July, 2025
By: Shelby DeCoursey

The Quiet Reasons Behind Patient Attrition (And How to Stop The Decline)

, Director of Sales & Marketing

Have you been growing concerned about the patient attrition rate at your medical practice? Since it costs more to bring in new patients than it does to hang onto the patients you already have, it makes sense to devote some time and resources toward reducing patient attrition rates.

As you identify reasons for patient attrition, you’ll know what changes you’ll need to make to improve how your practice engages with each patient.

When patients experience delays, errors in scheduling, or administrative burdens while interacting with your staff, they’re more likely to grow frustrated before, during, and after visits. Patients’ displeasure may grow to the point where they’re motivated to stop seeking care from your practice altogether.

Of course, minimizing patient attrition is essential for keeping the flow of revenue on target as well as keeping your patients as healthy as possible.

About Patient Attrition

Patient attrition is a term doctors use to describe patient churn, or the rate patients leave their practice. But just how serious is the problem at your practice?

You can determine your patient attrition rate by subtracting the number of patients who have left your practice during a specific range of time (such as 365 days) from the current total of patients. If your patients totaled 200 patients at the beginning of a period and you had 150 patients at the end of the period in question, the attrition rate is 25%.

Knowing these statistics is the first step in recognizing you have a problem. Next, you and your staff will need to figure out the major causes leading to patient attrition, and what you can do to keep patients coming back.

Factors Contributing to Patient Attrition

Put yourself in the position of your patients to see how they feel when engaging with your medical practice. Are patients taking too long or putting in more effort than they reasonably should just to request or reschedule an appointment?

They may have issues with members of your staff being rude or treating them like just another appointment rather than as a unique patient with reasonable questions or concerns. Or, they might be displeased by long wait times, unexpected bills, or difficulties connecting with your practice.

Negative experiences with staff

Patients want to be seen and appreciated. Remind your staff to treat each person with dignity and respect, and not make them feel rushed. Providers with poor bedside manners will need to make an effort to operate more empathetically.

High costs

Unexpected bills, or bills for services that are higher than expected, can lead to patient attrition. A patient who cannot afford to pay their current bill may likely avoid setting a follow-up appointment or come back if another health issue arises.

Poor communication

Whether it’s a confusing phone system, a lack of online scheduling options, or delayed responses through your portal, communication barriers can quickly lead to patient frustration and dissatisfaction.

Lengthy appointment wait times

Patients understand that they may have to sit in the waiting room for a while because of the unpredictable nature of providing medical services. However, consistently long wait times can lead to frustration, reduced satisfaction, and ultimately cause patients to seek care elsewhere.

Stop patient attrition in its tracks.

Benchmark Solutions has the the tools to go above and beyond.

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Approaches to Reducing Patient Attrition

Once you’ve identified how patient attrition is impacting your practice, you can begin implementing targeted strategies to strengthen your retention efforts. These may include leveraging scheduling, analytics, follow-ups, and communication.

Improve scheduling

According to a report from Jotform, 32 percent of patients start to become displeased after having to wait more than 15 minutes in the waiting room, with 46 percent of patients aged 35-44 walking out after a prolonged wait.

Meanwhile, every 10-minute increase in the amount of time spent in a waiting room corresponds to a 3-percent drop in provider ratings, as stated by Duke University Health System.

If patients consistently have to wait more than 30 minutes to be seen for a scheduled appointment, you may need to overhaul your scheduling system to make it more realistic. The last thing you’d want is for patients to become so angry over long wait times that they get up and leave.

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Harness analytics

Keep on top of statistics about your patients. For example, when you notice patients are failing to show up for appointments, it’s a sign of potential dissatisfaction.

Assume that patients who missed an appointment are more likely to leave your practice for another doctor. Keep track of how often and how many complaints patients make, as they can be vital indicators of growing attrition rates.

Optimize follow-up processes

Schedule a follow-up appointment during the checkout process, to ensure these encounters don’t fall through the cracks. When you give patients a card with their next appointment, ask them their preferred method of contact for getting an appointment reminder.

You will also want to plan for follow-up protocols, to see if a patient is following their treatment plan and how they are feeling. These types of interactions can do wonders for making patients feel seen and appreciated.

Make communication easier

If you don’t already have a patient portal, establish one now. A portal will let patients connect with you when it’s most convenient for them. They can exchange messages with your staff instead of having to call and wait on hold.

Communication should also include feedback. Give your patients surveys, such as paper forms to fill out after an appointment, or by email.

It’s also a good idea to monitor your practice’s social media channels to see what kind of online presence your practice has, such as if any patients are complaining or praising your staff.

Use Software From Benchmark Solutions to Reduce Your Patient Attrition Rate

Each of your patients deserves a hassle-free experience and a sense that they’re receiving personalized care. Removing friction for patients when interacting with your practice should help you reduce attrition.

Benchmark Solutions provides a range of software tools to help medical practices improve patient retention rates, including Benchmark PM, Benchmark EHR, and our ongoing software enhancements.

Operational efficiency that supports retention

Our software solutions help your staff work much more efficiently, saving them and your patients time and reducing hassles.

Patient engagement that keeps patients connected

Not all patients will find it easy to come to your facility for in-person visits. When you give them the option to connect via secure software tools, patients will be more likely to keep their appointments thanks to the ease of use.

Personalization that builds loyalty

With Benchmark Solutions software, you can engage with patients more effectively, customizing your communications according to their preferences.