The Open University, Milton Keynes, United Kingdom.
Glyndwr University, Wrexham, United Kingdom.
J Med Internet Res. 2024 Jul 29;26:e43894. doi: 10.2196/43894.
SMS texting systems have been considered a potential solution to reduce missed appointments in primary care. Existing research in this area focuses on qualitative studies investigating the attitudes of SMS text users and receivers.
This study aimed to examine appointment data from an independent general practitioner (GP) surgery in Wrexham, United Kingdom, with approximately 15,000 patients, to determine the impact of text messaging systems on reducing missed appointments. The objective of this study was to investigate whether the use of text messages can effectively reduce missed appointments.
To collect data for the study, SQL reports were run on EMIS Web, the United Kingdom's most widely used clinical system. The data spanned 10 years, from September 1, 2010, to March 31, 2020. Data accuracy was verified by cross-referencing with appointment diary records. Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests, chosen for their suitability in comparing groups in nonparametric settings, were conducted in Microsoft Excel due to its accessibility.
Statistical analyses were conducted to compare data before and after implementation of the text messaging system. The results revealed a significant 42.8% reduction in missed appointments (before: 5848; after: 3343; P<.001). Further analysis of demographic characteristics revealed interesting trends, with no significant difference in missed appointments between genders, and variations observed across different age groups. The median number of missed appointments was not significantly different between genders (women: 1.55, IQR 1.11-2.16; men: 1.61, IQR 1.08-2.12; P=.73). Despite the prevalence of mobile phone use among young adults aged 20-25 years, the highest rates of missed appointments (848/7256, 11.7%) were noted in this group, whereas the lowest rates were noted in the 75-80 years age group (377/7256; 5.2%; P<.001). Analysis by age and gender indicated inconsistencies: women aged 20-25 years (571/4216) and men aged 35-40 years (306/3040) had the highest rates of missed appointments, whereas women aged 70-75 years (177/4216) and men aged 75-80 years (129/3040) had the lowest rates (P<.001 for both).
This study demonstrates that SMS text messaging in primary care can significantly reduce missed appointments. Implementing technology such as SMS text messaging systems enables patients to cancel appointments on time, leading to improved efficiency in primary care settings.
短信文本系统已被认为是减少初级保健中预约失约的一种潜在解决方案。该领域的现有研究侧重于调查短信文本用户和接收者态度的定性研究。
本研究旨在通过对英国雷克瑟姆的一家独立全科医生（GP）外科手术的预约数据进行分析，以确定短信系统对减少预约失约的影响。该研究的目的是调查短信是否可以有效减少预约失约。
为了收集研究数据，在英国使用最广泛的临床系统 EMIS Web 上运行了 SQL 报告。数据跨度为 10 年，从 2010 年 9 月 1 日至 2020 年 3 月 31 日。通过与预约日记记录交叉引用来验证数据准确性。由于 Microsoft Excel 易于访问，因此选择了适合非参数设置中比较组的 Mann-Whitney 和 Kruskal-Wallis 检验进行分析。
对实施短信系统前后的数据进行了统计分析。结果显示，预约失约率显著降低了 42.8%（实施前：5848；实施后：3343；P<.001）。对人口统计学特征的进一步分析揭示了有趣的趋势，性别之间的预约失约率没有显著差异，不同年龄组之间存在差异。性别之间的预约失约中位数没有显著差异（女性：1.55，IQR 1.11-2.16；男性：1.61，IQR 1.08-2.12；P=.73）。尽管 20-25 岁的年轻成年人普遍使用手机，但该组的预约失约率最高（848/7256，11.7%），而 75-80 岁年龄组的预约失约率最低（377/7256；5.2%；P<.001）。按年龄和性别进行分析表明存在不一致性：20-25 岁的女性（571/4216）和 35-40 岁的男性（306/3040）的预约失约率最高，而 70-75 岁的女性（177/4216）和 75-80 岁的男性（129/3040）的预约失约率最低（两者均 P<.001）。
本研究表明，初级保健中的短信文本在减少预约失约方面非常有效。实施短信文本等技术使患者能够及时取消预约，从而提高初级保健环境的效率。
