Although it has been commonly taught and has been reported elsewhere
that telephone prompting increases the rate at which patients keep their
first outpatient clinic appointment, this study indicated that the
increased rate at which patients kept their first appointment was more
likely related to socioeconomic factors (such as having a telephone) than
to telephone prompting. The authors conclude that measures to improve
services to patients need to be carefully scrutinized before one can assume
that results following initiation of a new procedure are in fact due to
that procedure.Abstract Teaser