Hospital to use AI to predict no-shows and cancelled appointments

Beaumont Hospital in Dublin will spend up to €110,000 for the initial pilot period of the AI project which is aimed at helping ensure 'waste in the healthcare system is minimised' as no-shows account for 15.5% of its appointments.

An Irish hospital is set to use artificial intelligence to predict when patients won't show up or cancel an appointment at the last minute.

Beaumont Hospital in Dublin will spend up to €110,000 for the initial pilot period of the AI project which is aimed at helping ensure “waste in the healthcare system is minimised” as no-shows account for 15.5% of its appointments.

“One significant challenge faced by healthcare providers is the issue of outpatient non-attendance (DNAs),” it said.

“High outpatient DNA rates waste vital resources and hamper the healthcare provider’s ability to deliver services and provide appropriate care to patients.” 

One of its key strategic plans through to 2030 is to tackle this high number of outpatients not showing up for appointments, and it aims to use new AI technology to help achieve this.

It already uses a two-way text message system to remind patients of their appointment, but Beaumont said the AI technology will build on that.

“This information is then used to tailor the messaging the patient receives to increase the likelihood of attendance and simultaneously provide the hospital with vital information to inform clinic management and bookings,” it said.

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The hospital said it must use data from its patient administration system to predict the likelihood a patient will miss their upcoming appointment.

The AI model must also be able to be used to forecast non-attendance and short-notice cancellations in real-time, as well as integrate with the text message system already used by the hospital.

Beaumont Hospital added it hopes to start using AI for this purpose during a pilot period of at least four months in either late 2025 or early 2026. If it progresses to full use, the total estimated value of the AI contract is €1.2m.

AI is already used to varying degrees in Irish hospitals. Last month, the Mater Hospital launched a new centre for AI and Digital Health aimed at solving clinical problems in the hospital.

Erin Daly, the operations manager for its Pillar Centre for Transformative Healthcare, said AI can “transform how we deliver healthcare”.