Waiting Time, Doctor Shopping, and Nonattendance at Specialist Outpatient Clinics

• DOI: 10.1097/01.mlr.0000093481.93107.c2
• Publication Date: 2003-10-21T08:11:00Z
• Authors: Gabriel M. Leung; Susana Castan-Cameo; Sarah M. McGhee; Irene O. L. Wong; Janice M. Johnston
• Keywords: Outpatient clinic; Outpatient visits

Nonattendance is a major health services research and management issue that has received little attention or systematic study in Asia. We examined the independent associations between waiting time, doctor shopping, nonattendance specialist outpatient clinics of 4 large public hospitals Hong Kong.Case-control study.A total 6495 attenders nonattenders enrolled from July 2000 through October 2001. PAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Odds ratios (ORs) associated 95% confidence intervals (CI) for nonattendance.Longer times (adjusted OR2nd quartile, 1.67; CI, 1.38-2.03; adjusted OR3rd 1.90; 1.56-2.30; OR4th 2.30; 1.91-2.78) doctor-shopping behavior OR, 2.91; 2.51-3.38) were risk factors nonattendance. These effects robust after multivariate adjustment testing effect modification. They also appeared to persist uniformly across specialties. There was no demonstrable relationship time shopping.This largest at first such carried out Targeted strategies should be implemented evaluated using these results reduce ultimately