Non-attendance or non-invitation? A case-control study of failed outpatient appointments.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the causes of non-attendance at new outpatient appointments.


METHODS
Case-control study of non-attenders and attenders.


METHODS
Outpatient department of a general hospital.


METHODS
All non-attenders (n = 277) for first outpatient appointments in six specialties during a three month period were included. Controls (n = 135) were the attenders who followed every second non-attender; thus they attended the same consultant on the same day that the non-attenders were expected.


METHODS
None.


RESULTS
Information on the clinical problem, difficulties in attending the hospital, and reasons for non-attendance from the questionnaire were coded and classified. Non-attenders had received shorter notice of their appointment than attenders (14% v 1% had received three days' notice or less). There were small differences in the seriousness of patients' clinical condition.


CONCLUSIONS
Client factors are less important than aspects of the service in explaining non-attendance at outpatient appointments.
Frankel
S
S
Department of Epidemiology and Community Medicine, University of Wales, College of Medicine, Cardiff.
Farrow
A
A
West
R
R
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001071:Appointments and Schedules; D005260:Female; D006769:Hospitals, General; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010044:Outpatient Clinics, Hospital; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D012737:Sex Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D014852:Wales