The Hidden Cost of Attribution: Why Patient Behavior Metrics Miss the Real Problem

We discuss how putting numbers on dashboards creates attribution bias in healthcare.

When cancellation rates are high, we tend to blame patient behavior and implement interventions like reminders and confirmation requirements.

But we're missing the real variables—the care plan, scheduling model, provider load, and wait times—that actually drive cancellations.

We compare this to how OpenTable never blames customers for no-shows; instead, the system itself remains invisible and functional.