title: Telephone reminders reduced the non-attendance rate in a gastroenterology outpatient clinic.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Non-attendance is a global health-care problem. The aim of the present study was 1) to investigate if a telephone reminder could reduce the non-attendance rate, 2) to study reasons for non-attendance and 3) to evaluate if a permanent implementation would be economically advantageous in a gastroenterology outpatient clinic like ours.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a comparative intervention study with a historical control group in a gastroenterology outpatient clinic. The study lasted six months. Patients with a scheduled appointment in the first three-month period received no reminder (control group, n = 2,705). Patients in the following three-month period were reminded by telephone one weekday in advance of their appointment, when possible (intervention group, n = 2,479). Non-attending patients in the intervention group received a questionnaire. Based on the results, a financial cost-benefit analysis was made.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the intervention group, 1,577 (64%) patients answered the reminder telephone call. The non-attendance rate was significantly lower in the intervention group (6.1%) than in the control group (10.5%) (p < 0.00001). Only 1.3% of the patients who answered the reminder turned out to be non-attendees. The most common explanation for non-attendance in the intervention group was forgetfulness (39%). The reminder telephone call was cost-effective.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this outpatient clinic, telephone reminders were cost-effective and significantly reduced the non-attendance rate by 43%.
authors.affiliation: Gastroenheden D112M, Herlev Hospital, Herlev Ringvej 75, 2730 Herlev, Denmark. majajeppesen@me.com.
authors.forename: Maja Haunstrup
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Jeppesen
authors.forename: Mark Andrew
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Ainsworth
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000554:Ambulatory Care Facilities / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D001071:Appointments and Schedules; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D005260:Female; D005762:Gastroenterology / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000067455:No-Show Patients / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017010:Reminder Systems / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013689:Telephone; D055815:Young Adult