How do elderly veterans who fail to keep outpatient clinic appointments differ from those who do not

Area of Science:

• Geriatric Medicine
• Healthcare Management
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Appointment adherence is crucial for effective healthcare delivery, particularly for elderly veterans.
• Understanding factors influencing missed appointments in outpatient clinics is essential for optimizing veteran care.
• The San Juan VA Hospital's General Medicine and Surgery Out-Patient Clinics face challenges with patient no-shows.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify key differences between elderly veterans who miss appointments and those who attend at the San Juan VA Hospital.
• To test hypotheses regarding alternative healthcare utilization, waiting times, and appointment scheduling frequency.

Main Methods:

• A sample of 53 elderly veterans from outpatient clinics was interviewed face-to-face.
• Data collected included socio-demographic characteristics, clinic utilization, and service improvement suggestions.
• Percentage analysis was employed to compare patient groups.

Main Results:

• Veterans missing appointments frequently utilized private, non-VA facilities and had the financial means to do so.
• A longer waiting time between appointments was significantly associated with missed appointments.
• Infrequent appointment scheduling contributed to patients forgetting their appointments.

Conclusions:

• Elderly veterans missing appointments often have access to and utilize alternative private healthcare options.
• Healthcare system factors, such as extended wait times and infrequent scheduling, contribute to appointment non-adherence.
• Interventions should address scheduling frequency and waiting periods to improve appointment attendance among elderly veterans.