Reminders aid all-around compliance

Few pets miss their regular test or get behind on their medications at Lost Mountain Animal Hospital in Marietta, Ga. That's because Tiffany Gluckman, a receptionist, sends out reminders to clients to make appointments for procedures, tests, and medications, such as T4 levels and phenobarbital screens every six months, heartworm medication every year, and regular dentals.

Several years ago, the team at Lost Mountain Animal Hospital began to list these services under vaccination reminders in the hospital's practice management software. For example, if a pet needs to return in six months for a T4, the receptionist puts the note under vaccinations to send a renewal card in 183 days.

Gluckman mails the reminders every two weeks. She also backdates the cards so that clients receive two reminders. She estimates she sends out about 200 reminders per month in the summer and 150 per month in the fall. The first batch each month goes to clients with patients that are overdue for medications, vaccinations, tests, or procedures. The second batch is for those that have something important coming up in the near future.

Before, the team at Lost Mountain gave out magnets and called as many clients as they could. But the cards were what made the difference. "Clients respond better with this more structured approach," Gluckman says.

And the team has made this effort do double duty. They change the message on the reminder cards each month to highlight the benefits of regular dental exams, grooming for spring, and more.

How do they know the cards get to clients? "Clients call when they get the reminders or bring them in to the office with them," says Gluckman. And if she gets them back in the mail, she checks to see whether the client moved.

Each card costs Lost Mountain Animal Hospital 24 cents to mail. And they're well worth it, says Gluckman.