High patient non-completion rates, encompassing no-shows and patients refusals, significantly impact profitability and operational efficiency for imaging centers. These factors contribute to wasted resources, such as unutilized staff time, idle imaging equipment, and lost revenue from unperformed procedures. Over time, high non-completion rates can reduce overall patient throughput. This undermines the center’s ability to meet demand and maintain optimal resource utilization.
Addressing no-shows and incomplete scans is a critical step to ensuring profitability and operational efficiency. Below we provide 15 actionable strategies to help reduce patient no-show rates, patient refusal rates, and non-completion rates.
- What is a patient no-show rate?
- 15 Tips To Reduce Patient No-Show Rates
- 1. Automated Appointment Reminders
- 2. Educational Videos and Resources
- 3. MRI Sounds Exposure Therapy
- 4. Transparent Cost Communication
- 5. Flexible Scheduling Options
- 6. Screening for Claustrophobia or Anxiety
- 7. Offer Sedation or Anxiolytic Medication
- 8. Transportation Assistance
- 9. Streamlined Check-In Process
- 10. Streamlined Rescheduling Options
- 11. Offer Virtual Pre-Scan Consultations
- 12. Optimize Appointment Scheduling
- 13. Clear Policies on Missed Appointments
- 14. Follow-Up with No-Show Patients
- 15. Dedicated Patient Coordinators
- Key Takeaways
What is a patient no-show rate?
Patient “no-show rate” or “missed appointment rate” is a metric that quantifies how often patients miss, or fail to attend, scheduled imaging appointments without prior cancellation.
Patient No-Show Rate vs Incomplete Scan Rate
If the patient arrives to the scheduled appointment but ultimately refuses the medical imaging procedure (due to claustrophobia, anxiety, or other concerns), this is recorded under the “patient refusal rate” or “incomplete scan rate” While it is important to understand the complex factors leading to patient no-shows, or patient refusals, both of these factors affect the overall imaging “non-completion rate”.
The non-completion rate encompasses all scheduled appointments that were not completed, regardless of whether the reason was a no-show, a refusal, or an incomplete scan due to patient-related factors.
This metric is a key indicator of operational efficiency and resource utilization. This metric provides a comprehensive view of inefficiencies and barriers to successful imaging completion, helping departments identify and address issues impacting overall patient throughput and resource utilization.
Addressing non-completion of scheduled appointments not only improves healthcare efficiency but is crucial because it leads to better patient outcomes. Studies indicate that no-shows are an independent predictor of increased acute care utilization, emphasizing the importance of reducing these occurrences to ensure continuous and preventive care for patients
15 Tips To Reduce Patient No-Show Rates
1. Automated Appointment Reminders
Use text, email, and phone reminders a few days before the appointment, with the option to confirm or reschedule easily. Send clear, detailed instructions about how to prepare and what to expect during the exam. This helps to reduce day-of refusals due to anxiety or lack of preparation.
2. Educational Videos and Resources
Provide patients with helpful educational resources that answer commonly asked questions or explain how the diagnostic imaging process works. Consider discussing safety, along with benefits and disadvantages of the specific diagnostic imaging tests.
Utilize the patient waiting room to create a knowledge hub dedicated to providing patients with everything they would want to know regarding the diagnostic imaging procedure they are about to undergo.
Play short educational videos that explain the MRI, CT, or PET-CT process to help patients understand what to expect, reducing anxiety and potential refusals. Provide educational materials or short videos explaining the importance and benefits of the scan, especially for hesitant patients.
Feature helpful resources in:
- Organization website
- Patient Waiting Areas
- Appointment reminders
Here’s some helpful videos from the MRIPETCTSOURCE YouTube Channel to get you started!
Play them in your patient waiting room via YouTube for a full day of educational medical imaging insights or use them for inspiration to create your own captivating content.
Use posters, designs, displays, infographics, TV’s and QR codes to amplify patients’ access to helpful information.
3. MRI Sounds Exposure Therapy
Provide pre-recorded MRI sounds or ambient noise videos in waiting areas or via mobile apps. This helps patients get used to the machine sounds and reduces sensory-related anxiety.
- MRI Sounds Playlist on the MRIPETCTSOURCE YouTube Channel
- 8.5 Hours of MRI Scan Sounds (Full Version)
Embed these videos via YouTube or contact us regarding your project for source files.
4. Transparent Cost Communication
Clear information on insurance coverage and out-of-pocket costs should be provided beforehand to avoid cancellations caused by financial concerns. Pre-payment options for medical imaging appointments should ideally be made available.
