Patient appointment failures in pediatric resident continuity clinics.

OBJECTIVES To determine appointment failure rates in pediatric resident continuity clinics nationally, and to identify characteristics of clinics with respect to factors that may affect appointment failure rates. DESIGN A one-page questionnaire administered via facsimile machine to pediatric residencies' continuity clinic directors. RESULTS Of 200 continuity clinic directors, 160 (80%) returned the survey. The mean no-show percentage was 30.9%, with a range of 3% to 80%. Among the factors studied, only mode of payment emerged as an independent predictor. CONCLUSIONS Appointment failure is a substantial problem in pediatric resident continuity clinics, which needs attention if resident learning, patient care, and clinic efficiency are to be optimized.

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