Temperature predicts attendance at appointments for pelvic-floor muscle related dysfunction differently in publicly...

The current study examined how temperature affects attendance at psychological tele-support sessions for women undergoing treatment for pelvic-floor muscle (PFM) related symptoms. It compared this relationship between when the appointments were publicly-funded or privately offered without cost to the patient. This is the first study to compare attendance when both publicly-funded and privately-offered sessions were free.

Session attendance of consequently-referred women with PFM-related dysfunction at a large metropolitan hospital were analysed as a function of type of appointment (publicly versus privately funded), and the temperature in the area where the patient lived at the appointment time.

In contrast to previous work, missed appointments were less likely in the publicly-funded UK National Health Service (NHS) system than in a free privately-offered service. Temperature also impacted the two sorts of service differentially: there was a positive association between increasing temperatures and missed appointments without notice in the publicly-funded UK NHS, but not in the privately-funded system. However, there was a positive association between temperature and missed appoints with notice for the privately offered system, but not in the publicly funded system.

These results are discussed with respect to the impact of the reputation and trust of the organisations involved, the patient motivations to attend, and the perceived costs and benefits of nonattendance.