Repeat offenders: non-attenders! A review of elective orthopaedic clinics
- نوع فایل : کتاب
- زبان : انگلیسی
- مؤلف : G. Colgan P. Lundon D. Molony P. Murphy O. Barry
- چاپ و سال / کشور: 2010
Description
Introduction Non-attendance at out-patient clinics results in inefficiency, wasted resources and delays other patients from accessing services. We conducted a review of patients that did not attend (DNA) their second appointment over a 12 month period, to establish the reasons why patients failed to repeatedly attend, and to assess what proportion of these failed attendances were potentially preventable. 2,573 patients were scheduled for appointments (790 new patients, 1,783 review patients). 858 (33.3%) patients failed to attend. 147 patients did not attend (DNA) their second appointment. Of these 147 patients, 32 were new appointments, and 115 were reviews. The mean age was 45.1 yrs (range 12–91yrs), with the M:F ratio of 1:1.3. Chart review showed that of the 115 review patients, 74 were being managed conservatively, 7 were pre-op, 14 post-op (all for minor procedures) and 18 were being followed up after joint injection. Conclusion One-third of patients did not attend (DNA) for their scheduled appointments. However 82.9% of those patients who were sent a second appointment re-attended. 74 (64%) of the review patients who did not attend for a 2nd appointment were being managed conservatively, most commonly for low back pain—47 (40.9%). Patients who are being managed non-operatively should be considered for discharge, with an option to be seen on an ‘‘as needed’’ basis. This would reduce the number of missed appointments
Eur J Orthop Surg Traumatol DOI 10.1007/s00590-010-0738-x Received: 26 October 2010 / Accepted: 15 December 2010
