Reducing missed dental appointments in clinics for underserved communities
No-Show Prevention Practices in Dental Care Settings Serving Underserved Populations
This project tries three different scheduling and reminder approaches to lower missed dental appointments for people who use clinics serving underserved communities.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Wisconsin-Madison NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Madison, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11285472 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers will partner with dental clinics that serve underserved communities to try different combinations of practices aimed at reducing missed appointments. Clinics will be assigned in a cluster-randomized, full factorial design to compare motivational interviewing when scheduling, reminder calls 24 and 48 hours before visits, and open-access scheduling. The practices were chosen after a pilot with similar clinics and will be implemented using organizational support methods from the NIATx approach. If you get care at a participating clinic, you may see changes in how appointments are scheduled and how you receive reminders to help you keep your visits.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People who have dental appointments at participating clinics that serve underserved communities are the ideal candidates for this work.
Not a fit: Patients who do not receive care at participating clinics or who cannot be reached by phone or text for reminders are unlikely to benefit directly from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, these changes could help more patients keep dental visits, improving timely care and reducing treatment delays.
How similar studies have performed: Reminder systems and open-access scheduling have reduced missed visits in other health settings and the team's pilot showed promise, but strong evidence specifically in dental clinics remains limited.
Where this research is happening
Madison, United States
- University of Wisconsin-Madison — Madison, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Molfenter, Todd David — University of Wisconsin-Madison
- Study coordinator: Molfenter, Todd David
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.