Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

SMS text messaging improves outpatient attendance.

Sean R Downer1, John G Meara, Annette C Da Costa

  • 1Royal Children's Hospital, Flemington Road, Parkville, Melbourne, VIC 3052, Australia. sean.downer@rch.org.au

Australian Health Review : a Publication of the Australian Hospital Association
|August 2, 2006
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Comparison of Speech Outcomes Following Furlow Z-Plasty Versus Pharyngeal Flap in the Primary Management of Submucous Cleft Palate.

The Cleft palate-craniofacial journal : official publication of the American Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association·2026
Same author

Systematic review of the Lancet Commission on Global Surgery indicators with quality assessment of modelled estimates.

The British journal of surgery·2026
Same author

Metopic Synostosis-What Is the True Impact of Surgery?

JAMA network open·2026
Same author

Access to surgery in Ecuador using the enhanced 2-step floating catchment area approach.

BMC global and public health·2026
Same author

'Climate Change and Health Indicators' and 'Surgical System Strengthening': an opportunity for synergy.

BMJ global health·2025
Same author

Corrigendum to Standardizing Pediatric Facial Laceration Management to Advance Equity and Education, J Surg Educ, 82, 9, 2025, 103613.

Journal of surgical education·2025

Sending short message service (SMS) text message reminders significantly reduced patient no-shows at outpatient clinics. This cost-effective strategy improved patient attendance and generated increased revenue.

Area of Science:

  • Healthcare Management
  • Health Informatics
  • Patient Engagement

Background:

  • Patient no-shows (failure to attend) at outpatient clinics represent a significant operational and financial challenge.
  • Traditional reminder methods have varying degrees of success in mitigating this issue.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess the operational and financial effectiveness of using short message service (SMS) text message reminders for patients with scheduled outpatient appointments.

Main Methods:

  • A cohort study with a historical control group was conducted at the Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne.
  • Patients with mobile phone numbers scheduled for appointments in late 2004 received SMS reminders (trial group), compared to those in late 2003 who did not (control group).
  • Failure-to-attend (FTA) rates and financial implications were compared between the groups.

Related Experiment Videos

Main Results:

  • The SMS reminder group had a significantly lower FTA rate (9.8%) compared to the control group (19.5%; P < 0.001).
  • Patient attendance improved from 80.5% in the control group to 90.2% in the trial group.
  • The cost of sending SMS reminders was minimal relative to the financial benefits from increased patient revenue due to improved attendance.

Conclusions:

  • SMS text message reminders are a highly cost-effective method for enhancing patient attendance at outpatient clinics.
  • The reduction in FTA rates achieved with SMS reminders is comparable to traditional methods and prior pilot studies.
  • This approach offers significant financial benefits through improved patient revenue and operational efficiency.