Reducing No-Shows: Best Practices for Healthcare Appointment Reminders

Sending a single reminder a day before an appointment is rarely enough. Practices that layer reminders, for example one week out and one day out, see better attendance.

The exact cadence should match how far in advance patients typically book.

SMS reminders tend to have higher open rates than email, but offering both gives patients a choice that fits their habits.

Allowing patients to confirm or cancel directly from the reminder reduces friction and frees up staff time.

A waitlist feature lets practices automatically offer a cancelled slot to the next available patient.

This keeps the schedule full even when last-minute changes happen.