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https://doi.org/10.24869/psyd.2023.535

FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH NON-ATTENDANCE TO OUTPATIENT CONSULTATION-LIAISON PSYCHIATRY APPOINTMENTS: A RETROSPECTIVE COHORT STUDY

Lori Edwards Suarez ; Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, Department of Psychological Medicine, Queen’s Medical Centre, Nottingham, UK
Andreas S Lappas ; Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, Department of Psychological Medicine, Queen’s Medical Centre, Nottingham, UK ; Aneurin Bevan University Health Board, Department of Older Adult Psychiatric Liaison Team, Royal Gwent Hospital, Newport, Wales, United Kingdom ; University of Thessaly, Medical School, Department of Psychiatry, General University Hospital of Larissa, Thessaly, Greece
Nikos G Christodoulou ; Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, Department of Psychological Medicine, Queen’s Medical Centre, Nottingham, UK; University of Thessaly, Medical School, Department of Psychiatry, General University Hospital of Larissa, Thessaly, Greece.

Sažetak

Background: Non-attendance to outpatient mental health appointments is associated with adverse clinical and financial outcomes.
The aim of this study was to investigate the rates of non-attendance to outpatient Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry (CLP) appointments
and the factors associated with non-attendance.
Subjects and Methods: Retrospective cohort study, including two groups of data: 950 initial and 3503 follow-up appointments
between 01/01/2015 and 31/12/2019. We employed descriptive statistics, parametric/non-parametric tests and logistic regression analysis.
We used a range of environmental, socio-demographic and service-related characteristics as independent parameters and non-attendance
as the dependent parameter.
Results: Initial and follow-up non-attendance rates were 27.5% and 18.8% respectively. Opting-out text message reminders
was associated with both initial and follow-up non-attendance. Higher education was associated with initial non-attendance, whereas
lower education with follow-up non-attendance. Other factors associated with non-attendance to initial appointments were: English
being the participant’s primary communication language, having an appointment with a psychiatrist as opposed to a trained nurse or
Cognitive Behavioural Therapist, and longer waiting time. Follow-up non-attendance was also associated with younger age, shorter
driving distance and higher income/employment.
Conclusions: We suggest that improving opt-in rates through a combination of staff and patient education and promotion,
improving waiting lists, reducing the stigma associated with seeing a psychiatrist, but also perhaps targeting different socio-economic
groups of patients with different strategies should be the focus of policy making to tackle non-attendance. Further research into patient-
related and environmental factors, such as day of the week, driving distance, language of primary communication, education,
income and employment is warranted in order to design more effective policies and improve engagement with CLP, but also psychiatric
services in general.

Ključne riječi

Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry; Mental Health Services; service evaluation; non-attendance

Hrčak ID:

311479

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/311479

Datum izdavanja:

9.11.2023.

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