[Advanced booking as strategy for diminishing appointments on demand: an approach]

We looked at a group of patients included in the arterial hypertension (AHT) sub-programme, in order to analyse whether an appointment booked in advance can reduce the number of on-demand consultations requested by the patients themselves. We also assessed whether these patients sought more on-demand consultations than consumers not included in any sub-programme.

A retrospective, observational, crossover study, with no random distribution. SITE. Barrio del Carmen Health Centre in Murcia.

541 consumers not included in any sub-programme and 67 patients involved in the AHT sub-programme.

Patients involved in the AHT sub-programme had 9.9 +/- 8.7 on-demand consultations per year, one year before their involvement. In 1987, they had 8.3 +/- 6.2; and in 1989, 7.3 +/- 6.3 (p > 0.05). These patients did not have any more on-demand consultations than those not involved in any sub-programme, except in the 50 to 65 age-group (p < 0.001).

Our model does not show that a booked medical appointment is an adequate tool for reducing demand, even when the number of booked consultations significantly increases.