Prevalence and Predictors of Missed Appointments Within an Outpatient Behavioral Clinic for Autistic Children.
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| Title: | Prevalence and Predictors of Missed Appointments Within an Outpatient Behavioral Clinic for Autistic Children. |
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| Authors: | Bottini, Summer (AUTHOR), Johnson, Laura (AUTHOR), McGinnis, Makayla (AUTHOR), Scheithauer, Mindy (AUTHOR) |
| Source: | Journal of Autism & Developmental Disorders. Jul2026, Vol. 56 Issue 7, p2710-2720. 11p. |
| Subjects: | Treatment of autism, Patient compliance, Risk assessment, Health services accessibility, Autism, Sex distribution, Health insurance, Retrospective studies, Descriptive statistics, Age distribution, Disease prevalence, Race, Transportation, Medical appointments, Medical records, Acquisition of data, Medical emergencies, Asperger's syndrome, Clinics, Sociodemographic factors, Externalizing behavior, Data analysis software, Behavior therapy, Child behavior, Regression analysis, COVID-19 pandemic, Comorbidity, Sleep disorders |
| Abstract: | Missed appointments are detrimental to the healthcare system and to the clients themselves. Autistic youth may be particularly impacted due to unique service needs and limited services available within the system. To date, there is limited literature specific to treatment attendance in autistic populations receiving behavioral services. This study examines prevalence, predictors of, and reasons for missed appointments in an outpatient clinic specializing in addressing behavioral concerns. This retrospective case review examines missed appointments in a sample of 306 autistic youths from an outpatient clinic from 2019 to 2022. An average of 5.2 appointments were cancelled and 9.0 were completed, resulting in an average individual cancellation rate of 38%. Statistically significant predictors of no shows and patient cancellations were younger age and a post-COVID appointment. The most common reasons for missed appointments was sickness, scheduling conflict, insurance authorization issues, and family emergency. Missed appointments may be common in outpatient behavioral settings for autistic youth. Resolving issues related to cancellations (e.g., sleep concerns), identifying families in need of targeted support strategies (e.g., assistance and flexibility with scheduling, transportation support), and advocating for systemic change may help meet the multifaceted needs of this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Copyright of Journal of Autism & Developmental Disorders is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) | |
| Database: | Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection |
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| Abstract: | Missed appointments are detrimental to the healthcare system and to the clients themselves. Autistic youth may be particularly impacted due to unique service needs and limited services available within the system. To date, there is limited literature specific to treatment attendance in autistic populations receiving behavioral services. This study examines prevalence, predictors of, and reasons for missed appointments in an outpatient clinic specializing in addressing behavioral concerns. This retrospective case review examines missed appointments in a sample of 306 autistic youths from an outpatient clinic from 2019 to 2022. An average of 5.2 appointments were cancelled and 9.0 were completed, resulting in an average individual cancellation rate of 38%. Statistically significant predictors of no shows and patient cancellations were younger age and a post-COVID appointment. The most common reasons for missed appointments was sickness, scheduling conflict, insurance authorization issues, and family emergency. Missed appointments may be common in outpatient behavioral settings for autistic youth. Resolving issues related to cancellations (e.g., sleep concerns), identifying families in need of targeted support strategies (e.g., assistance and flexibility with scheduling, transportation support), and advocating for systemic change may help meet the multifaceted needs of this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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| ISSN: | 01623257 |
| DOI: | 10.1007/s10803-025-06752-9 |
