Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• Singal, A
• Chew, MI
• Hussein, A
• Ojo, E
• Tsui, YT
• Williams, G
• Jester, A

Titel

Why do children not attend their medical appointments? A review of missed appointments in a tertiary referral paediatric hand unit

Ist Teil von

• Bulletin of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, 2023-10, Vol.105 (7), p.344-349

Ort / Verlag

London: BMJ Publishing Group LTD

Erscheinungsjahr

2023

Quelle

EZB Electronic Journals Library

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• INTRODUCTIONHigh “did not attend” (DNA) rates put a significant strain on the National Health Service, affecting the ability to provide efficient and financially viable healthcare services. The current literature does not explore reasons for DNA in a paediatric setting. The aim of this study was to explore reasons for parents not bringing their children to outpatient appointments in a tertiary referral paediatric hand unit.METHODSA survey was used to contact parents/carers of patients who were listed as DNA. Thirteen questions assessed why the appointment was unattended and ten looked at potential solutions to improve DNA rates. The goal for this telephone survey was to reach 100 completed questionnaires.RESULTSA total of 288 patient families were contacted between April and May 2019, allowing collection of 100 completed surveys. Over half (55%) of the participants were aware of their appointment. Just under half (45%) received a reminder in the form of a letter, 27% as a phone call and 25% as a text message. Two-thirds (64%) tried to reschedule their appointment and half (49%) had visited another doctor. Two-fifths (43%) encountered problems coming to the hospital, 20% had something specific that made it challenging for them to attend, 16% believed the appointments were unnecessary and 12% thought they were too frequent. Looking at solutions for DNA, 68% of patients want out-of-hours clinics and 49% want drop-in sessions. Three-quarters (75%) would be happy to use an app to manage appointments. Over half (56%) would be more likely to come to their appointments if there were a financial penalty.CONCLUSIONSThis study has identified several issues as reasons for DNA. The results are used to discuss solutions addressing these problems.