Comprehensive data on patient dropout, re-engagement, and lifetime value across allied health disciplines in Australia.
Last updated April 2026. Sources include WebPT, AHPRA, ABS, AIHW, and analysis of 50,000+ patient journeys.
The most important patient retention statistics every clinic owner should know.
of patients don't complete their treatment plan
Source: WebPT 2024
more expensive to acquire a new patient vs retain
Source: Artisan Growth 2025
profit increase from 5% retention improvement
Source: Bain/HBR
reduction in no-shows from automated SMS
Source: Klara/PMC 2022
How many patients leave before completing treatment, and when they are most likely to disengage.
don't complete their full course of care
Source: WebPT
drop out after just 3 visits
Source: SPRY PT
no-show rate for outpatient appointments
Source: PMC/AJM
increased disengagement after a single missed appointment
Source: TrackStat
self-discharge among chronic pain patients
Source: JOSPT Open
average patient churn rate across healthcare
Source: Etactics
What clinics lose in revenue, productivity, and growth when patients do not return.
vs. $35-$85 to retain
to acquire a new patient vs. retain an existing one
Source: First Page Sage
of organisations lose 10%+ revenue to poor retention
Source: Dialog Health
lose 20%+ of revenue to poor retention
Source: Dialog Health
lost per practitioner annually from 2 weekly no-shows
Source: TrackStat
of marketing budgets chase new patients instead of retention
Source: Artisan Growth
How well different channels and strategies work to bring patients back.
reduction in no-shows from SMS reminders
Source: Klara/PMC
click-through rate on healthcare SMS
Source: Dialog Health
open rate for healthcare emails
Source: Paubox
of lapsed patients re-engaged by targeted campaigns
Source: LionShare
contact rate for SMS vs 80-90% for phone
Source: PMC
Industry standards for patient rebooking and retention rates across allied health.
Established patient rebooking rate
Source: Etactics
New patient second visit rate
Source: Etactics
Minimum rebooking benchmark
Top performers achieve 80%+
Source: Aesthetic Record
Patient dropout and recoverable revenue across 12 allied health disciplines.
| Specialty | Lapsed % | Dropout Rate | Recoverable Revenue | Patient LTV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Physiotherapy | 97.5% inactive | 40% | $720K-1.4M | $930 |
| Psychology | 65% lapsed | 45% | $94K+ | $3,180 |
| Chiropractic | 70% lapsed | 35% | $85K+ | $960 |
| Cosmetics | 85-95% lapsed | 35% | $2M+ | $1,000 |
| Dental | 60% recall overdue | - | $203K+ | - |
| Podiatry | 75% lapsed | 30% | $62K+ | $360 |
| Massage | 70% lapsed | 45% | $40K+ | $660 |
| Speech Path | 60% lapsed | 35% | $39K+ | $2,200 |
| Osteopathy | 70% lapsed | 38% | $51K+ | $840 |
| Dietetics | 65% lapsed | 42% | $35K+ | $900 |
| Dermatology | 40-55% overdue | 35% | $31K+ | $1,782 |
| Acupuncture | 70% lapsed | 40% | $28K+ | $770 |
Lapsed
97.5% inactive
Dropout
40%
Recoverable
$720K-1.4M
LTV
$930
Lapsed
65% lapsed
Dropout
45%
Recoverable
$94K+
LTV
$3,180
Lapsed
70% lapsed
Dropout
35%
Recoverable
$85K+
LTV
$960
Lapsed
85-95% lapsed
Dropout
35%
Recoverable
$2M+
LTV
$1,000
Lapsed
60% recall overdue
Dropout
-
Recoverable
$203K+
LTV
-
Lapsed
75% lapsed
Dropout
30%
Recoverable
$62K+
LTV
$360
Lapsed
70% lapsed
Dropout
45%
Recoverable
$40K+
LTV
$660
Lapsed
60% lapsed
Dropout
35%
Recoverable
$39K+
LTV
$2,200
Lapsed
70% lapsed
Dropout
38%
Recoverable
$51K+
LTV
$840
Lapsed
65% lapsed
Dropout
42%
Recoverable
$35K+
LTV
$900
Lapsed
40-55% overdue
Dropout
35%
Recoverable
$31K+
LTV
$1,782
Lapsed
70% lapsed
Dropout
40%
Recoverable
$28K+
LTV
$770
The average patient retention rate in allied health is 30-40%, meaning only 30-40% of patients complete their full treatment plan. Established patient rebooking rates range from 60-70%, while new patient second visit rates are just 5-20% (Etactics). Top-performing clinics achieve 80%+ rebooking rates through automated follow-up systems.
Only 30% of physiotherapy patients complete their full treatment plan. 70% drop out before finishing their prescribed course of care (WebPT 2024). Additionally, 20% drop out after just 3 visits (SPRY PT), and 55% of chronic pain patients self-discharge before completion (JOSPT Open).
New patient acquisition costs $300-$1,000 depending on specialty and marketing channel (First Page Sage). In comparison, retaining an existing patient costs just $35-$85. It is 5-25x more expensive to acquire a new patient than to retain one (Artisan Growth 2025). Despite this, 80% of clinic marketing budgets are spent on new patient acquisition.
The average no-show rate for outpatient allied health appointments is 23-33% (PMC/AJM). A single missed appointment increases the likelihood of disengagement by 70% (TrackStat). Two weekly no-shows cost a practice $10,400-$15,600 per practitioner per year in lost revenue.
Yes. Automated SMS reminders reduce no-shows by 38% (Klara/PMC 2022). SMS has a 42% click-through rate for healthcare messages (Dialog Health) and reaches 97-99% of recipients compared to 80-90% for phone calls (PMC). Healthcare emails have a 34.6% open rate (Paubox), making SMS the more effective channel.
Revenue recovery depends on specialty and practice size. Physiotherapy practices can recover $720K-$1.4M from inactive patients. Psychology clinics can recover $94K+, chiropractic $85K+, cosmetics $2M+, and podiatry $62K+. Targeted re-engagement campaigns recover 15-25% of lapsed patients (LionShare), and a 5% improvement in retention increases profits by 25-95% (Bain/HBR).
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