Title
Patient health status and appointment keeping in an urban community health center
PubMed ID
15453182
UMMS Affiliation
Department of Family Medicine and Community Health; Center for Health Policy and Research, Office of Community Programs
Date
8-2004
Document Type
Article
Subjects
Adolescent; Adult; Age Factors; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; *Appointments and Schedules; Community Health Centers; Female; *Health Status; Humans; Male; Mental Disorders; Middle Aged; Poverty; Urban Population
Disciplines
Community Health | Community Health and Preventive Medicine | Preventative Medicine
Abstract
This study examines the relationship between patient health status and the likelihood of missing appointments in a community health center serving low-income patients. Medical records of 465 adult patients scheduled to be seen during one week in February 1999 were audited for an 18-month period. Seventy-three percent of patients failed to keep one or more appointments; 43% missed one or two; 30% missed three or more. Health status measures significantly associated with missing appointments included depression (p = 0.03), anxiety/panic disorder (p = 0.03), and using tobacco (p =
Rights and Permissions
Citation: J Health Care Poor Underserved. 2004 Aug;15(3):474-88.