Handling patient cancellations in a smart way

Having a couple of your patients cancel on you is normal, but having it be a recurring issue is a problem. This can be due to many reasons, including bad customer service or process management problems in your business.

That is what we want to talk about in this article. We explain some of the reasons why this happens and what solutions we offer you.

Understanding the impact of cancellations

You may encounter this problem for different reasons. The actual consequences you may experience from cancellations are as follows:

• Loss of Income: Each unfulfilled appointment signifies lost income and is hard to recoup.
• Reduced Productivity: Gaps in the schedule reduce the staff's efficiency and can add to the team's frustration.
• Compromised Patient Health: Delayed treatments can negatively impact a patient's health.

Strategies to handle your patient cancellations

Of course, there are also ways to prevent cancellations from becoming a recurring occurrence in your dental practice:

• Automated appointment reminders via email or a simple phone call reduce the likelihood of patients missing their appointments. Any of our dental virtual assistants can manage these reminders.
• A well-defined cancellation policy helps patients understand the importance of keeping their appointments. Communicate it during booking and on appointment confirmations. 
• Patients are more likely to cancel if rescheduling is difficult. Providing an online booking system where they can quickly reschedule through a patient portal and a virtual assistant (VA) can help retain patients who might otherwise cancel outright. 

How important is it to handle your cancellation rate properly?

According to the American Dental Association, automated reminders reduce no-shows by up to 38% (American Dental Association). In addition, our VAs are trained to perform effective services in a fast and organized manner.

It doesn’t end up there. Practices with waitlist management recover up to 30% of lost revenue from cancellations. (DentistryIQ). Therefore, a more organized and controlled process can improve your income.

Conclusion

Handling patient cancellations can be a challenge. Having a virtual assistant for your dental practice can be a first step to better management. They can help you with everything related to customer service and insurance management. 

Contact us to learn more about our services. We offer a free 30-minute call to discuss our VA's offerings.