Where did all the "No-Shows" go?

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Psychiatry
• Healthcare Access
• Child Psychology

Background:

• Understanding patient attrition is crucial for optimizing outpatient services.
• No-show appointments in pediatric mental health can disrupt care continuity.
• Identifying factors associated with cancellations can inform service improvements.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the characteristics of families who cancel initial psychiatric assessment appointments.
• To determine the primary reasons for appointment cancellations in a pediatric outpatient setting.
• To compare the demographic profile of

Main Methods:

• Pilot study analyzing data from 40 families.
• Examined demographic profiles, referral sources, and presenting symptoms.
• Categorized cancellations as

Main Results:

• "No-Show" cases represented 13.6% of accepted assessments.
• No significant differences in age or presenting problems compared to the general intake population.
• Higher prevalence of females, suburban residence, and lower socioeconomic status in the "No-Show" group.

Conclusions:

• Waiting list duration was the most frequently cited reason for cancellation.
• Demographic factors like gender and socioeconomic background may influence appointment adherence.
• Further research is needed to address barriers to accessing pediatric mental health services.