Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-t7czq Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-01T01:44:01.542Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Reducing the time you and your patients wait

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

Kadiyali M. Srivatsa  and
Danny Allen
Kadiyali M. Srivatsa
Affiliation:
North Wycombe Community Mental Health Team, 1 Cedar Avenue, Hazlemere, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire HP15 7DW
Danny Allen*
Affiliation:
North Wycombe Community Mental Health Team, 1 Cedar Avenue, Hazlemere, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire HP15 7DW
*
∗Correspondence
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.
Aims and methods

In an attempt to reduce patient non-attendance at first appointments, consultant referrals were handled differentially over three years. From referral letters some patients were referred elsewhere, some sent appointments and some invited to make appointments.

Results

There was a reduction in patients who did not attend an appointment and an increase in the proportion of patients, not referred elsewhere who were seen.

Clinical implications

This system reduces consultant waiting time in clinics and the interval before a patient is seen.

Type
Original papers
Information
Psychiatric Bulletin , Volume 23 , Issue 3 , March 1999 , pp. 156 - 159
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright
Copyright © 1999 The Royal College of Psychiatrists

References

Ali, I. M. & McBride, A. (1997) Attendance rate in an alcohol problem clinic. Psychiatric Bulletin, 21, 343–345.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Carpenter, P. J., Morrow, G. R., Del Gaudio, A. C., et al (1981) Who keeps the first outpatient appointment? American Journal of Psychiatry, 138, 102–105.Google ScholarPubMed
Carr, V. C. (1985) Telephone prompting to reduce missed CMHT appointments. Hospital and Community Psychiatry, 36, 1217–1218.Google Scholar
Chen, A. (1991) Non-compliance in community psychiatry: A review of clinical interventions. Hospital and Community Psychiatry, 42, 282–287.Google Scholar
Deane, F. P. (1991) Improving attendance at intake in children's outpatient services of a community mental health centre. Child Care, Health and Development, 17, 115–121.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Errera, P., Davenport, P. & Decker, L. (1965) Pre-intake dropout in a psychiatric clinic. Mental Hygiene, 49, 588–593.Google Scholar
Hochstadt, N. J. & Trybula, J. R. (1980) Reducing missed initial appointments in a community mental health center. Journal of Community Psychology, 17, 303–311.Google Scholar
Sparr, L. F., Moffitt, M. C. & Ward, M. F. (1993) Missed psychiatric appointments: who returns and who stays away. American Journal of Psychiatry, 150, 801–805.Google ScholarPubMed
Weighill, V. E., Hodge, J. T. & Peck, D. F. (1983) Keeping appointments with a clinical psychologist. British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 22, 143–144.Google Scholar
Submit a response

eLetters

No eLetters have been published for this article.