or call reminding them of their upcoming appointments.

3. Reduce waiting time:

One of the main reasons for patient dissatisfaction is the wait time at dental practices. If not addressed, excessive waiting hours can cause you to lose even the most loyal patients. You must remember that your patients’ time is as precious as yours, and you must commit to them precisely the way they have committed to you. As a thumb rule, 10 to 15 minutes is an acceptable wait time. Anything over 20 minutes, and your patients will start getting restless. You will most likely be dealing with angry and upset patients who are not interested in returning to your practice.

Want more tips to get patients to keep their appointments? Contact our experts!