Broken Appointment
An appointment that a patient cancels at short notice or fails to attend entirely, resulting in unproductive chair time for the practice.
Full Definition
A broken appointment (also called a missed appointment or no-show) refers to any scheduled dental visit that the patient either cancels with insufficient notice (typically less than 24–48 hours, per the practice's policy) or fails to attend without contacting the practice. Broken appointments represent a significant source of lost production and are tracked as a KPI. Editors must note that 'broken appointment' is the standard industry term in dental practice management, preferred over 'missed appointment' or 'no-show' in formal documents, though the latter are used colloquially. The term appears in scheduling policy documents, patient communication letters, and staff training materials.
Usage
Usage note: 'Broken appointment' is the formal dental industry standard; 'no-show' is colloquial and should be avoided in patient-facing or regulatory documents.
In Context
- "The practice's broken appointment rate of 9% was above the industry benchmark of 6%, prompting a review of the confirmation call protocol." — Monthly scheduling performance report
- "Use 'broken appointment' as the preferred formal term in patient policy documents; reserve 'no-show' for internal colloquial communications." — Patient scheduling policy document