ABSTRACT
Objectives of the study were to evaluate the missed appointments rate in a consultation of gastroenterology of a general hospital situated in the south part of the country, to evaluate financial consequences and to evaluate preventive strategies. During this study, the missed appointments rate was 19.4%. The risk to have a missed appointment is higher for patients that come for the first time in the hospital, coming for a visit, having an appointment in the afternoon, having less than 26 years and that have taken an appointment a long time ago. The loss of income in gastro-enterology was 77 Euro and 32 Euro outside gastro-enterology for a loss of income of 109.20 Euro by patient. The estimated loss of income for 711 patients that have missed their appointment is 71,984 Euro. Two preventive strategies of reminders were tested: the telephone reminder and the mail reminder. The non-attendance rate was lower for patients with a mail reminder. The percentage of deferred or cancelled appointments is higher for patients with a telephone reminder. The low cost of a reminder (telephone or mail) should stimulate the hospital direction to develop a system of reminders to limit the non-attendance rate, at least for patients with a higher risk of non-attendance.
