The effectiveness of reminder phone calls on reducing no-show rates in ambulatory care.

The objective of this study was to determine the effectiveness of daily reminder phone calls on reducing no-show rates in the ambulatory care setting. With the initiation of reminder telephone calls over a 6-month period, the no-show rate dropped by 50% from 8% to 4%. The no-show rate with reminder letters over 3 months was reduced by 29% from 8.5% to 6%. Reminding patients by telephone call 1 day prior to their appointment significantly increased the number of patients who arrived. Reminder phone calls also allowed patients to cancel their appointments if they weren't able to attend, rather than not showing up. Patients were given the option of rescheduling their appointments while on the phone at that time or calling back to reschedule. Most patients took the opportunity to reschedule at that time.