title: Time and money: effects of no-shows at a family practice residency clinic.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  When patients fail to appear for scheduled appointments, the flow of patient care is interrupted, and clinic productivity declines. This study investigated the impact of failed appointments on a clinic by measuring time and money lost after taking into account same-day treatment patients (walk-ins).
  
  
  METHODS
  Schedule information was retrieved for 4,055 visits over 20 business days. Data were collected on appointment status (show, no-show, cancel, walk-in), time allocated for the appointment, charges for visit, date and time of the visit, and other appointment information.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No-shows and cancellations represented 31.1% of scheduled appointments and 32.2% of scheduled time. Rates of failed appointments varied by type of provider, patient demographics, and patient status (new versus established). Walk-in patients replaced 61.0% of failed appointments but only 42.4% of the time blocked for those appointments. Walk-in visits generated 89.5% of the charges associated with scheduled visits. Over the course of a year, total revenue shortfalls could range from 3% to 14% of total clinic income.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Failed appointments pose financial as well as administrative problems for residency practices. Proactive reminder systems are needed to promote patient attendance.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia 29203, USA.
authors.forename: C G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Moore
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wilson-Witherspoon
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Probst
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000367:Age Factors; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001071:Appointments and Schedules; D005194:Family Practice / Q000191:economics*; D005249:Fees and Charges; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income; D008297:Male; D009819:Office Visits / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012737:Sex Factors; D017748:Time Management; D016312:Treatment Refusal; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data