Satisfaction of ottenders and non-attenders with their treatments at psychiatric out-patient clinics

Aims and method Non-attendance at psychiatric outpatient appointments has a substantial financial cost, and may also have clinical significance. To prevent non-attendance and formulate effective responses, its determinants need to be understood. Patient dissatisfaction with services has been suggested as a reason for non-attendance, we therefore investigated the role of patient satisfaction in attendance at psychiatric out-patients appointments. All patients booked for adult psychiatric out-patient follow-up appointments in a three-month period were studied using a brief, self-report questionnaire. Results Sixty-three per cent (340/538) of offenders and 54% (118/219) of non-attenders responded. Responders expressed high levels of satisfaction with their treatment (92% offenders, 91% non-attenders) and with the service (96% attenders 92% non-attenders). Despite adequate statistical power, there were no statistically significant differences in satisfaction between the two groups. Clinical implications In conclusion, patient satisfaction with psychiatric out-patient care was reported to be relatively high and did not seem to be an important determinant of non-attendance. Further work is needed to determine the impact of variables such as relapse and social disorganisation on attendance.