Ohio-based Hospital
reduces no-show rates by 54%
The Client
Ohio-based Hospital
Specialties: Imaging
The Goal
Reduce no-show and cancellation rates
The Result
54% average improvement in no-show rates and 41% average improvement in cancellation rates across all imaging modalities
The Challenge
Recognized by IBM Watson HealthTM as one of the top five largest health systems in America, it consists of a network of over 250 ambulatory clinics and 15 hospitals, including the hospital in this study.
This Ohio-based hospital has been committed to offering compassionate, quality care since 1930. Over the years, the hospital’s services have expanded to meet the needs of their patients. Today, they provide emergency care and surgery, as well as comprehensive cancer and stroke programs. They also offer outpatient services including laboratory, rehabilitation, and imaging services.
In fact, the hospital provides imaging services for approximately 19,000 patients annually with a comprehensive scope of radiology services including: Bone Density, Breast Biopsy, CT Scan, Fluoroscopy
Interventional Radiology, Digital Mammography, MRI, Nuclear Medicine, SPEC/CT, PET/CT, Ultrasound, Vascular Ultrasound and X-ray.
Many imaging tests require special patient preparation, so the patients are encouraged to schedule appointments.
In the fall of 2018, however, no-show rates for key imaging services ranged from 11% to 20%. This meant that many patients weren’t receiving—or were delaying—the imaging care necessary to help them receive accurate diagnosis and treatment of various conditions.
Because of this, the hospital’s imaging service line identified an opportunity to automate and scale appointment reminders with a goal of improving no shows and minimizing the time staff needed to spend making manual phone calls to remind patients of upcoming appointments.
The hospital was familiar with Providertech from their partnership with another physician group within their network. They observed strong results within that group’s scope of work and felt confident that Providertech would be a good fit both financially and culturally. Compliance with HIPAA was particularly important, and Providertech’s deep expertise in healthcare and their commitment to protecting patient health information (PHI) assured them that security was a top priority.
There is great value in Providertech’s technology solution. For us, it makes sense financially—and culturally it fits what our providers and patients need. Additionally, it allows our staff to focus on the patient in front of them since they don’t have to spend as much time on the phone. Overall, the solution allows us to deliver a better patient experience in and out of the office.” ––Director of Imaging Reese V.
Solutions Implemented
The Solution
The goal was two-fold. First, they wanted to reduce their volume of manual outbound calls so that their front office could be available to engage with patients in real-time when they were in the office.
Secondly, they wanted to reduce no shows and improve cancellation rates, which would ensure that their patients received the imaging care they needed, when they needed it. Baseline no-show rates for all four appointment types ranged from 11% to 20%. Data for electromyography (EMG) appointments also showed a 50% cancellation rate.
Working with a dedicated technical implementation team from project kick off to go live made the process easy. Providertech’s HIPAA-compliant CareCommunity platform seamlessly integrated into the hospital’s Meditech EHR.
This ensured a smooth process for pulling foundational data and enabled quick customization based on the patient population for the following imaging appointment types:
• Ultrasounds • CT scans • Nuclear Medicine • Electromyography
The hospital appreciated the ability to completely customize the text message content and frequency based on their business needs. They were able to determine how and when messages should be delivered. Next, they established protocols that pulled records from their EMR based on appointment types and providers and distributed appointment reminders at predetermined intervals. This allowed patients to quickly confirm appointments at their fingertips, or cancel, if necessary.
Six weeks after go-live, all four appointment types saw noticeable decreases in no-show rates, with ultrasound and CT scan appointments measuring no-show rates of less than 10%. Additionally, the cancellation rate for EMG appointments dropped from 50% to 30%. The team was also able to measure a baseline cancellation rate for ultrasounds, CT scans, and nuclear medicine, which would be helpful in measuring future improvements.
This initial data included the following rates:
The Result
Eight months into the partnership, the hospital’s no show rates and cancellation rates improved for all four appointment types included in the scope.
Ultrasound, CT scan, and nuclear medicine appointments improved no-show rates by nearly 50%, dropping from 14% to 8% for ultrasounds and 11% to 6% for both CT scans and nuclear medicine.
EMG appointments experienced the most dramatic improvements, with a 70% improvement in no-show rates. EMG cancellation rates also experienced incredible results, dropping from 50% to 18%.
Since June, the hospital continues to see improvements in both no-show rates and cancellation rates. Currently, the average no-show appointment rate is 6.4%, which is a 54% improvement from the initial average of 14%. Cancellation rates for both of those appointment types also improved.
By automating appointment reminders and providing a convenient way for patients to reschedule or cancel their appointment when something comes up, Berger Hospital has reduced their no show and cancellation rates. They’ve also improved scheduling efficiency across their offices and freed up staff time so they can engage with patients face-to-face.
“There is great value in Providertech’s technology solution. For us, it makes sense financially—and culturally it fits what our providers and patients need. Additionally, it allows our staff to focus on the patient in front of them since they don’t have to spend as much time on the phone. Overall, the solution allows us to deliver a better patient experience in and out of the office,” noted Director of Imaging Reese V.
To learn more about how Providertech can help you reduce no show appointments, visit Providertech.com to schedule a demo with an expert today.
75%
decrease in time spent confirming appointments
With Providertech’s help, we achieved a 75% decrease in time spent manually confirming appointments, helping us to more efficiently engage our patients using the resources we already had.
Amy Bastianelli |
Director of Population Health, La Communidad Hiispana
Adelante Healthcare found that their population health campaigns were easier to manage and scale, meaning they could reach more patients with less manpower.
