[Mailed reminders reduce non-attendance at a pediatric outpatient clinic. An intervention study].
BACKGROUND
There is an increased focus on non-attendance for treatment at hospitals as this may lead to poor utilization of resources and hamper the possibility of offering patients treatment within one month. As the rate of non-attendance or very late cancellations of appointments was unacceptably high at the Department of Paediatrics at Kolding Hospital, we decided to examine the effect of mailed reminders.


METHODS
A controlled intervention study in which families with an appointment at the out-patient clinic in uneven weeks received a mailed reminder. Families with bookings in even weeks served as controls. Late cancellations and non-attendances were registered. Data were analysed for the patients' first planned booking in the project period from September 2002 to February 2003.


RESULTS
A total of 1,177 patients were included in the control group and 1,189 in the intervention group. The number of late cancellations and non-attendances were 167 (14.2%) and 68 (5.7%) (p < 0.001), respectively, of which 112 (9.5%) and 29 (2.4%) were non-attendances (p < 0.0001). The study did not identify groups of patients who did not benefit from the reminder.


CONCLUSIONS
In a Danish paediatric out-patient clinic the number of non-attendances and late cancellations can be reduced significantly by mailed reminders two weeks prior to the visit.
Kofoed
Poul-Erik
PE
Syddansk Universitet, Forskningsinitiativet for Sundhedstjenesteforskning, og Kolding Sygehus, Paediatrisk Afdeling. poul.erik.kofoed@fks.regionsyddanmark.dk
Hansen
Lene Mølgaard
LM
Ammentorp
Jette
J
D001071:Appointments and Schedules; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003718:Denmark; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D010044:Outpatient Clinics, Hospital; D010349:Patient Compliance; D010372:Pediatrics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011177:Postal Service; D017010:Reminder Systems