Causes of appointment attendance, nonattendance, and cancellation in outpatient consultations at a university hospital. (26th August 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Briatore, Agustina; Tarsetti, Estefania Veronica; Latorre, Agustin; Gonzalez Bernaldo de Quirós, Fernan; Luna, Daniel; Fuentes, Nora Angélica; Elizondo, Cristina Maria; Baum, Analia; Alonso Serena, Marina; Giunta, Diego Hernán
• Is Part Of: International journal of health planning and management. Volume 35:Number 1(2020)
• Page Start: 207
• Page End: 220
• Publication Date: 2019-08-26
• Subjects: absenteeism -- hospital -- outpatient clinics -- presenteeism; Health planning -- Periodicals; Health services administration -- Periodicals; Santé publique -- Planification -- Périodiques; Santé, Services de -- Administration -- Périodiques; 362.1068
• DOI: 10.1002/hpm.2890
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0749-6753

Abstract

Summary: Background: Nonattendance to scheduled appointments in outpatient clinics is a frequent problem in ambulatory medicine with an impact on health systems and patients' health. The characterization of nonattendance is fundamental for the design of appropriate strategies for its management. Aims: To identify causes of nonattendance of scheduled ambulatory medical appointments by adult patients. Methods: Case and two controls study nested in a prospective cohort. A telephone‐administered questionnaire was applied within the first 72 hours to identify the causes of attendance, nonattendance, or cancellation in patients who had a scheduled appointment to which they had been present, absent, or cancelled. Results: A total of 150 absences (cases), 176 attendances, and 147 cancellations (controls) in a prospective cohort of 160 146 scheduled appointments (2012/2013) were included. According to self‐reports in telephone interviews, the most frequent causes of nonattendance were forgetting 44% (66), unexpected competing events 15.3% (23), illness or unwellness 12% (18), work‐related inconvenience 5.3% (8), transport‐related difficulties 4.7% (4), and cause that motivated appointment scheduling already resolved 4.7% (4). Discussion: The main cause of nonattendance is forgetting the scheduled appointment, but there is a proportion of different causes that do not respond to reminders but could respond to different strategies.