Missed appointments in mental health care clinics: A retrospective study of patients’ profile

Abstract

Background: Missed appointments (no-shows) are a problem and common in outpatient clinics especially in psychiatric setting. Objective: This study aimed to describe the extent of no-shows in a regular psychiatric outpatient clinic, and to assess associations of missed appointments with patients’ demographic and clinical characteristics and types of services provided. Methods: Data collection from a hospital psychiatric clinic charts was conducted from administrative years 2017-18 and 2018-19, using descriptive analyses. Results: In the administrative year of 2017-18, the no-show rate was 9.5%, adding 10.7% for cancellations, for a total of 20.2%. In 2016-17, rates were 9.7%, with 17.3% cancellations, for a total of 27%. Rates varied from clinical groups (2.5% for borderline personality disorders patients to 30% for young psychotic patients) and by professionals (psychiatrists 5.6%, psychotherapists 23.3%) and for crisis services 21.9%. Conclusions: No-show numbers are comparable to other clinical sites but remain a challenge in delivering seamless and efficient services. A qualitative study will be conducted as a second phase to examine root causes and provide opportunities for service improvement.