Province attempting to reduce missed diagnostic appointments with toll free line

By CityNews Halifax Staff

A new toll-free line is being rolled out as the Nova Scotia Health Authority attempts to reduce the number of no shows for diagnostic imaging appointments.

The authority says more than 22,000 scheduled appointments were missed by patients in 2022 for such things as CT scans and ultrasounds.

Officials say the new service will help to rebook patients as quickly as possible and to use the open appointment time to serve others who need testing.

Patients unable to attend their appointment are asked to call 1-844-I-REBOOK (1-844-473-2665) to ensure an appointment time can be used by another patient.

According to Nova Scotia Health, one of the factors that leads to missed appointments is the fact patients don’t know how to change it.

Other factors include work and family commitments, illness, travel issues, or duplicate appointments.