Patients who fail to attend appointments at an osteopathic teaching clinic: a cross-sectional retrospective observational study.
Item
- Title
- Patients who fail to attend appointments at an osteopathic teaching clinic: a cross-sectional retrospective observational study.
- Author(s)
- Pritchard, Z
- Abstract
- Background: obtaining feedback from the loyat customerlpatient is rarely a challenge. However, those who fail to attend a booked appointment without making contact, may disappear, never to been seen or heard from again; and the reason for their absence may never be discovered. without the feedback opportunity in such cases, how else might this problem be investigated and addressed? Objective: To determine whether predictor criteria for DNA ('Did Not Attend') patients could be established from analysis of the data captured within an osteopathic training clinic's appointments booking system. Also to discuss how such information might be used address poor attendance patterns. Design: A cross-sectional retrospective observational study. Methods: All a ppointment and related patient data captured within the retrospective study period was downloaded from the clinic booking system into spreadsheet format for familiarisation; cleansing of irrelevant and invalid data; and pattern analysis. Data excluded before analysis consisted of 'test' appointment records and information pertaining to the sister ultrasound clinic - these rows of data were deleted. lnvalid or absent comparison criteria which could not be corrected during the cleansing phase was excluded only when these criteria were compared data rows remained intact. Statistical significance of the pattems revealed was tested within Excel using an add-in application. Results: An overall DNA rate of 1.s6o/o over the 6 years data period was established. Statistically significant DNA patient predictor criteria were identified: being male; 2s-94 years old; living within 5 miles of clinrc; having an evenrng appointment; having a continuing appointment (as opposed to a longer initial consultation); having a special offer price appointment. Discussion: Al though a low overall DNA rate was identified, and so possibly not worth addressing, the analysis of the data revealed large amounts of missing or erroneous data. That in itself is worth further investigation, as current guality of data nullifies the effort expended in gathering it. Conclusion: Although statistically significant DNA predictor criteria were established, it was also revealed the failure to attend-inform was at a very low rate in the training clinic compared to the reported figures of other healthcare providers. However issues of the poor quality of some of the data captured in the booking system were exposed, which may have connotations for future audit or research.
- presented at
- European School of Osteopathy
- Date Accepted
- 2016
- Date Submitted
- 2.12.2016 17:29:04
- Type
- osteo_thesis
- Language
- English
- Submitted by:
- 62
- Pub-Identifier
- 15956
- Inst-Identifier
- 1229
- Keywords
- Attendance, non-attendance, osteopathy, Predictors; Perceived Value.
- Recommended
- 0
- Item sets
- Thesis
Pritchard, Z, “Patients who fail to attend appointments at an osteopathic teaching clinic: a cross-sectional retrospective observational study.”, Osteopathic Research Web, accessed May 4, 2025, https://www.osteopathicresearch.com/s/orw/item/525