Do you forget appointments?

[73349]

I just got the THIRD reminder for Monday's appointment (as well as what I hope will be the only one for Tuesday's). For Pete's sake, people.

 

This one is especially annoying me because they have their phone system set up so you can't reach a live person when you want to make an appointment (much less make it online)--so it took me like five phone calls over three days to get the appointment in the first place, and now they want to interrupt me two days in a row with a robocall and a live call. (I don't mind the post card.) It's like my time is of no value whatsoever.

 

If I tell my landline not to ring during school hours, it stays silent on the weekend as well. Might be worthwhile, though.

[Alice]

Yes, people no show for appointments all the time. I'd say we have at least one a day per doctor at our office. And we do automated calls and our front desk also tries to call everyone as well. 

 

I have no way to know if the no shows are people who forgot or people who just decided they have something better to do. But we have a charge for no shows and making sure that they are reminded helps to get rid of the "I didn't know about it" or "I thought it was scheduled for a different day" excuse. 

 

No shows are a huge deal to doctor's offices. It's not that it's that slim a margin financially, it's more about time. For example, I had a no-show this week for a physical. The physical was one for which the kid needed a required shot for school. We are completely booked for physicals this time of year, to the point where I did something like 18 physicals on Wed morning alone (that's a lot). When this kid no-showed, it meant we now have to either find somewhere to fit him in, which is not easy. Or we say to them that they have to wait...which we aren't going to do since it effects his ability to go to school. That's one example but when you multiply them by 2-3 per day it adds up quickly. During the winter when we end up having a lot of sick patients, no shows are a problem because it's frustrating to overbook someone who is sick and needs to come in only to have someone no-show and realize we could have used that opening in the schedule.  

 

One of the reasons we try to also do personal reminders (where our front desk actually talks to the parent) is that if the person has realized that there is a conflict or did have the wrong day written down then we can reschedule it. We'd rather do that then just have that empty hole in the day. 

 

I think most of the reminder systems are automatic. So the computer can't tell that you made an appt on Tues for Wed. It just calls/texts everyone who has an appointment on Wed regardless of when the appointments are made. 

[wendyroo]

No shows are a huge deal to doctor's offices.

 

The flip side of the coin, though, is that reminder calls/texts/emails can be a huge time burden for families.  We are a family rife with physical and psychological maladies.  On average we have 5 appointments a week; each appointment means 2-3 reminder calls and texts.  We also juggle well over a dozen prescription medications, and each one of those means 2-3 monthly or quarterly reminder calls from the pharmacy.  

 

Each and every weekday I field several reminder calls on top of the time I spend on the phone making appointments, refilling prescriptions, calling nurse lines, arguing with insurance, etc.

 

The crazy thing is, I have NEVER missed an appointment.  Since most of the call systems are automated, it would seem easy enough to add an override so that families who have consistently proven themselves reliable could opt out of the reminders.

 

Wendy 

[Kassia]

I've never forgotten.  DH probably would if I didn't remind him.  I don't like phone calls, but I don't mind emails.  

[SKL]

I don't recall actually missing any, but I do worry about missing them.  I don't carry a calendar so I always ask for them to write it on a card - and then I worry that I'll lose or forget the card before it makes it onto my calendar.  I worry that I'll stupidly schedule something else at the same time.  There have been one or two times when I've called to confirm the time of an appointment because I lost the card.  (Maybe a lot of people do that, and it's easier to just automate the reminders?)

 

I have to say I appreciate the reminders.  I have a relatively good memory, but I also have a lot of things to remember, so a little help is appreciated, even if I don't "need" it.

[SKL]

I've seen the option to "opt out" of the reminders.  I get some of them because I specifically signed up for that.  I think that if this annoys you, there is probably a way to reduce if not end the reminders.

[SKL]

My response here tells me I really need to learn how to use the calendar on my iphone.  :P

[AmandaVT]

The flip side of the coin, though, is that reminder calls/texts/emails can be a huge time burden for families.  We are a family rife with physical and psychological maladies.  On average we have 5 appointments a week; each appointment means 2-3 reminder calls and texts.  We also juggle well over a dozen prescription medications, and each one of those means 2-3 monthly or quarterly reminder calls from the pharmacy.  

 

Each and every weekday I field several reminder calls on top of the time I spend on the phone making appointments, refilling prescriptions, calling nurse lines, arguing with insurance, etc.

 

The crazy thing is, I have NEVER missed an appointment.  Since most of the call systems are automated, it would seem easy enough to add an override so that families who have consistently proven themselves reliable could opt out of the reminders.

 

Wendy 

 

We ask clients when they sign up if they'd like a reminder text or not. Most do, some don't. I agree with you, clients/patients should be able to opt out. 

[Crimson Wife]

I am amazed at all the people for whom this isn't a struggle. :D

 

It was never a struggle for me before my youngest got diagnosed with special needs. Of course, we didn't really have that many appointments to keep track of back then (just normal dental and well baby/child checkups).

[Emba]

I do not often, but I did this week.  It was an appointment made a month ago, in my first week back homeschooling, and it just totally slipped my mind.  That provider isn't consistent about giving reminder texts.  She didn't this time, but has in the past.

