Missed Care Appointments: Survey Results From a Safety-Net Breast Imaging Practice

Area of Science:

• Medical Imaging
• Public Health
• Health Equity

Background:

• Missed breast imaging appointments lead to delayed diagnosis and care.
• Addressing no-shows is crucial for improving patient outcomes, especially in underserved communities.

Purpose of the Study:

• Identify factors contributing to missed breast imaging appointments.
• Understand patient-reported reasons for no-shows.
• Inform targeted interventions for a medically underserved population.

Main Methods:

• A quality improvement project surveyed 165 patients who missed prior breast imaging appointments.
• Questionnaires collected reasons for missed appointments and suggestions for improvement.
• Sociodemographic data and reminder preferences were analyzed.

Main Results:

• Top reasons for missed appointments: forgetfulness (35%), financial hardship (19%), and transportation issues (20%).
• Patients suggested enhanced reminders (29%), financial assistance (12%), and transportation support (8%).
• Text messaging was a preferred single reminder type; income level correlated with missed appointments.

Conclusions:

• Optimizing appointment reminders and addressing financial/transportation barriers can improve breast imaging adherence.
• Targeted interventions are essential for equitable access to breast imaging services.
• Enhancing reminder systems and patient support promotes timely cancer care.