ABSTRACT

The ratio of non-attendance to appointments in the rheumatology outpatient clinic is lower than other departments. The most frequent reasons were neglect of employer and limitation due to the activation of disease. Applications of information systems added to CPAS or an informing message for employers about the appointments of their employees may be useful for preventing non-attendance to appointments.

There were 148 (75.1%) female and 49 (24.9%) male patients, whose mean age was 51.1±16.2 years. We could not contact 74 (37.6%) patients due to the wrong phone number or not answering the phone call. The reasons for non-attendance were work-related in 55 (44.7%) patients, feeling too sick in 18 (14.6%) patients, caring for a child in 9 (7.3%) patients, forgetting the appointment in 7 (5.7%) patients, feeling better in 4 (3.3%) patients, a problem about transportation in 1 (0.8%) patient and having another health problem in 1 (0.8%) patient.

One hundred and ninety-seven patients, who created but did not attend an appointment between June 2019 and January 2020 in the rheumatology outpatient clinic of Gülhane Training and Research Hospital, were included in the study. Demographical characteristics and the reasons for non-attendance to the appointments were learned by phone call.

Central Physician Appointment System (CPAS) is being used for creating appointments to be examined in hospitals, oral and dental health centers or by general practitioners since 2010. This study aimed to evaluate the frequency and the causes of non-attendance to appointments in a tertiary rheumatology outpatient clinic.