title: Issues regarding nonattendance at a paediatric dermatology centre.
abstract: Nonattendance in paediatric dermatology clinics is a significant problem. We reviewed the charts of all 400 new referrals to the Prince of Wales Hospital (PWH) paediatric dermatology clinic in the year 2000. Sixty-six patients (17%) did not attend. The mean age +/- SD of attenders (7.5 +/- 5.1 years) and nonattenders (7.7 +/- 4.5 years) did not differ significantly. Forty-eight per cent of the referrals were females, 50% of the attenders were females and 67% of the nonattenders were male. Males were 2.1-fold more likely not to attend clinic relative to females (95% confidence interval 1.14-3.71, P = 0.010). Nonattendance was significantly higher among referrals from the PWH emergency department, compared with referrals by private practitioners (P = 0.05) and referrals by other clinics in the PWH. Data in this retrospective study confirm that there is a gender disparity in hospital nonattendance. More dermatological referrals but more nonattendance were associated with the male patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, Hong Kong. ehon@hotmail.com
authors.forename: K L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Hon
authors.forename: T F
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Leung
authors.forename: K C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Ma
mesh_terms: D000553:Ambulatory Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002648:Child; D002662:Child Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006723:Hong Kong; D006776:Hospitals, Pediatric / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D017678:Sex Distribution; D016312:Treatment Refusal / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*