[Laura Corin]

The one I find hardest is my hairdresser. There's no phone coverage in that village and she doesn't have WiFi, so she writes it on a card and I have to remember to put it into the family electronic calendar that we all have on our phones.

[waa510]

I use my phone to set reminders for appointments just in case but I'm pretty good at remembering most of the time without it..as long as I have the date and time (numbers in my head) I'm usually good-to-go. I'm really good at memorizing a series of numbers. I definitely agree that the reminders have gotten a little overkill lately. I have an appointment on this coming Monday and received two reminder calls yesterday, and another call today.

 

I've forgotten appointments a few times overall, but it's pretty rare. I'm used to having to keep dates in my head from college class due dates and outside commitments so I didn't double-book myself or overwhelm my schedule. 

[IsabelC]

Our local doctors' practice has a display board that they change every month or so. Usually it's some sort of health promotion / awareness campaign, but last time it was a running total of how many people were missing appointments, and it was in the hundreds, for a small rural practice. 

[OneStepAtATime]

Yes, even with appointments written down in my paper planner and in my electronic calendar and setting alarms there are times when I have forgotten appointments.  Too little sleep, erratic schedules, ongoing health concerns, etc can sometimes undermine me.  The entire extended family and the family business frequently relies on my brain for a lot of things.  Sometimes it just isn't up to the task.  Phone calls from the doctor or some other flag the day before an appointment does help and I appreciate it.  However, zillions of reminders gets very annoying.

 

I guess, though, that if they are doing it, there must be a reason.  Maybe there really are a LOT of people forgetting appointments.

[historically accurate]

I received my email reminder 2 days ago, and 2 text messages yesterday for dd's orthodontist appointment today - that's a little overkill imo. I also received a text message reminder from dd's counselor yesterday for her appointment Thursday. All of these needed to be confirmed by typing yes, hitting the confirm button, etc. Most of our doctors send out a phone call, and the dentist does the overkill thing with text and email. One of the doctors that my dd sees requires me to call back to confirm the appointment if I miss their automated reminder call or they drop her appointment! The specialist clinic my youngest visits annually sends a reminder for every part of the appointment, so I can get 3-4-5 texts in a few minutes from them: the ultrasound is at 10 am, specialist A is at 10:30, specialist B is at 11, etc. 

 

I don't recall (HA!) ever having forgotten an appointment since I got a phone that has a calendar on it. I faithfully copy it over to a white board every Sunday so it is in 2 places and everyone can see the whole week in view. Now I am also sitting with oldest dd (who is in high school, DE, and online classes) to craft her schedule as well on Friday afternoons for the upcoming week, so I get it hammered into my head a few times.

[73349]

The appointment for which I got three reminders took all of four minutes. (Yay for a clean bill of health, but wow.)

[RootAnn]

Two things that reminded me of this thread:

 

1) Made a boatload of appointments yesterday (dentist & eye doc). The vision place said, "We'll text you reminders." I chuckled and replied, "No, you won't because this is my home number and not a cell phone." They usually have at least one automated reminder call.

 

2) DH took the kitten in for his Will Never Be A Father surgery this morning. We laughed when he got back about how (our) vet never calls to remind you of an appointment. Apparently, much easier to remember an appointment for the furbaby than for ourselves. Isn't that strange?

[maize]

I've missed a couple of times and would have missed a lot more without all the reminder calls!

 

If you've never had trouble remembering appointments, you have excellent executive function abilities. Congratulations!

 

Not all human brains do.

 

Also, with some complicated medical issues in the family I am managing upwards of 200 appointments per year. It is very easy for something to slip through the cracks.

Edited August 29, 2017 by maize

[Lady Florida.]

I don't mind a reminder call, but I get an email, automated call, and text from most doctors. I usually sign up for text reminders only, yet I get all three. It gets a bit annoying. Why ask how I want to be contacted if you're not going to use my preferred method?

[73349]

I've missed a couple of times and would have missed a lot more without all the reminder calls!

 

If you've never had trouble remembering appointments, you have excellent executive function abilities. Congratulations!

 

Not all human brains do.

 

Also, with some complicated medical issues in the family I am managing upwards of 200 appointments per year. It is very easy for something to slip through the cracks.

 

EF issues are precisely the reason I'm screwed if people interrupt me over and over again with phone calls.

 

I can look at a wall calendar in the morning and in the evening, and I mostly remember to use my To Do list app, but I lose my train of thought when I get a call. Even if I don't pick up, even if I silence the ringer, the house phone broadcasts the message as it's left.

 

400 reminder calls a year and I would go postal. Please tell me these people are not all calling you every time!

 

[Murphy101]

I have, but it's rare for me. I use the cozi calendar app now, but before then I used a paper calendar on the wall.

 

I turn off all the reminders or don't give info for them to begin with if at all possible.

 

There's 13 of us. That's a crap ton of automated reminders on any given day.

[Guest]

I think I may have missed one that was scheduled five or six months out, because it somehow didn't make it on my calendar. And that was for me, not the kids. We get providers terrified of cancellations and forgetting with us too because apparently they do get that and half the day is shot, but I find most providers will work with us, especially if they have a fee for late cancellations and no shows.