Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 23, 2026
06:28
E-Patient Counseling Trial (E-PACO): Computer Based Education versus Nurse Counseling for Patients to Prepare for Colonoscopy
Published on: August 1, 2019
Why patients miss follow-up appointments: a prospective control-matched study
1Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Tygerberg Hospital/University of Stellenbosch Faculty of Health Sciences, Cape Town, South Africa. graeme@prometics.com
East African Journal of Public Health
|April 21, 2009
Summary
A 17% missed appointment rate was observed in South African head and neck cancer patients, primarily due to transport issues. Most missed follow-ups occurred 6-12 months post-treatment, highlighting a need for targeted interventions.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Public Health
Background:
- Tertiary hospitals face challenges with patient follow-up adherence.
- Understanding missed appointments is crucial for effective cancer care management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the incidence and causes of missed appointments in a head and neck oncology clinic.
- To identify factors contributing to patient non-attendance in South Africa.
Main Methods:
- A prospective, descriptive study was conducted at a South African tertiary hospital's ENT/Oncology clinic.
- 305 head and neck cancer patients were analyzed for missed appointments, with a control group of 31 attendees.
- Data collection involved clinic statistics, file reviews, and patient interviews to identify causative factors.
Main Results:
- 17% (51/305) of patients missed their scheduled follow-up appointments.
- The most common period for missed appointments was 6-12 months post-treatment.
- Key reasons for non-attendance included transport problems (19), ill-health (6), and financial constraints (5).
Conclusions:
- Transport limitations significantly contribute to the high missed appointment rate.
- Interventions should focus on addressing transport barriers and supporting patients during the critical 6-12 month follow-up period.
- Identifying at-risk patients is essential for developing strategies to improve appointment adherence.
Related Concept Videos
01:15Assumptions of Survival Analysis
Survival models analyze the time until one or more events occur, such as death in biological organisms or failure in mechanical systems. These models are widely used across fields like medicine, biology, engineering, and public health to study time-to-event phenomena. To ensure accurate results, survival analysis relies on key assumptions and careful study design.
01:15Bioavailability Study Design: Healthy Subjects Versus Patients
Bioavailability studies are essential for evaluating a drug's therapeutic efficacy and understanding its absorption patterns under various physiological conditions. Conducting such studies on target patient populations provides more relevant data by simulating real-world disease states. However, practical challenges often necessitate the use of young, healthy adult volunteers as study subjects.Patients may exhibit altered drug absorption patterns due to the effects of the disease itself,...
02:07Blind Procedures
Ideally, the people who observe and record the children’s behavior are unaware of who was assigned to the experimental or control group, in order to control for experimenter bias. Experimenter bias refers to the possibility that a researcher’s expectations might skew the results of the study. Remember, conducting an experiment requires a lot of planning, and the people involved in the research project have a vested interest in supporting their hypotheses. If the observers knew which child was...
01:24Kaplan-Meier Approach
The Kaplan-Meier estimator is a non-parametric method used to estimate the survival function from time-to-event data. In medical research, it is frequently employed to measure the proportion of patients surviving for a certain period after treatment. This estimator is fundamental in analyzing time-to-event data, making it indispensable in clinical trials, epidemiological studies, and reliability engineering. By estimating survival probabilities, researchers can evaluate treatment effectiveness,...
01:11Observational Studies
Observational studies are a type of analytical study where researchers observe events without any interventions. In other words, the researcher does not influence the response variable or the experiment's outcome.
There are three types of observational studies – Prospective, retrospective, and cross-sectional.
Prospective Study
Prospective studies, also known as longitudinal or cohort studies, are carried out by collecting future data from groups sharing similar characteristics. One example of...
There are three types of observational studies – Prospective, retrospective, and cross-sectional.
Prospective Study
Prospective studies, also known as longitudinal or cohort studies, are carried out by collecting future data from groups sharing similar characteristics. One example of...
01:15Methods of Documentation VI: Case Management Model
The case management model is a multidisciplinary approach that involves healthcare professionals from diverse disciplines, such as physicians, nurses, therapists, social workers, and pharmacists, working collaboratively to address the various needs of patients. Each healthcare professional brings unique expertise and perspectives, contributing to a more comprehensive understanding of the patient's condition and tailoring treatment plans accordingly.
For example, a patient with a chronic illness...
For example, a patient with a chronic illness...