From telephone to office: intake attendance as a function of appointment delay.
In the present study, 116 clients calling an outpatient cocaine treatment clinic were randomly assigned to intake appointments scheduled either the same day, 1 day, 3 days, or 7 days later. Significantly more subjects scheduled 1 day later attended their intake appointments (72%), compared to those scheduled 3 days (41%) or 7 days (38%) later. Odds ratios indicate that subjects offered intake appointments approximately 24 h following their initial contact are more than four times as likely to attend their intakes as those scheduled later. This accelerated intake procedure allows clinics to reach more patients in need of services.
Festinger
David S
DS
Treatment Research Institute at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia 19106-3475, USA. dfestinger@tresearch.com
Lamb
R J
RJ
Marlowe
Douglas B
DB
Kirby
Kimberly C
KC
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001071:Appointments and Schedules; D019970:Cocaine-Related Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000523:psychology*; D010349:Patient Compliance / Q000523:psychology; D013689:Telephone; D013997:Time Factors