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We could all use a little downtime during our workday. But for physicians and their staff, there's nothing relaxing about the sight of an empty waiting room or exam room. Chances are it means a patient has missed an appointment. Missed appointments are a growing source of an­noy­ance for physician practices-they are lost revenue opportunities when costs are rising. Throughout the industry, practices are now looking for any possible solutions to stem the rising tide of troubles caused by patient no-shows.