To the Editor: Outpatient non-attendance remains a major problem that significantly drains the ability of hospitals to provide efficient and effective outpatient services.1,2 Our earlier pilot study demonstrated the effectiveness of short message service (SMS) text message reminders in improving attendance at the outpatient department in Melbourne’s Royal Children’s Hospital (a 250-bed tertiary referral hospital).3,4
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- 1. Outpatients: Missed appointments and cancelled clinics. Report by the Comptroller and Auditor General, Northern Ireland Audit Office. London: The Stationery Office, 2007. http://www.niauditoffice.gov.uk/pubs/onereport. asp?arc=False&id=194&dm=0&dy=0 (accessed Aug 2011).
- 2. Stone CA, Palmer JH, Saxby PJ, Devaraj VK. Reducing non-attendance at outpatient clinics. J R Soc Med 1999; 92: 114-118.
- 3. Downer SR, Meara JG, Da Costa AC. Use of SMS text messaging to improve outpatient attendance. Med J Aust 2005; 183: 366-368. <MJA full text>
- 4. Downer SR, Meara JG, Da Costa AC, Sethuraman K. SMS text messaging improves outpatient attendance. Aust Health Rev 2006; 30: 389-396.
- 5. Danesh J, Gault S, Semmence J, et al. Postcodes as useful markers of social class: population based study in 26 000 British households. BMJ 1999; 318: 843-844.
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