Health region working to reduce appointment no-shows
In its ongoing quest to reduce inefficiency and waste, the Prairie North Health Region is working to reduce appointment no-shows, which according to a recent report have been increasing.
According to the Vikki Smart, the vice-president of primary health services with the health region, a small portion of no-shows are people who simply forgot. In other cases patients can’t find a way to get to their appointment.
“We notice with some of our First Nations communities sometimes they just can’t get their transportation to get in and see a doctor,” Smart explained.
According to Smart the rates of appointment no-shows vary from facility to facility. Some sit in the 10 per cent range, which represents an average of two patients per day not showing up, while others hover around two per cent, which equals one patient not showing up every other day.