Improving Sickle Cell Patient Appointment Compliance in a Hospital-Based Pediatric Ophthalmology Clinic

Abstract

This quality improvement initiative aimed to reduce the no-show rate at a hospital-based tertiary sickle cell ophthalmology clinic. Missed appointments place a significant burden on the healthcare system, resulting in prolonged waiting times and underutilized clinical resources that impact the quality of care provided. Individuals with sickle cell disease commonly require multiple appointments to address the myriads of comorbidities associated with their disease. Nevertheless, the sickle cell ophthalmology clinic experienced an alarmingly high no-show rate of 49% from June to September of 2021 despite offering same-day appointments with the hematology clinic. To address this issue, we conducted a study in which we compared the baseline no-show rate with the rate after relocating both clinics to the same floor, aiming to overcome patient-related barriers. Following 3.5 months of the clinics sharing the same floor, the no-show rate decreased to 39%, reflecting a 10% improvement from the baseline rate. In summary, co-locating two related clinics can alleviate patient burdens, foster communication between multidisciplinary specialties, and contribute to an overall improvement in the quality of care and treatment provided.