Factors Contributing to Patient No-Show in General Pediatrics Ambulatory Clinics In Qatar

Introduction and aim: Patients no-show in the clinics represent a critical and continous problem in the healthcare system. It creates negative impact in many aspects: disruption in continuity of patient care, long waiting times for new patients, waste of clinic and hospital resources.

Our aim was to explore why patients may not show for their appointments and to make potential recommendations to decrease the non-attendance rate

Methods: Prospective study of patients referred to general pediatrics out patients’ clinics at Sidra Medicine- the newly opening tertiary children hospital in Qatar from June 2018-sept 2018, phone interview-based survey conducted and were performed by the unit clerk of clinics. Survey included details from patients exploring different reasons of not attending clinics although previously patients’ families confirmed attendance by phone call reminders.

Result: 2036 patients were schedules to general pediatric clinics. 883 they attended the clinics, 899 they canceled /re-schedules the appointments and 254 were no-show. The phone interview included 254 out of 1140 of all patients confirmed initially attending clinics in phone call reminder.

The main reasons identified of no show up were: no answer of the call back 143/ 256(55%), the time of clinics is not suitable with parents 44(17%),parents forget the appointment 26(10%), family work issues(5%)patients/parents were sick (4%), patients clinically improved(3% ), no available transportation (3 %).

Discussion and conclusion: The international benchmark for primary care clinics of no-show is 10%. In our observation the no show rate were 20%. Identified multiple reasons of no show it is similar to the international ones. Initiating new strategies to decrease no-show in the clinics like revisiting cancelation policy, modifying working hours, appointment reminders via sending telephone massage with option of choice of appointments will decrease patients waiting, reduce health care cost and maintain full capacity scheduling of the clinics.