Related Terms
No-show rate
Automated appointment reminders
See Also
Confirmations are usually part of a wider reminder setup. See how automated reminders work
Automated SMS Reminders
ABOUT THIS ENTRY
Category Core: Patient comms
Reading time: 1 min
Updated: Oct 2026
Appointment Confirmation
Definition
Appointment confirmation is the step where a practice asks a patient, ahead of a scheduled visit, to confirm they'll attend or to cancel or reschedule.
Why the distinction matters
A reminder tells the patient the visit is coming. A confirmation asks for an answer. That reply is what lets the front desk act: a "yes" means the slot is safe, and a cancel request two days out gives time to offer the slot to someone on the waitlist.
For years, confirmations meant phone calls. Staff dialed through tomorrow's schedule during lunch, left voicemails, and marked the grid by hand. Text confirmations ask the same question with a one-word reply, such as C to confirm or R to reschedule, and the answers come back in a list staff can scan.
Example
Covina Arthritic Clinic replaced manual confirmation calls with automated text confirmations. Based on Curogram's internal data, the clinic now averages more than 1,100 confirmed appointments per month without staff making follow-up calls for each one.
Frequently Asked
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When should a practice send appointment confirmations?
Many send the request two to three days before the visit. That leaves enough time to refill a slot if the patient cancels.
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What if a patient doesn't reply to a confirmation text?
Send one follow-up, then flag the visit for a call. An unconfirmed slot is a common place for no-shows to happen.
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What's a good confirmation rate?
It varies by specialty and patient base. Based on Curogram's internal data, practices using automated confirmations average above 75%.