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‘ D id not attends’ in children 0–10: a scoping review
Author(s) -
Arai L.,
Stapley S.,
Roberts H.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
child: care, health and development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.832
H-Index - 82
eISSN - 1365-2214
pISSN - 0305-1862
DOI - 10.1111/cch.12111
Subject(s) - attendance , safeguarding , conceptualization , audit , focus group , medical education , psychology , nursing , anxiety , medicine , family medicine , political science , psychiatry , sociology , business , accounting , artificial intelligence , computer science , law , anthropology
Patients who do not attend (‘ DNA ’) health appointments have been identified as a service problem incurring significant costs to the NHS . In order to explore the causes, effects and costs of child DNA s, we carried out a scoping study to map the literature and identify gaps in the research. Given the breadth of issues underpinning DNA s, a scoping study, including research studies, audits, policy documents and conference abstracts, was the most useful way to map the field. To foster public and patient participation, we sought advice from parents participating in the N ational C hildren's B ureau's F amily R esearch A dvisory G roup. From a pool of 1997 items, we found few UK studies with non‐attendance of 0–10 year olds as a primary focus, though many more incidentally reported DNA rates. Overall, four topics predominated: the conceptualization of DNA s; the correlates of non‐attendance; initiatives to reduce non‐attendance; and the relationship between non‐attendance and safeguarding. The F amily R esearch A dvisory G roup identified broadly similar issues, but with a stronger emphasis on communication and practical matters. While there may be circumstances where failing to attend appointments makes little or no difference to a child (or even benefits them) it is likely that there are children whose health or well‐being are compromised as a result of failing to attend appointments. Both ‘over’ and ‘under'‐attendance can be a source of anxiety to health professionals. Areas where further work is needed include robust evaluation of the effectiveness, cost‐effectiveness and maintenance of measures to reduce DNA s and a better understanding of the relationship of safeguarding to non‐attendance.