title: [Project to improve the follow-up rate for patients with abnormal oral mucosal screenings at a regional hospital].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The Bureau of Health Promotion provides oral mucosal screening services for those at high-risk of oral cancer in order to detect and treat early-stage oral cancer. However, the low rate of follow up for abnormal cases been associated with a rising mortality rate.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This project seeks to improve the follow-up rate of patients with abnormal oral mucosal diagnoses at our hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analyzed the current data and found that reasons for poor follow up included: patients' lack of knowledge, inconvenience in accessing the hospital, unwillingness to pay additional fees, and inadequate health education from healthcare providers. Therefore, we proposed several action measures that were developed between June and October 2012. These measures included: designating healthcare staff for oral mucosal screening, improving procedures in oral mucosal screening, tracking and referral of abnormal cases, encouraging medical staff to provide more health education in clinical sessions, and increasing distribution of health-education materials.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After implementation, the follow-up rate for abnormal oral mucosal cases in our hospital increased from 64.2% to 95.3%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This project significantly improved the follow-up rate for abnormal oral mucosal cases as part of our overall goal of the early detection and treatment of oral cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing, Tao Yuan General Hospital, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Taiwan, ROC.
authors.forename: Hsiang-Chi
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing, Tao Yuan General Hospital, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Taiwan, ROC. weiwei@mail.tygh.doh.gov.tw.
authors.forename: Pi-Wei
authors.initials: PW
authors.lastname: Cheng
mesh_terms: D055088:Early Detection of Cancer; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000473:pathology*; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*
keywords: follow-up rate; oral cancer; oral mucosal