While it is important to make sure that you get your phones ringing and appointments set, it is no secret that potential patients can be notorious for not showing up to a scheduled visit. Missed appointments cost you time, resources, and, of course, money, so it is critical that you take every step possible to ensure quality patient acquisition. By optimizing all of your digital channels and making sure you are visible to your potential patients, you can get those valuable calls and bookings. But how do you make sure those potential patients make it into your practice? In this article, we will give you our best tips on decreasing no-show patients and boosting the amount of quality patients you see in your practice.

Stay in Contact with the Prospective Patient

It is imperative that you are aggressive about staying in contact with prospective patients through a variety of channels. This can include text and email reminders, as well as calls from your staff ensuring that the patient is still intent on coming. This contact also helps establish trust between you and the potential patient, as your staff can answer any questions that a hesitant patient may have, and even discuss alternative treatment options with them. Another tip is to try to schedule your patients as soon as possible, as the closer their appointment is to the booking date, the less you will have to send out reminders, and the greater the chance that the patient will show.

Hold Potential Patients Accountable

To ensure that 1) your potential patient is quality and 2) you are not missing out on revenue, implement different tactics to hold patients accountable.

• Cancellation Policy: Ask for a card on file and tell patients that there will be a cancellation fee if they don't arrive at the appointment or don't cancel within a certain timeframe.
• Charge for Consultations: If you find yourself repeatedly having prospective patients come in for consultations and not following through on treatment, it may be time to start charging a fee for consultations. This ensures that your resources and staff are being used in the best possible way.
• Deposit: Another way to ensure that prospective patients arrive is to ask for a deposit, especially for more costly treatments like injectables or surgical procedures. This deposit can either be refunded to them or applied to their treatment after the appointment has been fulfilled.
• Payment Prior to Treatment: If you are holding a special, flash sale, or have a limited number of certain treatments available, one of the best ways to ensure a client will arrive is by asking for payment upfront during booking. This method is the only way to guarantee you won't be losing revenue regardless of whether the patient shows or not.
• Offer Pre-Paid Deals:  A great way to ensure the best outcome for your sales and patient follow-through is by offering exclusive deals or discounted packages that are available if they prepay for treatment.

Follow Up

Even if your potential patient didn't show, that doesn't mean you can't still turn them into a loyal, permanent client. Whether the patient didn't show due to an emergency, fear of treatment, or they simply forgot, circumstances can get in the way. After a missed appointment, follow up with your potential patient and ask if they would like to reschedule, while enforcing a policy that keeps them accountable for their next appointment.

Focus on Patient Retention

The best patients are the ones who keep coming back, and these are also going to be the patients who will most likely keep and maintain appointments. By focusing your marketing efforts on more than just new patients, you can be sure to increase patient show rate. Make sure that you reach out to your current clientele through both in-office efforts and throughout your digital marketing channels like social media and email and text marketing, so that you are always at the forefront of their minds. You can also ask patients to pre-pay for their next appointment at a discounted rate to ensure that they follow through on upcoming appointments.

Reduce No-Shows while Increasing Quality Patient Acquisition

Finding patients is never easy, and finding patients who follow through can be even harder. To make the most of your time, staff, practice, and overall revenue, it is important that you screen your potential patients and implement strategies to prevent the number of no-shows you see. Med Aesthetics Group is here to help. At Med Aesthetics Group, we don’t just talk about results, we make them happen. Our results-driven marketing campaigns have increased calls and consultations by over 300% for many of our clients. See your practice reach its potential and switch to us today. To learn more about our services and what we can do for your practice, give us a call or book a free demo.