Reducing missed behavioral health appointments in a federally qualified center : a quality improvement project

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of mental health in public health services, leading to an increased reliance on telehealth for behavioral health care (Koonin et al., 2020). However, the shift to telehealth has been associated with higher rates of missed appointments in behavioral health settings (Koonin et al., 2020). Problem: Since January 2023, a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) in Southeastern Michigan has experienced a significant increase in no-show rates compared to the periods before and during the pandemic. Purpose: This quality improvement (QI) project aimed to reduce the no-show rate by 5% by identifying barriers to attendance and implementing targeted interventions, including 24-hour appointment reminders and gratitude calls. Methods: An initial 5-question survey was used to gather data on potential barriers. Appointment data were collected from the Electronic Health Record (EHR) system. The interventions were executed using the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) model and evaluated with statistical analysis in Excel. At the conclusion of the QI project, results were analyzed to determine whether the FQHC should adopt, adapt, or abandon the interventions. Results: The FQHC no-show rate was reduced by 5% during the eight-week intervention period from 27% to 22%. Patients reported transportation and forgetfulness as contributing factors to no-shows. Transportation issues were reported by 29% of the patients in the survey.

Author dc:creator

• Stephen-Green, TaSharra

Contributors dc:contributor

• Bowen, Morgan

• Medical appointments and schedules
• Mental health services--Utilization
• Patient compliance

Statement dc:rights

• In Copyright

Language dc:language

English

Identifier

dnp:64
oclc:1477989761
local:R_7fxQNAdtQv8UzdO

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:d.lib.msu.edu:dnp_64