[Routine reminders reduce non-attendance at a pediatric outpatient clinic. A follow-up study]

We have previously shown that mailed reminders decreased the rate of non-attendance in an outpatient unit in the context of an intervention study. To evaluate the effect of the introduction of routine reminders in a real-life setting, we performed a study based on the routine registration as introduced at the Department of Paediatrics at Kolding Hospital on 1 August 2006.

The number of attending and non-attending children from 1 January 2001 to 30 April 2008 was identified. The diagnosis-related group value of the out-patient production for 2007 was calculated using 2008 prices. The costs of mailing the reminders were estimated in order to calculate the economic benefits of the procedure.

The rates of non-attendance before and after 1 August 2006 were 7.7% and 4.1%, respectively (p < 0.0001), corresponding to 36 avoided cases of non-attendance per 1.000 planned appointments. However, the effect of the mailed reminders decreased from 2006 to 2008, though insignificantly (p = 0,087). In 2007 the cost of the avoided nonattendance was 64,337 DKK per 1,000 appointments. The costs associated with the mailed reminders were estimated to 13,824 DKK per 1,000 reminders. Therefore, the overall economic benefit was 50,513 DKK per 1,000 planned appointments.

Introducing mailed reminders as a routine measure decreased the non-attendance rate, though less than was found in the preceding intervention study. The procedure was evaluated as being cost-effective.