title: Relationship of scheduling interval to missed and cancelled clinic appointments.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The interval between when a clinical appointment is created and when it occurs may affect the rate of missed and cancelled appointments, affecting access and loss to follow-up, key component of quality.
  
  
  METHODS
  We examined this relationship in various clinic types across Veterans Health Administration clinics nationwide.
  
  
  RESULTS
  As the interval increased, the missed appointment rate increased from 12.0% at day 1 to 20.3% at day 13, then remained constant. Cancellation rates increased steadily from 19% during month 1 to 50% by month 12.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Scheduling interval has a modest effect on missed appointment rates but a large effect on cancellation rates.
authors.affiliation: Primary Care Division, Clement J. Zablocki VA Medical Center, WI 53295, USA. jeffrey.whittle@va.gov
authors.forename: Jeff
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Whittle
authors.forename: Gordon
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Schectman
authors.forename: Na
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Bill
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Baar
authors.forename: Michael F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Mayo-Smith
mesh_terms: D000553:Ambulatory Care / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000555:Ambulatory Care Information Systems; D001071:Appointments and Schedules; D006302:Health Services Research; D006801:Humans; D008511:Medicine / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D009819:Office Visits / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010349:Patient Compliance / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D019984:Quality Indicators, Health Care; D017010:Reminder Systems; D013038:Specialization; D013043:Specialties, Surgical / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013995:Time; D014481:United States; D014493:United States Department of Veterans Affairs / Q000458:organization & administration*