Your staff sends the reminder, but the patient never schedules their colonoscopy.
Maybe they planned to call later and forgot. Others may have questions or concerns that make it easier to keep putting off the appointment.
Meanwhile, your front desk has patients to check in, phones to answer, and referrals to process. Finding time to keep calling patients who are due for a colonoscopy can be difficult.
Colonoscopy recall services provide dedicated follow-up for patients who haven’t responded. Phone calls can bring screening back to their attention and make it easier to move toward scheduling.
Why Colonoscopy Screening Reminders Aren’t Always Enough
Most patients know colon cancer screening is important, but that doesn’t mean they’ll schedule as soon as they receive a reminder.
Some may intend to call and then forget. Others may hesitate because they’re worried about the procedure prep or have questions about scheduling.
A reminder puts screening back on their radar. A phone call gives patients a real person to talk to, ask questions, and get back on track with scheduling.
How Follow-Up Calls Reach Overdue Colonoscopy Patients
Your practice may already have a recall system that identifies patients who are due for a colonoscopy. The challenge is following up when they don’t respond.
With colonoscopy recall services, trained callers reach out to patients on your recall list and talk with them directly. If someone doesn’t answer the first time, outreach doesn’t end there. Follow-up can include additional calls and text messages to give patients more chances to respond.
When a patient does answer, they’re talking with a real person who can explain why the practice is calling and guide them toward scheduling.
Make It Easier for Patients to Schedule a Colonoscopy
Sometimes a patient simply hasn’t gotten around to making the appointment. Calling the office means remembering during business hours and fitting another task into an already busy day.
An outbound recall call brings the conversation to the patient instead. Depending on how your recall program is set up, the caller can help the patient take the next step toward scheduling.
Address Common Barriers to Colonoscopy Screening
Some patients may be nervous about the procedure or have concerns about the prep, taking time off work, finding a ride home, or paying for the exam.
Talking with a real person lets patients share what’s keeping them from moving forward and find out where they can get the information they need.
Once patients have a chance to talk through their concerns, they may feel more comfortable moving ahead with scheduling.
Reduce the Recall Workload on Your Front Desk
Your front desk may want to make recall calls, but the patients already in the office usually have to come first.
A staff member may start working through a call list, only to stop when a patient arrives or the phone rings. By the time things settle down, recall calls have been pushed further down the to-do list.
Outsourcing colonoscopy recall calls gives this work dedicated attention without adding another task to your staff’s day. Your team can focus on check-ins, questions, and the patients in front of them instead of trying to squeeze recall calls between everything else.
Improve Colonoscopy Screening Follow-Up With Consistent Outreach
Patients don’t all respond to outreach the same way. Some may schedule after the first reminder, while others need a phone call or several attempts before you reach them.
Consistent follow-up gives patients more than one chance to respond. If they miss or forget about the first reminder, another call can bring screening back to their attention and make it easier to get their colonoscopy scheduled.
Reach More Patients With Colonoscopy Recall Services
Your practice already knows which patients are due for screening. The hard part is finding the time to reach them when they don’t respond.
Oclinicals takes the follow-up off your team’s plate. Our callers reach out to patients on your recall list, make extra attempts when needed, and talk with patients who may have questions or just need a little more time before they’re ready to schedule.
Don’t let overdue colonoscopy patients sit on your recall list without follow-up. Contact Oclinicals to learn how colonoscopy recall services can support your screening outreach.