Relationship of Scheduling Interval to Missed and Cancelled Clinic Appointments

BACKGROUND: The interval between when a clinical appointment is created and when it occurs may affect the rate of missed and cancelled appointments, affecting access and loss to follow-up, key component of quality. METHODS: We examined this relationship in various clinic types across Veterans Health Administration clinics nationwide. RESULTS: As the interval increased, the missed appointment rate increased from 12.0% at day 1 to 20.3% at day 13, then remained constant. Cancellation rates increased steadily from 19% during month 1 to 50% by month 12. CONCLUSIONS: Scheduling interval has a modest effect on missed appointment rates but a large effect on cancellation rates.