Healthcare -- A benefit and individual responsibility Published April 27, 2007 By Lt. Col. Vivian Harris 305th Medical Operations Squadron commander MCGUIRE AIR FORCE BASE, NJ. -- Did you know that 9,000 appointments were lost at the medical group last year because of missed appointments? This included active-duty, family members and retirees. Every beneficiary must realize that missed appointments or "no-shows" at a scheduled medical appointment, without prior notification, may result in the inability of a co-worker, veteran, retiree, neighbor or friend to see a doctor in a timely manner. In addition, when a patient fails to keep his appointment, a second patient also misses out. How? By the time a patient is declared a no-show, it is often too late to recycle that appointment for someone else. In essence, for each missed appointment an additional patient also misses an opportunity to see a doctor. Therefore, 18,000 appointments were in fact wasted. Did you know that a no-show at a medical appointment has a three-fold impact? The first impact is economic. Locally, the average cost for an initial visit ranges from $125 to $300. Quality healthcare is a benefit offered to eligible members. Although the cost may not be apparent during the visit, the benefit is not free. When this benefit is wasted by chronic no-shows, the cost is wasted time and resources. The second impact is increased wait times. Patients who fail to attend a scheduled appointment have blocked other patients from being scheduled into that slot. Therefore, failure to attend increases the time others have to wait to see the doctor. The third impact is patient health. Delays in getting the appointment needed to address chronic conditions can lead to worsening of symptoms. Essentially, something that starts small can turn into something big. If treated in a timely manner this could have been prevented. The medical personnel need each of you to honor your appointments and report at least 15 minutes prior to your scheduled appointment time. Late arrivals cause the doctor to run behind schedule for the rest of the day and may increase the wait time for other patients scheduled to see that doctor who arrived on time. Call 1-866-DRS-APPT at least 24 hours in advance or within four hours of your scheduled appointment in cases of emergency. The 305th Medical Group appreciates your partnership to help it meet the goal of maximizing appointment availability and its service efficiency.