Retention cohort worksheet
Enter how many patients were due for recall in a period, how many were reminded, how many booked and how many attended, to see the rate at each step, the weakest step, and what an improvement at one step would mean in extra recall attendances.
Choosing the cohort
A cohort is one group of patients followed forward. Here it is everyone whose recall fell due in a chosen period, ideally a quarter. Wait long enough after the period ends for their appointments to have happened before you count bookings and attendances, and use the same waiting time every quarter so the figures are comparable. Each figure counts patients, not appointments or messages, and each must be no larger than the one before it. Nothing you enter leaves your browser.
Where each number comes from
| Figure | Where it comes from |
|---|---|
| Patients due for recall in the period | Your practice system's recall list for the period: every active patient whose recall date, as set by their clinician, fell in it. |
| Reminder sent | Of those patients, how many have at least one recall reminder logged against their record. Not the number of messages sent. |
| Recall appointment booked | Of those patients, how many booked a recall appointment, whether after a reminder, at checkout or by calling in. |
| Recall appointment attended | Of those patients, how many attended that appointment. Count rearranged appointments that were attended; do not count failed ones. |
A patient who booked at checkout without needing a reminder still counts at the booked and attended steps. If many patients do this, the "reminder sent" count can be lower than the "booked" count, which the worksheet will not accept. In that case, count patients who were reminded or already booked at the reminder step, and note that you did so.
Worksheet
Results
Fill in every stage to see results. Each stage must be no larger than the one before it.
The worked example uses round illustrative figures, not averages or benchmarks. With a small cohort, a handful of patients moves a rate by several points, so compare whole quarters and look at the trend rather than one month.
Reading the result
- Due to reminded is low: check contact details and the recall settings in the recall administration checklist.
- Reminded to booked is low: look at reminder timing, wording, the booking route and appointment availability.
- Booked to attended is low: look at confirmations and how easy it is to rearrange.
Patients who are still not booked after the period become the next lapsed list, covered in lapsed-patient contact planning. The whole sequence is set out in the retention and reactivation workflow.