Patient appointment failures in pediatric resident continuity clinics
C. T. Rust, N. H. Gallups, W. S. Clark, D. S. Jones and W. D. Wilcox
Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Ga, USA.
OBJECTIVES: To determine appointment failure rates in pediatric resident
continuity clinics nationally, and to identify characteristics of clinics
with respect to factors that may affect appointment failure rates. DESIGN:
A one-page questionnaire administered via facsimile machine to pediatric
residencies' continuity clinic directors. RESULTS: Of 200 continuity clinic
directors, 160 (80%) returned the survey. The mean no-show percentage was
30.9%, with a range of 3% to 80%. Among the factors studied, only mode of
payment emerged as an independent predictor. CONCLUSIONS: Appointment
failure is a substantial problem in pediatric resident continuity clinics,
which needs attention if resident learning, patient care, and clinic
efficiency are to be optimized.
