Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 14, 2026

Measuring Delay Discounting in Humans Using an Adjusting Amount Task
Published on: January 9, 2016
The effect of decreasing delays in appointments on patients' failure to keep appointments
Abstract:
Patients who fail to keep their appointments for mental-health services are not likely to receive optimal treatment for their disorders and valuable professional time is not used efficiently. One means to decrease failures to keep appointments is to decrease delays in appointments. This study examined the effects of decreasing delays in appointments on appointment keeping for patients who were scheduled for initial intake appointments at a day-treatment center. Decreasing delays in appointments from 5.44 days during baseline to 1.67 days during intervention resulted in a significant decrease in failures to keep appointments from 34 to 13% (P less than 0.05). Reducing delays in appointments, therefore, can be an effective means to reduce failures to keep appointments and increase the likelihood that psychiatric patients who are initially seeking services at mental-health programs will receive prompt attention to their disorders.
Related Concept Videos
Errors occurring during blood pressure monitoring
Several factors...
Barriers to Effective Communication II
Cultural barriers:
Differences in values, beliefs, religion, knowledge, and tradition can significantly impact communication. Awareness of nonverbal cues is critical, especially when conversing with a patient from a different culture. What appears appropriate in one culture may be inappropriate in another.
Semantic barriers:
As a result of their tendency to use...
Desensitization and Tachyphylaxis
Several...
Effect of Hepatic Disease on Pharmacokinetics: Dose Adjustments Due to Hepatic Impairment
Insufficient Sleep and Sleep Deprivation
Sleep deprivation is a more severe form of sleep loss...
Timing and Consequences on Behavior
Humans, however, can respond to delayed reinforcers. We often make decisions between immediate small rewards and delayed larger rewards. This ability to delay gratification is a significant factor...
