title: Comparing kept appointment rates when calls are made by physicians versus behavior health technicians in inner city hospital: literature review and cost considerations.
abstract: Dropping out of scheduled care leads to medication non adherence, increased morbidity, relapse and readmission rates. As part of a performance improvement project to increase attendance rates at our outpatient clinic, psychiatric residents and Behavioral Health Technicians made reminder telephone calls under similar circumstances. We compared follow up appointment rates in the two groups. Our analysis showed that there was no significant difference in the rates of kept appointment overall between the two groups. The important finding is physician time could be better spent in other patient care duties and reminder calls could be delegated to other health staff.
authors.affiliation: Department of Behavioral Health, Harlem Hospital Center, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA, taghogho@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Taghogho
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Agarin
authors.forename: Ejine
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Okorafor
authors.forename: Vasanth
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Kailasam
authors.forename: Aniefiok
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Agarin
authors.forename: Willy
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Philias
authors.forename: Dianelys
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Garcia
authors.forename: Uzoma
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Osuchukwu
authors.forename: Dimy
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fluyah
authors.forename: Chinedu
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Iheagwara
authors.forename: Dennis
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Donovan
authors.forename: Carol
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Roberts
authors.forename: Deepika
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: Charles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nnadi
authors.forename: Zafar
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Sharif
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001071:Appointments and Schedules; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006282:Health Personnel; D006778:Hospitals, Psychiatric; D006786:Hospitals, Urban; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D008605:Mental Health Services; D008875:Middle Aged; D010044:Outpatient Clinics, Hospital; D010349:Patient Compliance / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010820:Physicians; D017010:Reminder Systems / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013689:Telephone; D055815:Young Adult