"Staff Education Project Strategies for Reducing No-Shows" by Ekop Graham

Date of Conferral

12-17-2024

Degree

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

School

Nursing

Advisor

Cheryl Holly

Abstract

The staff education project addressed a gap in managing patient no-shows at a psychiatric clinic, where approximately 25% of scheduled appointments were missed. This issue severely impacted patient care continuity, delayed necessary treatments, and increased healthcare costs. The clinic’s practices of using reminder calls and emails had been insufficient in reducing no-shows. A literature review highlighted several effective interventions in imprvoing patient adherence and reducing missed appointments, such as facilitated appointment scheduling, personalized communication, and patient-centered strategies. The project aimed to enhance the nursing staff’s knowledge in addressing patient no-shows by educating them on causes, including logistical barriers and psychological factors like stigma, fear of treatment, and low motivation. Using resources from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), a structured education program was developed for the 22 participating nurses. The program consisted of two full-day sessions focusing on health literacy, follow-up protocols, and evidence-based strategies to reduce no-shows. The project utilized a test pre-post-test design. The post-test showed significant improvements in knowledge, with the mean score rising from 66.5% to 92%, representing a 25.5% knowledge gain. A paired t test confirmed the statistical significance of this improvement (t = 19.56, df = 29, p < 0.001), demonstrating the effectiveness of the educational intervention. The project established that structured educational interventions could significantly enhance staff’s understanding and management of missed appointments, ultimately contributing to better patient outcomes, efficient clinic operations, and equity, diversity and inclusion.

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