To see or not to see?...that is the question. An analysis of out-patient follow-up arrangements and non-attendance in a community paediatric population.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between the number of outpatient appointments made; the distance traveled to attend these and the proportion of these appointments missed. DESIGN: Retrospective Cohort Study. SETTING: Community Paediatrics. PARTICIPANTS: Eighteen pre-school children on the Special Needs Register. RESULTS: With an increase in the number of appointments made and the distances involved in attending these, the number of missed appointments tends to increase. CONCLUSIONS: We need to educate parents as to the importance of follow-up, include families in decision making about appointments and rationalize the number of appointments made.