Analysis of economic cost of missed outpatient appointments

• Published in: Revista de calidad asistencial Vol. 32; no. 4; pp. 194 - 199
• Main Authors: Jabalera Mesa, M L, Morales Asencio, J M, Rivas Ruiz, F, Porras González, M H
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Spanish
• Published: Spain 01-07-2017
• Subjects: Ambulatory Care - economics; Ambulatory Care - statistics & numerical data; Case-Control Studies; Costs and Cost Analysis; Female; Humans; Male; No-Show Patients - statistics & numerical data; Citas y horarios; Outpatients; Paciente ambulatorio; Remisión y consulta; Referral and consultation; Costs and cost analysis; Costo y análisis de costo; Cuidados ambulatorios; Appointments and schedules; Ambulatory care
• ISSN: 1887-1364
• DOI: 10.1016/j.cali.2017.01.004

To estimate the economic costs of missed Outpatient appointments by the Costa del Sol Health Agency (ASCS).
An analysis was performed on the costs arising from missed outpatient appointments (first appointment and examinations) of each of the specialities in the Centres belonging to the ASCS. A formula was used to determine the unit cost per appointment and per centre and speciality. This involved the direct imputation of the controllable costs and the indirect imputation of the service costs, together with an estimated cost of re-appointments based on a previous case-control study.
The cost of missed appointments per centre in the Costa del Sol Hospital was €2,475,640, with a failure rate of 14.2% (256,377 appointments). In the Benalmádena High Resolution Hospital it was €515,936, with an absence rate of 12.2% (44,848 appointments), and in the Mijas High Resolution Centre, a cost of €395,342 with an absence rate of the 13.5% (99,536 appointments). The mean extra cost of a re-appointment was €12.95. The specialities with a higher medium cost were Digestive Diseases, Internal Medicine, and Rehabilitation.
The economic cost of patients not turning up for scheduled appointments in the ASCS was greater than 3 million Euros for a non-attendance rate of the 13.8%, with Mijas High Resolution Centre being the centre that showed the lowest mean unitary cost per medical appointment.