Evaluating the Impact of Provider Type and Patient Diagnosis on Patient No-Shows to Vascular Clinic

Abstract

Background: No-shows are a source of burden that lead to wasted resources. While prior research has established that many patient-level affect impact no-show rates, the impact of referring provider-level factors, in particular the type of referring provider-and specific diagnosis are still largely unknown.

Materials and methods: Retrospective chart review examining new patient consults scheduled for outpatient vascular surgery clinic from August 1, 2014 through February 28, 2015 was conducted. The specialty types of the referring physicians and the reason for referral (patient diagnosis) were recorded.

Results: Of 227 new patient consults scheduled, 30% were no-shows to their appointment. No-show rates were significantly higher when the patient was referred by a primary care physician versus a specialist and differed significantly based on patient diagnosis.

Conclusions: Given that referring provider type and patient diagnosis significantly affect noshow rates, interventions that integrate the community of providers are needed to reduce noshows.