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12 Patients Booked. 3 Won't Show Up — Costing You AUD $1,800+ Per Week

Etisia adds SMS reminders, one-tap cancellations, and review follow-up to the Google Calendar workflow you already use.

10 Calculate Your Lost Revenue

No credit card required. Free SMS included.

Works with Google Calendar Setup takes less than 45 seconds One-tap cancellation built in Free SMS credits included
Google Calendar
TODAY
23
TOMORROW
24
09:00
Lisa Jones (SMS sent ✅)
10:00
Eva Davies (SMS sent ✅)
11:00
12:00
Jane Smith (SMS sent ✅)
13:00
14:00
Anna Taylor (SMS ready ✅)
Click
15:00
16:00
0412 345 678 (SMS sent ✅)
14:02
CHC
City Health ClinicToday, 14:02

The Hidden Cost of Missed Medical Appointments in Australia

Australian GP surgeries and medical clinics operate under Medicare reimbursement, where appointment slots are limited and every no-show is wasted capacity. Australian healthcare data reports no-show rates averaging 7-10% across general practice, with some metropolitan practices exceeding 15%. Under Medicare, each standard consultation (10-minute item 99213) rebates approximately AUD $40-50 to the practice, regardless of patient type. A missed appointment is lost revenue that cannot be recovered—the Medicare rebate is forfeited entirely. A typical 3-doctor clinic seeing 60 patients daily loses 4-6 appointments to no-shows. At AUD $80-120 per slot (consulting fees + Medicare rebate), that's AUD $320-720 daily or AUD $83,200-187,200 annually in lost revenue. For practices operating on thin margins (most Australian GP clinics), this loss is devastating.

Australian Medical Association, AHPRA Guidelines, Privacy Act 1988 Compliance, PBS Data 2024

No-Show Rate

7-10% GP average (metro practices: 15%+); AUD $80-120 per missed slot

Annual Revenue Loss

AUD $83,200-$187,200 annually (3-doctor clinic)

Australia's Privacy Act 1988 and ACMA regulations require explicit consent for SMS, but appointment reminders are transactional and compliant. AHPRA-registered practitioners benefit from SMS's clarity and responsiveness—patients cannot ignore a text the way they ignore voicemail. Moreover, missed appointments delay diagnosis and management of chronic conditions (diabetes, hypertension, mental health), increasing downstream costs to the PBS (Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme) and emergency departments. A surgery recovering 50% of no-shows ($41,600-93,600 AUD annually) while improving chronic disease management outcomes creates both immediate financial benefit and long-term population health impact.

How much is an empty chair costing you?

Your average appointment

~3 no-shows per week

That's

A$0

walking out your door every year.

Per month

A$0

Per week

A$0

Wasted hours/year

0 hrs

Etisia brings them back.

SMS reminders recover up to 90% of no-shows.

Annual savings

A$0

Appointments recovered

0

Hours saved

0 hrs

Start free trial

No credit card required · 3-day free trial · Free SMS included

Why SMS Outperforms Email and Phone for Medical Appointments

SMS compliance under Australia's Privacy Act requires consent, which is straightforward: obtain opt-in at patient registration and include opt-out in every message. ACMA regulations are clear that transactional healthcare SMS (appointment reminders) is compliant with proper consent and opt-out options.

AHPRA-registered practitioners benefit from SMS's professional, secure nature. Unlike voicemail (which is unprofessional and hit-or-miss), SMS demonstrates a modern, patient-centred practice. Australians expect SMS as standard communication; patients respond reliably.

For Medicare-reliant practices, SMS reduces capacity waste and improves chronic disease management. Real-time confirmation and cancellation visibility ensures high utilization rates. SMS also improves PBS medication adherence—follow-up reminders after prescriptions encourage timely medication pickup and dose compliance.

How Etisia Fills Your Consultation Schedule in Less Than 45 Seconds

Patient Books—Etisia Syncs from Google Calendar

Whether booked online, by phone, or through your EHR, appointments in Google Calendar automatically trigger Etisia's webhook. Connect Google Calendar once in less than 45 seconds, and you're done.

