Effective 10 Steps For Patient Retention : A Comprehensive Guide to Minimise No-shows in Your Physiotherapy Practice

You’ve got a patient appointment for 11 a.m. You’re all set for the treatment and wait for your patient to arrive. It’s past 12, and there’s no sign or communication from the patient.

You’ve wasted an hour of your time and couldn’t even reschedule any other appointment during this time.

No-shows are a common frustration for physiotherapists. When patients fail to keep their appointments, it not only disrupts your schedule but also affects the quality of care you can provide. It also impacts staff workload, revenues, and, eventually, patient satisfaction.

While it may not be possible to eliminate every no-show, you can definitely reduce the number by leveraging one of the best software platforms, curated especially for physiotherapists – GritUp.

Here are some tips to help you get started:

• Trust Automated Reminders to Help You
  
  Automated reminders serve as an effective tool to prompt your patients about their appointments. By sending timely notifications, practices can drastically minimize no-shows. Patients rely on these reminders for their convenience, ensuring they remain committed to their scheduled visits. For instance, you can send a reminder 24 hours before and say, “We’re looking forward to seeing you tomorrow at 11 am and taking you one step closer to increasing your range of motion.” If these reminders can be sent via SMS and WhatsApp, it is even better. What’s better- when you send the reminder on WhatsApp, you can also send a link to reschedule the appointment, in case the patient cannotcome during the scheduled time. GritUp’s ability to send automated reminders has been a boon to many physiotherapists.

• Streamline Appointment Scheduling with Technology by your Side
  
  Employing technology for online booking and rescheduling simplifies the process for patients. A physiotherapy appointment software grants flexibility in choosing appointment times and diminishes last-minute cancellations while enhancing patient satisfaction. For instance, your patient knows the night before that they can’t make it to the treatment due to some change of plans. They can immediately reschedule the appointment on GritUp, an easy-to-use physiotherapy scheduling software and help you plan your day accordingly.

• Allow Pre-Paid Appointments with some Discounts
  
  Encourage patients to commit to their treatment and come for the appointment by offering incentives for pre-paying appointments. Discounts act as a motivating factor, reducing the likelihood of cancellations. It can be a 10 to 20% discount on the total session fee, encouraging them to pay upfront and increasing the likelihood of their visit.

• Confirm Appointments a Day or Two Prior
  
  You can utilize GritUp, a physiotherapy appointment software to confirm appointments a day or two beforehand. Your patients will get notified, and their responses will be registered on the software. This feature allows for timely adjustments and fills vacant slots in case of cancellations. It also makes patients feel more accountable, and if they have confirmed the appointment, they are more likely to be there.

• Send a ‘Sorry We Missed You’ Message
  
  Despite all your efforts, it’s natural to witness some no-shows in your practice regularly. In such cases, let patients know you missed them at the appointment and encourage them to contact you immediately to reschedule. You can also send a link through physiotherapy clinic management software like GritUp to rebook their appointment at the earliest so their treatment doesn’t get hampered. If you’d like, you can even communicate a cancellation or no-show policy in advance that results in a potential fee, as it can act as a deterrent.

• Offer Telehealth or Remote Consultations
  
  When patients can’t visit your clinic, telehealth services or virtual visits with integrated video can be a great help. It allows patients to receive care from the comfort of their homes and reduces the barriers that may be preventing them from showing up in person. With the help of the best physiotherapy practice management software, you can ensure treatment continues without any setbacks. GritUp’s remote consultation solutions have helped many physiotherapists continue their treatments even without meeting the patients every time.

• Build Strong Patient Relationships
  
  Patient engagement is an essential part of any physiotherapy practice. When your patients feel valued and heard, they are more likely to prioritize their healthcare appointments. Thus, physiotherapists need to establish a good rapport with patients, take the time to answer questions, address concerns and above all, involve them in their treatment plans.

• Educate Patients on the Importance of Continuing Treatment
  
  Provide patients with educational materials and resources about the importance of regular check-ups and adherence to their treatment plans. If you can regularly publish key metrics of how they are showing marked improvement for their ailments, then this helps in ensuring patient commitment. You can also talk about the side effects of leaving treatments halfway, missing appointments and taking longer than scheduled to complete the recovery process. When patients understand the significance of their appointments, they are more likely to show up.

• Improve Waiting Area Experience
  
  Since all patients have to spend some time in your waiting area before being treated, focus on making it as warm and friendly as possible. Create a comfortable and welcoming waiting area for your patients – a pleasant environment can reduce anxiety and stress, making patients more likely to attend their appointments. Amenities such as magazines, Wi-Fi, and refreshments make their visit more pleasant.

• Collect Feedback to Gain Insights
  
  Feedback allows physiotherapists to continuously improve services and treatments based on patients’ experiences and needs. It helps to enhance patient satisfaction, outcomes, and the overall quality of care provided. You can gather feedback from patients who do miss appointments to understand their reasons. It can help you identify common issues and make necessary improvements to your practice. Use GritUp to simplify the feedback process and ensure you get relevant data to make changes in your practice.