How does a recall work?
- The practice software flags patients by due date, and the list is pulled on a set day each week.
- Patients are contacted in a defined order, usually text first, then a call, then a letter for the long overdue.
- Every attempt is logged on the patient record with the date, the channel and the outcome.
- Booked patients are removed from the list; those who decline are noted with a reason and a date to revisit.
- The practice tracks how many on the list were reached, how many booked, and how many remain overdue.
A worked example
A three-chair dental practice in Indiana had 900 patients showing as overdue for hygiene. Nobody had worked the list in a year because the front desk was busy with the phone. A scheduling assistant took two hours every Tuesday and Thursday, working oldest first, texting then calling, and logging every attempt. Over a quarter the overdue list came down substantially and the hygiene schedule filled three weeks out. The practice manager now sees a weekly figure for reached, booked and still overdue.
Where does a recall show up in your tools?
Recall lists are generated in Dentrix, Open Dental, athenahealth or eClinicalWorks, with reminders sent through the practice messaging module or a connected texting tool. Every contact attempt belongs on the patient record so the next person can see what has already been tried.
Common mistakes
- Letting the recall list build for months, so the oldest entries have stale phone numbers and no chance of booking.
- Contacting patients without logging the attempt, which produces duplicate calls and irritated patients.
- Treating recall as an outbound marketing list and skipping the practice's consent and contact preferences.
Why does a recall matter?
Recall patients are the cheapest bookings a practice will ever make, because they already chose you. Left unworked, the list quietly becomes a record of patients who have moved to another practice. A steady weekly rhythm on it protects both continuity of care and the hygiene schedule that funds the practice.
How does AssistBPO handle a recall?
Recall work is handled by HIPAA-trained staff under a BAA, on managed devices with minimum-necessary access to the scheduling and demographics screens of your practice software. Assistants confirm identity, offer appointment times and log every attempt, and they never give clinical advice or discuss treatment. You receive a weekly report of reached, booked and still overdue.