Transparent cost communication, from start to finish, is a crucial step in reducing patient no-show rates and should not be understated. Resources for patients should be designed with the perspective of a scared, nervous, or anxious individual who may feel intimidated by unfamiliar medical machinery and fearful of unexpectedly high bills. These concerns are often fueled by medical imaging horror stories shared on social media and in the news.
Efforts should be made to dispel these worries by informing patients about the benefits of medical imaging procedures. Trust and rapport should be built with patients to foster better outcomes.
5. Flexible Scheduling Options
Offer appointments during extended hours or weekends to accommodate patients with busy schedules.
6. Screening for Claustrophobia or Anxiety
Screen patients for anxiety or claustrophobia during scheduling, and consider alternative accommodations, such as an open MRI or sedatives, if necessary.
7. Offer Sedation or Anxiolytic Medication
For patients with known claustrophobia, provide options for mild sedation or anxiety medication in advance.
8. Transportation Assistance
Arrange transportation or partner with ride-sharing services for patients with mobility or transport challenges. Transportation costs can total as much as 20% of the total out-of-pocket expense to patients. Help mitigate this offering free or reduced parking rates for patients. Also consider partnering with rideshare apps for discounts on volume pricing to help offer free rides to and from imaging appointments.
9. Streamlined Check-In Process
Reduce waiting time and paperwork on the day of the scan by allowing patients to pre-register and fill out forms online. A patient portal is a powerful tool that helps increase operational efficiency. Mobile and web-friendly forms allow patients to quickly fill out forms no matter where they are.
10. Streamlined Rescheduling Options
Allow patients to easily reschedule missed appointments online or through a dedicated phone line without long wait times. Provide simple web forms, text messaging options, or
11. Offer Virtual Pre-Scan Consultations
Schedule virtual meetings with radiology staff or patient navigators to address concerns and clarify expectations before the scan. For patients with complex instructions, provide a telehealth session to ensure they understand the preparations and limitations for their upcoming scan.
12. Optimize Appointment Scheduling
Use predictive analytics to identify high-risk times for no-shows (e.g., Monday mornings) and schedule patients with a history of non-compliance during high-cancellation slots. Take a systematic, data analytics-driven approach to scheduling patients.
13. Clear Policies on Missed Appointments
Establish and communicate a clear no-show and cancellation policy that may include fees or limitations on rescheduling for repeated no-shows. This should be a last resort. It is important to understand the complex nature of missed appointments. While it may be stated in policy, compassion and understanding are the best first steps to help patients receive the care they need. Contact patients who missed appointments to reschedule and understand the reasons for their absence, which can help address underlying issues.
14. Follow-Up with No-Show Patients
Imaging centers should prioritize following up with patients before dismissing them from care, as doing so demonstrates a commitment to understanding and addressing individual circumstances.
Each missed appointment may stem from a unique challenge, such as financial concerns, lack of transportation, or anxiety about the imaging process and equipment. By reaching out with empathy and actively listening to patients, imaging centers can uncover these underlying issues and provide tailored solutions, such as payment plans, transportation assistance, or educational materials to alleviate fears.
This proactive approach not only fosters trust and strengthens the patient-provider relationship but also helps ensure continuity of care, reduces no-show rates, and ultimately improves patient outcomes.
15. Dedicated Patient Coordinators
Assign patient coordinators to support high-risk patients (e.g., elderly, chronically ill) who may need extra guidance to avoid missed appointments. Patient coordinator should provide a wealth of information regarding the scan procedure to help ensure patients have everything they need for successful scan completion. Make a personal call to high-risk or previously non-compliant patients as an additional reminder and to provide support by answering any last-minute questions.
Key Takeaways
The bottom line is it is affecting your bottom line and operational efficiency. On the low end, a non-completion rate of 2.5% at an imaging center can result in revenue losses of up to $148,000 per MRI system and up to $112,000 per CT system annually.
Enhanced strategies, particularly the use of educational videos and sound exposure therapy, are shown to significantly reduce no-show rates, alleviate patient anxiety, and improve patient engagement.
A learning space should be created in the patient waiting room, and patients should be encouraged to use a portal for self-scheduling, reminders, and access to educational resources, thereby improving accessibility and compliance.
Clear and effective communication pathways are recognized as the most powerful and effective tools for reducing patient no-show rates. Patients should be enriched with insightful educational content to reduce anxiety and claustrophobia in the MRI scan room, leading to a decreased patient refusal rate.
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