"At Least Give a Heads-Up" Hospitals Also Frustrated by 'No-Shows'

No-shows at National University Hospitals Reach 884,000 This Year, No-show Rate 8.4%
Assemblyman An Min-seok: "No-shows May Harm Critical Patients"

[Image source=Pixabay]

[Asia Economy Culture Young Intern Reporter] It has been revealed that 'no-shows,' where patients make appointments at national university hospitals but do not show up for same-day consultations, are a serious issue. According to data submitted by 21 national university hospitals nationwide to Ahn Min-seok of the National Assembly's Education Committee from the Democratic Party of Korea, as of September this year, out of 10,518,000 patients who made appointments, 884,000 were no-shows on the day of their appointment, resulting in a no-show rate of 8.4%.

Among these, the no-show rate at Chonnam National University Dental Hospital was the highest among national university general hospitals. From January to September this year, about 9,000 out of 54,000 patients who made appointments at Chonnam National University Dental Hospital, accounting for 17.1%, did not receive treatment after making reservations. The top five hospitals with the highest same-day no-show rates nationwide are Chonnam National University Dental Hospital, followed by Jeonbuk National University Hospital (16.8%), Gangneung-Wonju National University Dental Hospital (15.7%), Kyungpook National University Dental Hospital (14.4%), and Kangwon National University Hospital (14.3%).

As this phenomenon continues, hospitals are seeking ways to prevent no-shows. On the 11th, Severance Hospital became the first advanced general hospital in Korea to introduce an AI voice bot called 'AI Serabot,' which manages appointment schedules. Although advanced general hospitals operate a 'pre-appointment system,' there is a lack of systems that provide reminders as the appointment date approaches. Accordingly, Severance Hospital supports a system where the AI robot calls patients to inform them of their appointment schedules and offers immediate assistance if there are any changes or cancellations.

Patients at Severance Hospital in Sinchon, Seoul, are checking their medical appointments with guidance from an AI voice bot. Photo by KT

At the Annual Meeting of the American College of Surgeons, research results showed that patients managed through telemedicine were much more likely to keep hospital appointments for follow-up care than those who only had in-person consultations. Dr. Shao Connie from the University of Alabama Birmingham analyzed the correlation between no-shows and telemedicine among patients who underwent all types of surgeries from January 2018 to December 2021. The results showed that the no-show rate for patients who only had in-person consultations was 11.7%, whereas it was only 2.5% for telemedicine patients.

Experts say that as demand for telemedicine increases due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it is necessary to consider establishing patient management systems utilizing telemedicine. Dr. Connie stated, "Telemedicine is worth considering simply for its potential to reduce no-shows."

Hospital no-shows can lead to situations where patients who need treatment cannot receive it. Regarding this, Representative Ahn said, "Hospital no-shows not only cause financial losses for hospitals but also prevent other urgent patients from receiving timely surgeries or treatments," adding, "Patients should improve their civic awareness by promptly canceling appointments if circumstances arise, and hospitals should operate appointment check systems to minimize no-shows."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.