A reminder that makes a difference in how clients access care

After years of discussion, planning, and persistence, a simple change is making a big impact for both clients and staff at Hearing & Speech Nova Scotia (HSNS). In December 2024, three sites—Sydney, Sydney Mines, and Eskasoni—became the first to launch Pomelo appointment reminders, a long-awaited add-on to the electronic medical record system used by HSNS staff across the province.

The project began as part of the Audiology Wait Times (AWT) project in 2018, when staff across the province identified appointment reminders as a practical way to reduce missed appointments, improve scheduling flow, and ultimately help bring down wait times.

“Clients told us they didn’t want to miss their appointments,” says Angela Ryan, Manager at HSNS. “And staff noticed that late cancellations or no-shows made it harder to make the best use of clinical time. We saw an opportunity to improve the system for everyone.”

With support from HSNS leadership and the Pomelo team, a diverse project group was formed, including audiologists and administrative support professionals from both rural and urban clinics.

“We selected sites that had a wide range of clients and services, including specialized testing, so we could really see how this system could work across different needs. We’ve only heard positive things,” Angela explains.

Clients appreciate having appointment details at their fingertips, Angela adds—a sentiment echoed by Teresa McNeil, an Administrative Support Professional at HSNS.

“When I ask for an email address while booking or taking a referral, clients are enthusiastic to provide it,” says Teresa. “They often don’t have a pen or paper handy, so they really appreciate getting the confirmation and clinic address by email. I’d imagine our no-show numbers have dropped significantly since December.”

The success of the initial rollout is now guiding the next phase of expansion. With plans underway to bring Pomelo to more sites in the near future, the energy around the project remains high.

“What stands out to me is the leadership and change-readiness of our staff,” Angela reflects. “They’ve embraced this because they see how it supports clients, increases efficiency, and strengthens our ability to manage audiology wait times across the province.”