Open AccessUse of an Orientation Clinic to Reduce Failed New Patient Appointments in Primary Care
Author(s) -
Jain Sharad,
Chou Calvin L.
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
journal of general internal medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.746
H-Index - 180
eISSN - 1525-1497
pISSN - 0884-8734
DOI - 10.1046/j.1525-1497.2000.00201.x
Subject(s) - medicine , orientation (vector space) , attendance , intervention (counseling) , health clinic , primary care , physical therapy , family medicine , emergency medicine , nursing , geometry , mathematics , economics , economic growth
Patients who fail to attend initial appointments reduce clinic efficiency. To maximize attendance by newly referred outpatients, we introduced a mandatory group orientation clinic for all new patients and determined its effects on no‐show rates. Orientation clinic also provided health care screening and opportunities for patient feedback. The new patient no‐show rate for initial provider visits decreased significantly from 45% before institution of orientation clinic to 18% afterwards ( P < .0001). The total no‐show (patients who failed to attend orientation clinic or an initial provider visit) rate of the postintervention group was 51% ( P = .28, compared with before the intervention). This intervention improved the efficiency and minimized the wasted time of our clinicians.