The widespread implementation of automated appointment reminders is changing the healthcare industry and reducing the “No-Shows” that have plagued medical practices for years. Unfortunately, another problem is emerging – Last-Minute Cancellations. With one tap on a smartphone, a patient who would have previously no-showed can now cancel just hours before their scheduled appointment.
As a physician, few things are worse than showing up to clinic and discovering that last-minute cancellations have led to unfilled appointment slots that day. Knowing that every appointment slot represents a critical portion of daily revenue, even one cancellation negatively impacts a practice’s financial health and the ability to pay for staff, rent, utilities, and supplies.
So, what’s the fix?
How about overbooking? While overbooking might seem like a practical strategy to manage cancellations, the negative effects often outweigh the benefits. Long wait times and rushed appointments lead to dissatisfied patients. Busier workdays and increased stress lead to provider burnout, unhappy staff, and the increased risk of medical errors. Simply put, overbooking can undermine the quality of care and the success of a medical practice.
How about keeping manual waitlists? Practices have been utilizing this strategy for years via Word documents or lists within their EHR system. While this strategy can help fill canceled appointment slots, it is far from efficient. Busy staff have to manually contact waitlisted patients when an appointment opens up. This process is time-consuming, especially if the first patient on the list can’t be reached or declines the appointment, requiring staff to call multiple patients until someone accepts.
Fortunately, there is now a solution to keep provider schedules full without overbooking or adding extra work for medical staff – it’s called “Soonest.” Soonest is an innovative waitlist platform that connects providers with patients eager to take advantage of any last-minute openings. Here’s how it works:
Patients seeking an ASAP appointment can quickly add themselves to a waitlist via a pop-up on the provider’s website. Alternatively, office staff can add patients to a waitlist simply by entering their phone number into the Soonest system.
When a last-minute cancellation occurs, the appointment can be input into the Soonest system in just a few seconds.
An immediate text notification is then sent to patients who are on the waitlist, giving them the opportunity to book the newly available slot.
Soonest is revolutionizing the way last-minute cancellations are handled. Every appointment filled by Soonest increases practice revenue, physician income, and patient satisfaction. Stop worrying about last-minute cancellations and connect with Soonest today!
Spencer Bertoch, MD
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