Pediatric dermatology
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Pediatric dermatology · Mar 2007
Health provider factors associated with nonattendance in pediatric dermatology ambulatory patients.
Nonattendance for dermatology appointments disrupts the management of medical delivery and leads to inefficient allocation of resources and lost revenue. The factors that determine nonattendance in pediatric dermatology patients have not been well documented. We investigated health provider factors for nonattendance in pediatric dermatology patients. ⋯ Nonattendance was 21.1% when the waiting time for an appointment was short (1-7 days), 32.5% when it was intermediate (8-14 days) and 43.5% when the wait time was long (15 days and above) (p-value < 0.001). A multivariate logistic regression model demonstrated that the hour of the day and the waiting time for an appointment were significantly associated with nonattendance (p value = 0.009, p value < 0.001, respectively). We conclude that in children attending a dermatology clinic, health provider factors that determine nonattendance include the waiting time for an appointment and the hour of the appointment within the day.