The research study found that when using the new message text, DNA incidents were reduced by 5,800. This figure could have risen as high as 28,900 if the Trust had a record of every patient’s mobile number.
Healthcare providers are increasingly using SMS reminders to reduce DNA rates, with statistics showing in 2012–13 around 5.5 million NHS outpatient appointments were missed in England (9.3 per cent of the total). A recent estimate claims missed first outpatient appointments cost the NHS up to £225 million in 2012–13. If the NHS only had mobile numbers for 20 per cent of patients, this could still potentially avoid as many as 400,000 missed hospital appointments per year, saving the NHS and the taxpayer in excess of £64 million.
The research Stating Appointment Costs in SMS Reminders Reduces Missed Hospital Appointments: Findings from Two Randomised Controlled Trials by Ivo Vlaev, Professor of...