Journal of Primary Care & Community Health (Jan 2016)

Increased Likelihood of Missed Appointments (“No Shows”) for Racial/Ethnic Minorities in a Safety Net Health System

  • Scott Shimotsu,
  • Anne Roehrl,
  • Maribet McCarty,
  • Katherine Vickery,
  • Laura Guzman-Corrales,
  • Mark Linzer,
  • Nancy Garrett

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1177/2150131915599980
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 7

Abstract

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Missed appointments have been linked to adverse outcomes known to affect racial/ethnic minorities. However, the association of missed appointments with race/ethnicity has not been determined. We sought to determine the relationships between race/ethnicity and missed appointments by performing a cross-sectional study of 161 350 patients in a safety net health system. Several race/ethnicity categories were significantly associated with missed appointment rates, including Hispanic/Latino patients, American Indian/Alaskan Native patients, and Black/African American patients, as compared with White non-Hispanic patients. Other significant predictors included Mexico as country of origin, medical complexity, and major mental illness. We recommend additional research to determine which interventions best reduce missed appointments for minority populations in order to improve the care of vulnerable patients.