Why are you still calling patients?

The evening before I visit my dentist, doctor or chiropractor I always get a nice call from their office. And I always show up, right on time.

Julysoft thinks my dentist, doctor and chiropractor have a screw loose. They say their "professional reminder software" can cut no shows and even get paperwork done before patients arrive. (Picture from JulySoft.)

A call is better than no call, but do patients comply with a computerized call more than with a human touch?

Not in my case. Our family has seen several specialists in the last year. The son fell of his bike, the daughter needed skin care, it was no big deal. When the specialists "called" it was a computer placing the call.

Somehow we forgot these appointments. Were it not for my brilliant wife, who logs all our appointments with Microsoft Outlook, we would be in big trouble.

So what's your solution. Do you call your patients, have a computer do it, or trust to luck?