Stop Cancellations

One of the three basic building blocks of the ToP Team Strategy is “The Score Board.”  ToP teams know when they are winning and how the score is kept.  The score is more than just tracking production and collections.  It includes all types of “player” and “team” stats that contribute to the overall success of the practice.

One number, of many, that we track is the number of cancellations and no shows that accumulate throughout the month.  When you track that number on a daily basis, it is a wake up call to get back on track with the ToPS “Stop Cancellations” protocol.

One sure fire way to keep that number down is to prevent new patient cancellations by having the doctor call every new patient before that patient comes in for the first visit.  That’s right, the doctor is going to call the patient and say:

“Mrs. Jones, this is Dr. Amazing calling about your first appointment in our office that is scheduled for tomorrow at 10 AM.  I am just calling to welcome you to our practice and let you know that we are looking forward to meeting you.  If there is anything we can do to make your visit more comfortable, you are welcome to give us a call before you come in.  Otherwise, we look forward to seeing you tomorrow at 10.”

The impact of this call is huge in the mind of the patient.  It is unusual, unexpected and very memorable.  It has also been statistically proven to dramatically reduce new patient no-shows and cancellations.

So, if you are sick and tired of the hole in the schedule that new patients leave when they no-show or cancel, go back to something that works.  Just try it for a week or two.  Track your results and see if your new patient no-shows and cancellations don’t go down.