Reducing Missed Appointments in Primary Care: A Three-Pronged Approach

Missed appointments disrupt care continuity, delay diagnoses, and decrease revenue in primary care settings. This quality improvement project at Meadow Clinic aimed to reduce no-show rates through evidence-based interventions targeting identified barriers such as forgetfulness, scheduling conflicts, and transportation issues. Participants included 72 patients with a history of missed appointments, who were surveyed to identify their preferences and challenges for adhering to office visits. The project used Jean Watson’s Theory of Human Caring and the Plan-Do-Study-Act framework (Appendix A) to guide the design and implementation of interventions: enhanced telehealth integration, personalized multi-modal reminders, and patient education on digital health tools. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected via electronic health records and surveys, analyzed using thematic analysis and descriptive statistics. Findings revealed that text reminders and telehealth significantly improved appointment adherence and patient satisfaction, while flexible scheduling addressed logistical challenges. Post-intervention, the clinic observed reduced no-show rates and increased telehealth usage. These results underscore the value of patient-centered strategies in improving access, operational efficiency, and healthcare equity. This scalable model offers practical implications for enhancing care delivery across diverse healthcare settings.