Frequency and reasons for missed appointments of outpatient mental health care users in the uMgungundlovu District.
Lucelle Ramlucken, Maureen N Sibiya
PMID 30198291WHAT IT FOUND
Almost half of mental health outpatients missed appointments, and most of those said they simply forgot.
Financial barriers and transport were less common reasons. This highlights the need for reminder systems rather than assuming patients are avoiding care.
Key findings
0146.2% of respondents had missed at least one appointment, with 69% of those who missed appointments citing forgetfulness as the reason.
02Financial and transport constraints were less frequent reasons for missed appointments than forgetfulness, affecting 6% and 16.7% of those who missed appointments respectively.
03The study participants were outpatient mental health care users, not staff, making the findings relevant to patient engagement strategies.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The sample size was small (182 participants) and drawn from only four clinics, limiting generalisability to other settings. Convenience sampling was used, which may introduce bias. The study was conducted in a specific district in South Africa, so findings may not apply to other regions or healthcare systems. There was potential for respondent bias due to familiarity with the researcher.
Declared interests
The paper does not explicitly state funding sources or conflicts of interest in the provided text.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that text message reminders will solve non-attendance. Nearly half of the patients who owned phones had been out of airtime for more than a week, meaning SMS may not reach them. Additionally, this is a descriptive survey, not an intervention study, so it identifies a problem but does not prove that any specific solution works.