Optimising the booking horizon in healthcare clinics considering no-shows and cancellations

Patient no-shows and cancellations are a significant problem to healthcare clinics, as they compromise clinic's efficiency. Therefore, it is important account for both into the design of appointment systems. To provide additional empirical evidence on no-show cancellation behaviour, we assess outpatient clinic data from two providers in USA EU: rates increase with scheduling interval, which number days creation date scheduled for. We show temporal behaviour multiple intervals bimodally distributed. improve efficiency clinics at tactical level control, determine optimal booking horizon such that impact through high minimised, against cost rejecting patients. Where majority literature only includes fixed rate, include rate time-dependent rate. propose an analytical queuing model balking reneging, horizon. Simulation experiments assumptions this viable. Computational results demonstrate general applicability our by case studies hospitals.