Attendance failure at Middlemore Hospital asthma clinic

A population of 138 outpatients' sociodemographic and sociobehavioural characteristics and clinic organisational factors were studied in response to a concern about poor attendance rates at Middlemore Hospital's asthma clinic. Low and nonattendance was found to be higher among Maoris (44.7%) and Pacific Islanders (31.6%), outpatients of lower socioeconomic status (SES group 5 and 6, 55.3%), and those referred from the accident and emergency (A & E) department (66%). Migration out of the south Auckland region was common among the group of low attending outpatients (23.9%). Since neither the clinic nor the outpatients' general practitioners were aware of this group's migrational movement there exists a large population who do not have regular medical care and are therefore at risk of significant morbidity or mortality from their asthma.