Enhancing Patient-Centered Efficiency: Reducing Cardiology Clinic No-Shows Using Technology, Pre-Visit Planning & Patient Resources

Author

Pat Shirey, University of Texas at ArlingtonFollow

Graduation Semester and Year

Spring 2025

Language

English

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Nursing Practice

Department

Nursing

First Advisor

Kristine Cope

Abstract

Background: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) affects 48% of U.S. adults, requiring regular cardiology visits to manage risk factors and the early detection of complications (American Heart Association, 2019). No-shows disrupt continuity of care, worsen health outcomes (Choi et al., 2020), and decrease clinic efficiency (Goossens et al., 2022). A North Texas cardiology clinic reported a 31.9% overall no-show rate and a 42.1% no-show rate for new patients, costing $1.3 million annually.

Purpose: This quality improvement project aimed to reduce no-show rates through a patient-centered cardiology appointment bundle to improve continuity, patient outcomes, and efficiency.

Methods: This eight-week project utilized the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) framework. Predictive modeling identified at-risk patients (>30% historical no-show rates) for targeted interventions, including automated appointment reminders, pre-visit planning calls, and patient resources. Pre-visit planning calls offered support services like transportation, childcare, and financial counseling. Patient surveys assessed intervention impact and analyzed outcomes using descriptive statistics and a chi-square test.

Results: Among the 445 at-risk patients, no-show rates decreased from 55.2% pre-intervention to 43.8% post-intervention. Support service utilization included transportation (11.8%), childcare (3.1%), and financial counseling (13.8%). Additionally, 71.3% of patients reported increased knowledge of CVD risk factors, 79.5% stated a better understanding of continuity of care, and 74.7% indicated that the interventions influenced their decision to attend appointments.

Conclusions: This project reduced no-show rates, improving patient care and clinic efficiency. Automated reminders, pre-visit planning calls, and patient resources enhanced appointment adherence. Findings support expanding patient-centered interventions to optimize healthcare access.

Keywords

No-shows, Cardiology, Appointment reminders, Pre-visit planning, Patient educational resources, Predictive modeling, Clinic efficiency, Continuity of care

Disciplines

Cardiology | Cardiovascular Diseases | Nursing Administration | Quality Improvement

License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Comments

Acknowledgements:

Faculty Project Advisor: Kristine Cope, DNP, RN, NPD-BC, NE-BC

Statistician: Eric Heidel, PhD

Cardiology Clinic: Leadership & Medical Practice Assistants

Recommended Citation

Shirey, Pat, "Enhancing Patient-Centered Efficiency: Reducing Cardiology Clinic No-Shows Using Technology, Pre-Visit Planning & Patient Resources" (2025). Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Scholarly Projects. 97.
https://mavmatrix.uta.edu/nursing_dnpprojects/97