Real-Time Reminder Sequence (48h, 24h, Morning-Of)

Etisia sends professional, secure SMS reminders at your chosen times. Patients confirm, reschedule, or don't reply. Your team sees responses instantly in the Etisia dashboard.

One-Tap Cancellation Triggers Instant Alerts

Patient clicks the cancellation link in their SMS → event deleted from Google Calendar → you get email alert within seconds → fill slot from waitlist before the doctor's day starts.

Post-Appointment Follow-Up & Compliance

Send prescription confirmations, test result notifications, or referral follow-ups via SMS. Green checkmark in calendar shows reminder status sent. Improves patient compliance and reduces missed follow-up appointments.

One change. Completely different results.

See what happens when SMS reminders handle the follow-up for you.

Without SMS reminders
  • No SMS system
  • 12% no-shows
  • Empty consultation slots
  • Clinicians underutilized
  • $350K+ annual loss + worsened patient care
With Etisia
  • SMS reminders
  • 5-6% no-shows
  • Slots filled from waitlist
  • 96%+ clinician utilization
  • $175K+ recovered annually

Proven SMS Templates That Fill Empty Chairs

These are real templates used by businesses on Etisia. Hover to preview and click to copy.

Appointment Reminder

48 hours before

Hi Angela, appointment reminder: Your consultation with Dr. Chen is Fri 14:30 at City Health Surgery. Reply CONFIRM to confirm or call (02) 9999 0234 to reschedule.
Day-Before Nudge

24 hours before

Tomorrow 14:30—your appointment with Dr. Chen at City Health. Bring your Medicare card. Reply CONFIRM to confirm.
Morning-Of Check-in

3 hours before

Good morning Angela. Your appointment with Dr. Chen is at 14:30 today. Arrive 10 mins early. We're looking forward to seeing you.
Post-Visit Follow-Up

4 hours after appointment

Hi Angela, thanks for your visit with Dr. Chen. Your prescription is ready at Amcal Pharmacy. Call us if you have questions.
Review Request

1 day after appointment

How was your appointment with Dr. Chen? Your feedback helps us improve care. Rate your visit: [link]

Your reviews on autopilot

After every appointment, Etisia automatically asks happy clients to leave a Google review. See what happens when you turn it on.

Review summary
Reviews are not verified
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1
0,0
0 reviews
Write a review
With EtisiaWithout asking
Google review growth after enabling EtisiaThe comparison shows steep review growth with Etisia and a flatter trend without automated review requests.Etisia activatedMonth 1Month 3Month 5Month 7Month 9Month 11HighLow
Etisia automatically sends review requests after each appointment, helping businesses grow a steadier stream of positive Google reviews.
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Discover How Your Business Can Cut No-Shows by Over 30%, Too.

Branka Pihler owns Fit Center, a beauty salon and spa in the town in central Slovenia. She knows well how clients who ghost appointments hurt a business, and she contacted us to do something about it. By setting up Etisia, Branka was able to reduce her missed appointments by 34% in just first month. During the following semester, Branka managed to book an extra 8 appointments per month, for an extra income of $3000 per year!

"I am very grateful for the web app, as we have greatly reduced missed appointments and clients are also less late for appointments, which means more money, time and less nerves spent every month. The app is super easy and worth every penny! Thank you a hundred times!"

Branka Pihler
Branka PihlerVerified purchase
Fit center
2 years ago

Simple plans for a Google Calendar-first workflow

Keep Google Calendar as the source of truth. Etisia adds reminders, review requests, and one-tap cancellations without a new booking system or workflow builder.

Starter

$49/month

(tax excl)

For solo operators who want reminder coverage fast, without rebuilding the way appointments already get booked.

  • 100 SMS messages per month
  • 1 Google Calendar
  • Automatic + instant SMS on new bookings
  • Flexible timing — from instant to 1 month ahead
  • One-tap cancel links + instant alerts
  • 25+ templates with custom fields
  • Import contacts from iOS, Android & vCard
  • Full delivery logs & tracking
Start free trial
No credit card needed. Free SMS included.

Pro

Recommended

Try free for 3 days — extra SMS on us

$79/month

(tax excl)

For busy businesses that want reminders, review requests, and smart routing included in one Google Calendar-first flow.

