| Targeted appointment recall is an effective method of | | | | they will be doing next year let alone next week. |
| appointment scheduling. Instead of sending a patient a | | | | Target Appointment Recall Management |
| reminder to make an appointment by postcard, | | | | The next step for your office staff is to organize your |
| telephone, or email, the patient is given a tentative | | | | targeted recall. Your efforts for recalling patients are |
| appointment ahead of time, even when the | | | | useless unless you have an effective system for |
| appointment is in the distant future. This technique | | | | reminding patients at the proper time. Organized |
| involves scheduling patients at the conclusion of their | | | | management systems that manipulate your patient |
| current visit. Patients are then informed that they will | | | | database are the key to successful patient recall. This |
| receive a reminder near their appointment that may be | | | | may consist of postcards that are completed by the |
| used to confirm or change their appointment. Patients | | | | patient or office staff at the time of a current |
| appreciate timely notification of their future | | | | appointment, and then cataloged according to time a |
| appointments. Patients who have appointments | | | | patient is destined to return to your office. Postcards |
| targeted for a future date are more likely to return. | | | | are most effective when sent a month prior to their |
| Your calendar remains full, patient care is enhanced, | | | | targeted return visit. Postcard recall systems have |
| and your practice thrives. | | | | been the mainstay of many practices over many |
| Cost Effectiveness of Targeted Appointment Recall | | | | years. But highly effective and user-friendly recall |
| An important benefit of targeted recall is that it | | | | management systems are now computer-based. |
| maintains your patient base. The cost of implementing | | | | Computer Appointment Recall Management |
| and maintaining an effective targeted appointment | | | | A database program may be setup to print a monthly |
| recall system is minimal when compared to the | | | | report for patients that need to be reminded about |
| resources and expense needed to attract new | | | | their upcoming appointments. The program may print |
| patients. A successful practice retains between 70 to | | | | labels containing patient names and addresses for |
| 80% of their patients. | | | | mailing reminders. However, the overhead cost for |
| Front Office Personnel | | | | mailing reminders is considerable. The combined cost |
| It is important that your front office scheduler | | | | of postage, printing, and labor is about $1.85 for each |
| understand the importance of targeted recall. Make | | | | recall reminder by mail. |
| sure that your front office person knows how to | | | | Modern recall systems take advantage of email |
| succinctly explain targeted appointment recall to | | | | communication and text messaging. Sending reminders |
| patients. A simple "just for an annual exam" is not | | | | by email is a highly effective method for appointment |
| sufficient reason for many patients. Have your | | | | recall since there are no mailing or printing costs, and |
| secretary memorize a response that may be useful | | | | labor is minimal. A computer-based system for |
| for patient inquiries. For example, "That would be a | | | | targeted recall may also keep track of recall rates, |
| good time to monitor your health and take care of | | | | recall compliance, and no-show appointments. An |
| early problems". | | | | electronic trail of appointments targeted for recall is |
| Targeted Appointment Recall | | | | useful for medical-legal documentation. Online |
| Patients are accepting when your front office person | | | | appointment recall systems that are HIPAA compliant |
| says, "We will reserve your appointment for the first | | | | and free for patients and healthcare professionals are |
| week of next year. We will automatically remind you | | | | available on the Internet. Healthcare professionals who |
| when that time comes so we can change it if | | | | implement effective targeted appointment recall add |
| necessary." The key is for your office staff to select | | | | significant value to their practices. |
| the target date since most patients have no idea what | | | | |