Novel Strategies to Reduce Patient No-Show Rates: Single Institutional Study at Jane H. Booker Family Health Center

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Public Health
• Operational Efficiency

Background:

• Patient no-shows create significant healthcare burdens, impacting efficiency, access to care, and patient outcomes.
• Rising no-show rates at the Jane H. Booker Family Health Center necessitated targeted interventions.
• No-shows result in wasted resources, decreased productivity, and lost revenue for healthcare systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of coordinated interventions on patient no-show rates.
• To assess the effectiveness of a multifaceted strategy in reducing appointment no-shows.
• To provide a model for healthcare institutions addressing high no-show rates.

Main Methods:

• Coordinated interventions included expanded lab hours, a centralized contact center, and on-site support services.
• Interventions were implemented in a staggered manner between September 2022 and January 2023.
• A retrospective analysis compared no-show rates before and after intervention across multiple specialties.

Main Results:

• The average patient no-show rate decreased from 18.6% in 2022 to 12.3% in 2023.
• This represents a 33.8% relative reduction in the patient no-show rate (p < 0.001).
• The interventions were applied across all specialty and subspecialty services.

Conclusions:

• A comprehensive, multifaceted intervention strategy significantly reduced patient no-show rates.
• The integrated approach demonstrated potential benefits over individual strategies.
• These findings offer a replicable model for other healthcare facilities facing similar challenges.