  • 250 SMS messages per month
  • 3 Google Calendars
  • Automatic + instant SMS on new bookings
  • Flexible timing — from instant to 1 month ahead
  • One-tap cancel links + instant alerts
  • 25+ templates with custom fields
  • Import contacts from iOS, Android & vCard
  • Full delivery logs & tracking
  • Review follow-ups where enabled
  • Smart review routing where enabled
  • Private feedback capture where enabled
Start free trial
No credit card needed. Free SMS included.

Team

$299/month

(tax excl)

For multi-calendar teams that want shared coverage, staff access, and no workflow-builder overhead.

  • 1,000 SMS messages per month
  • 5 Google Calendars
  • Automatic + instant SMS on new bookings
  • Flexible timing — from instant to 1 month ahead
  • One-tap cancel links + instant alerts
  • 25+ templates with custom fields
  • Import contacts from iOS, Android & vCard
  • Full delivery logs & tracking
  • Review follow-ups where enabled
  • Smart review routing where enabled
  • Private feedback capture where enabled
  • Staff logins & permissions
  • Shared SMS quota across the team
  • Team dashboards & performance reports
  • Priority support — we've got your back
Start free trial
No credit card needed. Free SMS included.
Etisia guarantee badge

Zero risk. Full confidence.

Start free — SMS credits included, no credit card needed.
You can request a commercial refund within 14 days if the service materially fails to function as described.
Cancel anytime. No contracts, no lock-in.

Frequently asked questions

Have a different question and can't find the answer you're looking for? Reach out to our support team by sending us an email and we'll get back to you as soon as we can.

Is SMS compliant with Australia's Privacy Act and ACMA?
Yes. Appointment reminders are transactional messages compliant with the Privacy Act. Obtain opt-in consent at patient registration. Include "Reply STOP to opt out" in every message. All SMS data is encrypted.
Does Etisia work with Australian medical software?
Etisia integrates with Best Practice, Medical Director, Zedmed, and others via Google Calendar or direct sync. Setup takes 1-2 hours. We also support Medicare claim integration for billing reconciliation.
Can I send SMS about PBS prescriptions or referrals?
Appointment confirmations and follow-up instructions: yes. Detailed clinical information: use your patient portal. Example: "Your prescription is ready—collect from your pharmacy on [date]." Sensitive data should stay in the portal.
How do I handle AHPRA compliance?
AHPRA doesn't regulate SMS directly, but requires professional communication standards. Etisia's templated, secure messages maintain professional standards. Document patient consent in your medical records as usual.
What about privacy of mental health or sensitive appointments?
Etisia respects sensitivity. Customize messages for mental health (no clinic name in preview, generic "appointment reminder"). Patient control over message content is essential. Document consent clearly.
Do I need to replace my booking system or force clients to use a booking link?
No. Etisia works with the way clients actually book — phone calls, texts, walk-ins, DMs — whatever. You just create the appointment in Google Calendar, and Etisia sends reminders automatically. No new dashboard. Your calendar stays the single source of truth.
How fast can I set it up — and what do I need to do for each appointment?
Setup takes less than 45 seconds. Connect Google Calendar, pick your message templates, and you're live. After that, it's "set & forget": create an event like you always do, and Etisia automatically sends SMS reminders — no extra steps.
What texts do clients receive — and will they get texted at the wrong time?
Clients receive an automated reminder before the appointment, a one-tap cancellation link (so they don't ghost), and optionally a post-appointment review prompt. Etisia won't blast people at 2 AM: reminders respect quiet hours and time zones, and late-night bookings get rescheduled to morning so clients aren't disturbed.
How does Etisia know which phone number to text?
Etisia uses smart contact matching: it reads the event title, finds the matching contact, and pulls the phone number — even if the name isn't written perfectly. You can also manage and import contacts so your list stays clean and consistent.

Free Tools & Resources

No-Show Cost Calculator

Calculate how much missed appointments cost your business

SMS Template Generator

Create professional reminder messages in 3 clicks

Compare Plans & Pricing

See all features side-by-side with full comparison

If you want to

Reduce no-shows with automated SMS reminders

Get more 5-star reviews on autopilot after every appointment

Save hours every week on manual scheduling & follow-ups

Start free trial

No credit card required. Free SMS included.