Related Terms

Appointment confirmation

Appointment reconversion

Automated appointment reminders

See Also

Reminders are the most direct lever on the no-show rate. See how automated SMS reminders reduce missed visits.

Automated SMS Reminders

ABOUT THIS ENTRY

Category Core: Operations

Reading time: 1 min

Updated: Sep 2026

No-show Rate

Definition

A no-show rate is the share of scheduled appointments where the patient neither shows up nor cancels in time to fill the slot.

Why the distinction matters

Every no-show is paid staff time and an exam room sitting empty. Track the rate, and you can see how much revenue walks out the door each month, and whether reminders or scheduling changes move the number. Rates vary by specialty: primary care and behavioral health tend to run higher than surgical practices, partly because visits are routine and easy to put off.

Watching the rate over time also flags problems early. A jump after a scheduling-system change or a staffing gap tells you where to look.

Example

You calculate it by dividing missed appointments by total scheduled, then multiplying by 100. A clinic with 40 no-shows out of 500 booked visits runs an 8% no-show rate. Atlas Medical Center, a Curogram customer, cut its rate from 14.2% to 4.91% with automated reminders and reconversion messaging, about 53% below its specialty's typical rate.

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