Phone Service Pilot Program Reduces Patient No-Show Rates

A mobile phone pilot program being conducted through a partnership between Crossroads Treatment Centers and Verizon Business has reduced no-show rates among patients at 2 Philadelphia area outpatient clinics by more than one-third over a 3-month period, Crossroads announced this week.

Crossroads, a national behavioral health provider organization that specializes in the treatment of substance use disorder, launched the program in collaboration with Verizon to help provide broadband internet access to existing patients to aid treatment and recovery. By having internet access, patients have a greater ability to access several tools related to treatment, including:

• Digital therapeutics;
• Telehealth visits;
• Appointment scheduling and reminders; and
• Digital health screens

Through the program, about 500 eligible Crossroads patients were provided with smartphones and data plans. Crossroads said in a news release that during the pilot, which is still ongoing, patient no-show rates for appointments have dropped by 35% compared to the average no-show rate for all patients at its participating clinics. Based on early findings, Crossroads said that it expects to also see an increase in patients’ average length of stay in treatment in the coming months.

“A critical linchpin to delivering on our commitment to health equity is access to treatment options that offer the necessary medical assistance and services, but also support for the patients and their families on the road to recovery,” Rupert McCormac, MD, Crossroads founder and CEO, said in the release.

Based in Greenville, South Carolina, Crossroads operates more than 125 treatment facilities in 10 states. The company specializes in outpatient treatment for substance use disorder.

Reference

Crossroads and Verizon Business empower patients in treatment for substance use disorder with mobile devices and broadband access. News release. Crossroads Treatment Centers. March 1, 2023. Accessed March 1, 2023.