S Can1, T Macfarlane, K D O'Brien. 1. Department of Dental Medicine and Surgery, University Dental Hospital of Manchester, Higher Cambridge Street, Manchester M15 6FH.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effect of issuing a patient reminder plus a confirmation slip on the attendance of orthodontic new patients. SETTING: Department of Orthodontics, University Dental Hospital of Manchester. DESIGN: A randomised controlled trial. METHODS: New patients were randomly allocated to:receive a reminder letter and return a confirmation slip ornot receive a reminder. OUTCOME MEASURES: Patient attendance at the clinic. RESULTS:A total of 232 patients were entered into the study between June 18, 2001 and August 29, 2001. These were randomly allocated to 115 (49.8%) in the reminder group and 116 (50.2%) in the no reminder group. If the patient received a reminder and returned the confirmation they were less likely to fail the appointment than if they did not receive a reminder (OR 0.4, 95% CI 0.2 to 0.96) There was an effect of social deprivation, if the patients lived in an area of high social deprivation they were 2.7 (95% CI 1.1 to 6.5) times more likely to fail to attend an appointment than people who were more affluent. CONCLUSIONS: The use of postal reminders for orthodontic consultation appointments appears to result in a useful increase of appointments that are kept or cancelled in advance.
RCT Entities:
OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effect of issuing a patient reminder plus a confirmation slip on the attendance of orthodontic new patients. SETTING: Department of Orthodontics, University Dental Hospital of Manchester. DESIGN: A randomised controlled trial. METHODS: New patients were randomly allocated to:receive a reminder letter and return a confirmation slip ornot receive a reminder. OUTCOME MEASURES: Patient attendance at the clinic. RESULTS: A total of 232 patients were entered into the study between June 18, 2001 and August 29, 2001. These were randomly allocated to 115 (49.8%) in the reminder group and 116 (50.2%) in the no reminder group. If the patient received a reminder and returned the confirmation they were less likely to fail the appointment than if they did not receive a reminder (OR 0.4, 95% CI 0.2 to 0.96) There was an effect of social deprivation, if the patients lived in an area of high social deprivation they were 2.7 (95% CI 1.1 to 6.5) times more likely to fail to attend an appointment than people who were more affluent. CONCLUSIONS: The use of postal reminders for orthodontic consultation appointments appears to result in a useful increase of appointments that are kept or cancelled in advance.
Authors: Simone Maria Massud Leone; Andrea Maria de Souza-Constantino; Ana Claudia Castro Ferreira Conti; Leopoldino Capelozza Filho; Renata Rodrigues de Almeida-Pedrin Journal: Angle Orthod Date: 2018-08-03 Impact factor: 2.079