"There are many advantages that rideshare programs might have over traditional non-emergency medical transportation methods, like Ambulette services," she said. "These include lower cost, improved flexibility and convenience, ease of access, and on-demand availability without need for much advanced planning. With the potential for improving patient arrival times and assist patients overcome transportation barriers, the return on investment for rideshare programs is multifactorial as it alleviates transportation barriers for patients in need, improves access to timely care among disadvantaged patients, and enhances clinical operations."

The study was limited by the relatively short period of time in which the program was assessed, which underpowered the ability to detect relatively small changes in appointment cancellations as a result of the availability of the program. The researchers expect these changes to become significant with a larger study sample over an extended period.


The findings were published in the Journal of the American College of Radiology.

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