Urgency as a Factor In Clinic Attendance

Abstract

A chain is only as strong as its weakest link. Outpatient clinics, as well as private practices, have a weak link, namely the problem of appointment breaking. The weakness of this link can be crucial in cases where a return appointment is vital to the patient's health. In a larger view, appointment breaking is a symptom of inadequate follow-through on medical care. Included in this is failure of the mother to understand recommended treatment, or failure to follow directions. Within a teaching framework, where broken appointments create problems in planning a comprehensive program, various remedies have been tried. The hospital management has focused attention on efficient utilization of outpatient facilities by revising appointment systems and providing more pleasant physical surroundings.^1,2Medical educators are attempting to teach students communication skills that will improve relationships between doctor and patient.^3,4Recently, research has been directed toward identifying those who break appointments