Patients miss appointments for all kinds of reasons. Some forget. Others get busy. Many don’t realize they are overdue for a routine check-up, follow-up, or screening. That’s where medical recall services come in.
These services help practices reach out to patients who need to come back in. Whether it’s a simple reminder or help with scheduling, medical recall services support better patient care.
What Are Medical Recall Services?
Medical recall services are systems or teams that reach out to patients who are due or overdue for care. These could be patients who:
- Missed a follow-up visit.
- Are due for an annual physical.
- Need routine tests, screenings, or lab work.
- Require regular monitoring for chronic conditions.
Even the best-run practices can struggle to keep up with calling patients who need to return. With all the other day-to-day demands, it’s easy for people to fall through the cracks.
That’s why many practices choose to outsource medical recall services. These services help patients stay on top of their health and allow providers to deliver better outcomes.
How Do Medical Recall Services Work?
Practices can handle recalls in-house, but that takes time. Many staff members already have full plates. Between answering phones, checking in patients, and handling questions, time often runs out to go through recall lists.
That’s why some offices outsource this task to a professional team.
Here’s how outsourced medical recall services typically work:
- Patient List Provided – Your practice provides a list of patients who are due or overdue for services. If there is a long backlog of overdue (or extremely overdue) patients, you may choose to have the outsourced team focus on these.
- Outreach Begins – The recall team contacts patients by phone, text, or email to remind them about their needed care. The messaging is polite, helpful, and focused on supporting the patient.
- Appointment Scheduling – If the patient is ready, the team can schedule the visit directly in your system. This reduces scheduling delays and makes it easy for patients to follow through.
- Follow-Up – If the patient doesn’t respond, the recall team can try again later or flag them for additional outreach. A structured follow-up process makes a big difference in getting patients back on the schedule.
Some recall services also track outcomes and provide access to KPI dashboards. This allows you to see how many patients were contacted and how many returned for care.
Why Practices Use Medical Recall Services
Using patient recall services can help your practice:
- Fill Gaps in the Schedule. Reminding patients to come in helps keep the calendar full.
- Improve Health Outcomes. Patients who return for follow-ups and routine care often stay healthier. Conditions are caught earlier, and treatment plans stay on track.
- Save Staff Time. Outsourcing the work means your front desk doesn’t have to manage it. This reduces pressure on your team and helps them focus on in-office tasks.
- Increase Revenue. More appointments lead to more completed visits and billed services. Regular visits also improve patient retention, which helps your practice grow.
A Better Way to Manage Recalls
Following up with patients takes time, but it makes a big difference in care. Recall calls help practices keep patients engaged and healthier over time.
Outsourcing these calls allows your practice to reach more patients without increasing staff workload. It also ensures outreach is handled in a timely, professional way.
Even small practices can benefit from recall services. Outsourcing is an affordable and effective option if you don’t have a full call center or enough staff to handle ongoing follow-up.
Oclinicals provides medical recall services for busy practices. Our team will handle everything. With our help, your practice can keep patients on track while staying focused on care.
Contact us today to learn how our patient recall services can support your practice.