Positive Impressions has released a new resource on missed veterinary appointments and the role of printed reminder cards in clinic scheduling. The resource appears on the company’s website and addresses an operational issue that affects patient care, unused appointment time, and daily workflow at veterinary hospitals.
Missed visits can delay vaccinations, follow-up treatment, and management of ongoing conditions. Empty exam slots also leave staff time unused and interrupt the sequence of care a pet was scheduled to receive. Industry reporting has placed veterinary no-show rates near 11 percent. Veterinary Practice News, in an August 8, 2024, article by Wendy S. Myers, cited that figure as an industry average and separately attributed an 11 percent rate to the American Animal Hospital Association.
A specific AAHA study title, publication date, and survey methodology for a 9 to 11 percent range could not be independently confirmed from the association materials linked on the company site. The company’s own article had cited AAHA benchmarking in general terms.
The new resource treats printed cards as one part of a mixed reminder process rather than a replacement for texts or email. Positive Impressions states that clinics pairing a card at checkout with a later digital reminder report stronger show rates than clinics that rely on electronic messages alone. It is not tied to a named independent study with published methods or sample size.
“The next visit is easiest to confirm while the client is still at the desk,” said Tim Torkelson, Co-Owner. “A card records the date. A later text or email confirms it.”
Sherri Torkelson, Co-Owner, said, “Missed appointments affect the pet as well as the schedule. Clear reminders help both.”
The company, in business since 2008, supplies more than 3,000 products for veterinary clinics and hospitals. Its reminder-card line includes 3-up and 4-up formats that staff can separate at checkout, along with seasonal designs used at different points in the year. Cards typically leave space for the pet’s name, date and time, reason for the visit, clinic details, and rescheduling notes. The formats are intended to fit a busy front desk rather than add steps at the end of a visit.
The resource keeps the focus on process. It recommends handing the card over after payment, stating the date aloud, and keeping it separate from a folder of papers that may be set aside. For households with more than one animal, it suggests a card per pet when visits fall on different dates. The company also notes that a standalone card is more likely to be kept in a visible place than a sheet mixed with other discharge papers.
Digital reminders remain useful for many clients. The resource observes that they work less well when a household shares one phone number, when older clients rely less on text messages, or when automated notices are treated as marketing. A printed card given in person is described as a record created at the moment the client is still thinking about the pet’s care. A later text or email then serves as confirmation closer to the appointment date.
Positive Impressions frames the resource as support for clinics already using digital systems. Printed cards are described as a visible record for clients who miss automated messages. The company continues to offer reminder cards as part of its broader catalog of client-communication materials, which also includes items used at checkout and in routine correspondence.
Scheduling remains a standing concern in veterinary practice. Preventive exams, vaccine series, and recheck visits all depend on clients returning when planned. The company’s resource places the scheduling task at the close of the current visit, when the next date can be written down and spoken aloud before the client leaves the building.
Positive Impressions remains a supplier of printed communication tools for veterinary teams. The new resource adds written direction on how those tools fit alongside electronic reminders, without treating either method as sufficient on its own.
###
For more information about Positive Impressions, contact the company here:
Positive Impressions
Tim and Sherri Torkelson
877-761-5933
info@positiveimpressionsllc.com
805 Red Iron Rd, Black River Falls, WI 54615
