Reducing Cancellation and No-Show Rates

The Department of Orthopedic Surgery at Montefiore Medical Center services 100,000 patients annually, providing expertise in hip, knee, foot, ankle, shoulder, hand, and spinal care, as well as sports medicine and oncology. However, fluctuations in the number of no-shows and canceled appointments have directly impacted revenue and productivity. In light of this issue, the Department requested a Capstone team to assess root causes and drivers of current no-show and cancellation rates and to determine the financial and productivity impact. The team conducted thorough process and data analyses and reviewed existing literature to determine common trends and best practices. Based on their findings, the team compiled a list of recommendations to improve appointment registration methods, properly tailoring these techniques to each demographic group to improve likelihood of arriving to future appointments and increase both patient and department satisfaction.