This paper describes an audit study of general psychiatric outpatient defaulters in Hong Kong. Defaulters were increased among those who were married, unem ployed, housewives, seen within one year, receiving medications and previously admitted to hospital. Clinical diagnoses (ICD-10 Axis-1) of the F1, F2, F3 and F7 groups were also associated with increased defaulting behaviour. However, fewer defaulters were found among those who were aged below 19, single, employed, students, and had diagnostic groups of F4 and F9. These results added new information on the non-attendance behavioral pattern of Chinese patients.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Bender, K.G. & Koshy, M.K. (1991) Returning for follow up: attendance compliance in an Indian psychiatric clinic. International Journal of Social Psychiatry, 37, 173-181.
2.
Campbell, B.C., Staley, D. & Matas, M. (1991) Who misses appointments? An empirical analysis . Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 36, 223-225.
3.
Department Of Health, Uk (1989) Working for patients. Medical audit. (Working paper No. 6)HMSO. London.
4.
Hospital Authority, Hong Kong. (1964) Patients' Charter. HAHK.
5.
Hutton, P. & Renovize, E. (1991) Psychiatric audit. Psychiatric Bulletin, 15, 550-551.
6.
Lam, A.H.C. (1994) Clinical and socio-economic parameters of inpatients attending Li Ka Shing psychiatric clinic. M. Phil Thesis, Chinese University of Hong Kong.
7.
Maxwell, R.J. (1984) Quality assessment in health. British Medical Journal, 288, 1470-1471.
8.
Sanazaro, P. (1983) Quality assurance in medicine in world symposium for quality in health care. WHO, Geneva.
9.
Shaw, C.D. (1990) Criterion based audit. British Medical Journal, 300, 649-651.
10.
Shaw, C.D. & Constain, P.W. (1989) Guidelines for medical audit: seven principles. British Medical Journal, 299, 489-499.
11.
Smyth, M., Vostanis, P. & Dean, C. (1990) Psychiatric outpatient non-attendance: a cause for relief or concern?Psychiatric Bulletin, 14, 147-149.
12.
Sparr, L.F., Moffit, M.C. & Ward, M.F. (1993) Missed psychiatric appointments: who returns and who stays away. American Journal of Psychiatry,150, 801-805.
13.
Thapar, A. & Ghosh, A. (1991) Non-attendance at a psychiatric clinic. Psychiatric Bulletin, 15, 205-206.
14.
William, R. (1989) Illness visualization and therapeutic adherence . Journal of Family Practice, 28, 185-192.
