The trend: People who actively use patient portals are less likely to skip an upcoming doctor’s appointment than those without portal accounts, according to recent research from Epic that analyzed 1.6 billion visits in 2024.

• Patients with active portal accounts had a no-show rate of 6.2%, compared with 7.9% for those without.
• The gap was largest among patients ages 50 to 64, and smallest in the 18 to 34 age group, indicating that a patient portal isn’t a big factor in whether a younger person keeps their appointment.

Why it matters: Patient no-shows are costly for healthcare providers, particularly when a service requires upfront preparation, such as a diagnostic test or procedure.

• Some medical clinics take a $200 hit per patient no-show, assuming the time slot can’t be filled, per a November 2024 Medscape article.
• That could be as much as $7,500 per month for certain practices, a 2023 Tebra report revealed.

Our take: Engaging with a patient portal is important, but it isn’t a major needle mover for appointment no-shows.

Providers and marketers can implement other strategies, tailored to different demographics, that could further improve the likelihood of patients showing up to their visit:

• A mix of texts and emails in the days leading up to an appointment could reduce the risk of younger patients no-showing, many of whom are busy.
• Transportation barriers are a common reason for no-shows. Providers should consider partnering with non-emergency medical transportation companies for patients who need this level of support.
• Collecting upfront payments won’t sit well with patients, but a less forceful approach could include being transparent about no-show fees from the moment a booking is made.

This content is part of EMARKETER’s subscription Briefings, where we pair daily updates with data and analysis from forecasts and research reports. Our Briefings prepare you to start your day informed, to provide critical insights in an important meeting, and to understand the context of what’s happening in your industry. Not a subscriber? Click here to get a demo of our full platform and coverage.