Authors: Aditi Bhat, Raza Syed Hasan, Betarse Dev.
Background: Non-attendance for appointments in healthcare results in wasted resources and disruption of planned work-schedules [1]. In the UK, economic cost of DNA (Did Not Attend) events was estimated about 1 billion pounds with a national average DNA rate of 8% in 2018-19 [2] and 8.8% in 2016-17[3] DNA rates for Radiology are often high probably due to a bias of radiology referrals towards an older, potentially more dependent population [4].
Objectives: To analyse the Ultrasound DNA and its reasons.
To evaluate effect of changes implemented to improve the DNA rate.
Method: A baseline audit was performed by retrospective analysis of Ultrasound appointments from a week in February 2020. A re-audit was done in July 2020 following recommendations such as setting up a SMS/Call reminder service, maintaining up to date contact details and separate coding for ‘false’ DNAs.
Results: In the initial audit, the DNA rate was 8.6%. The most commonly encountered reasons were appointment letters issues (32%) and false coding as DNA (24%). Introduction of SMS/Call reminder service with regularly updated contact details resulted in a marked reduction of DNA (4.1%), the appointment letters issues and falsely coding contributing to 8.3% each. There was also a significant improvement in the number of patients who responded/could be contacted (increase from 43 to 58.3%).
Conclusion: The introduction of Call/SMS reminder system reduced the DNA rate by almost half.
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