Fort Campbell, KY – Each month, approximately 3,000 patients miss their scheduled appointment at Blanchfield Army Community Hospital (BACH) without calling to cancel. In other words, 3,000 other patients could have filled those appointment slots and received needed medical care.
In an effort to improve appointment availability for all beneficiaries, BACH leadership implemented a Missed Appointment Policy. Patients unable to keep an appointment must call the Appointment Line at 931-431-4677 or 270-798-4677 to cancel at least two hours prior to their scheduled appointment time. BACH recently improved the cancellation system so patients may now use the same phone number 24 hours a day to cancel appointments.
Beginning May 1st, an appointment is considered missed if it is not kept and the patient does not call to cancel at least two hours in advance. Beneficiaries missing three appointments in a 12-month time period will be invited to meet with their primary care manager (PCM) to determine why they are missing their appointments. After the meeting, it could be determined that the patient may be best served by a network healthcare provider and may be enrolled to a PCM outside of BACH for their medical care.
“It is important to us that all our beneficiaries get the medical care they need. Missed appointments are missed opportunities,” said BACH Chief of Primary Care Lt. Col. Gregory Fryer. “In the last 12 months, more than 45,000 appointments could have been used if patients had called to cancel. We want this policy to help serve as a partnership between the patient and the medical team by beneficiaries assisting us in canceling appointments they cannot honor; therefore access to care will improve for patients who really need a medical appointment,” he said.
Patients currently receive a call through the Audio Reminder approximately two days in advance reminding them of their scheduled appointment. Patients can help by ensuring their correct phone number is listed during their next visit to the hospital.
According to BACH Chief of Clinical Services Division Paul Pierson, “The BACH team is working hard to find more ways to communicate patient reminders for medical appointments.”
BACH staff will soon be collecting cell phone numbers and email addresses for patients who wish to receive appointment reminders through text and email. “Within the next month, patients who choose to participate in this service should expect to receive email and text reminders two to three hours prior to their scheduled appointment,” said Pierson.
With the combination of the new missed appointment policy and the notification reminder systems, Fryer and Pierson expect to see more patients able to successfully schedule an appointment with their primary care manager on the first attempt.
