# Investigating patient nonattendance at healthcare appointments in Türkiye: data from a state hospital and an oral and dental health center

## TL;DR

This study examines why patients miss healthcare appointments in Turkey, finding that forgetfulness and scheduling conflicts are major causes.

## Contribution

The study provides new insights into nonattendance patterns and factors in Turkish healthcare settings.

## Key findings

- The dental center had a much higher nonattendance rate (23.8%) than the hospital (2.2%).
- Forgetfulness was the most common reason for missed appointments, followed by scheduling conflicts and illness.

## Abstract

To determine the frequency and reasons for appointment nonattendance in a state hospital and a dental health center in a densely populated district of Türkiye, and to identify related factors to guide preventive measures.

This retrospective cross-sectional study included patients who scheduled appointments at Ankara Etimesgut State Hospital and Etimesgut Oral and Dental Health Center through the Centralized Patient Appointment System (Merkezi Hekim Randevu Sistemi; MHRS) in February 2024. Nonattendees were contacted in March 2024 to determine reasons for nonattendance.

A total of 30,552 appointments were analyzed (1978 dental, 28,574 hospital). The overall nonattendance rate was 9.76%, with significantly higher rates in the dental center (23.8%) compared to the state hospital (2.2%) (p < 0.001). Males had higher nonattendance rates than females (4.04% versus 3.36%, p = 0.002), and the 19–45 age group showed the highest nonattendance (5.63%, p < 0.001). The most common reasons were forgetfulness (20.7%), scheduling conflicts (16.5%), and illness (13.8%).

Appointment nonattendance is influenced by demographics and timing. Comprehensive reminder systems and flexible scheduling policies may effectively reduce nonattendance rates, particularly among young adults, thereby improving patient adherence and healthcare resource utilization.