The Estimated Cost of “No-Shows” in an Academic Pediatric Neurology Clinic

ObjectiveMissed appointments (“no-shows”) represent an important source of lost revenue for academic medical centers. The goal of this study was to examine the costs of “no-shows” at an academic pediatric neurology outpatient clinic.MethodsThis was a retrospective cohort study of patients who missed appointments at an academic pediatric neurology outpatient clinic during 1 academic year. Revenue lost was estimated based on average reimbursement for different insurance types and visit types.ResultsThe yearly “no-show” rate was 26%. Yearly revenue lost from missed appointments was $257,724.57, and monthly losses ranged from $15,652.33 in October 2013 to $27,042.44 in January 2014.ConclusionsThe yearly revenue lost from missed appointments at the academic pediatric neurology clinic represents funds that could have been used to improve patient access and care. Further work is needed to develop strategies to decrease the no-show rate to decrease lost revenue and improve patient care and access.