Change in Patient Perceptions of Electronic Communication Methods for an Orthopaedic Fracture Clinic Between 2019 and 2024.

Introduction Outpatient appointments are essential to patient care, yet rising non-attendance rates ('did not attend' DNAs) pose significant challenges, costing the National Health Service (NHS) over £1 billion annually. Traditional postal communication is inefficient and costly, while digital methods like short messaging service (SMS) and electronic mail (email) show the potential to improve attendance and reduce costs. This study investigates changes in patient preferences for orthopaedic outpatient communication methods between 2019 and 2024 at a busy district general hospital in London, UK. Methods A comparative cross-sectional study was conducted in 2019 and repeated in 2024. A total of 202 participants were involved in this study. A paper questionnaire was administered during fracture clinic visits, collecting data on electronic communication preferences, technology access, and missed appointments. Results The proportion of participants preferring email communication increased significantly from 68.89% in 2019 to 80.61% in 2024 (p < 0.05). Smartphone ownership also significantly rose from 66.32% to 84.46% (p < 0.05). There were no significant differences in satisfaction with other-based communication across cohorts, but an increasing trend towards digital communication was noted (p > 0.05). Conclusion Patients show a preference for digital communication over traditional methods. Adopting email-based systems could potentially improve attendance and reduce missed appointments. Further research is needed to address privacy concerns and optimise communication based on patient preferences.