A zero cost way to reduce missed hospital appointments

"This randomised controlled trial tested the effectiveness of the reminder message sent to outpatients. Results showed if the message included the specific cost to the NHS of not attending then the patient was more likely to attend or rearrange their appointment – rather than miss it."

A zero cost way to reduce missed hospital appointments
Department of Health
January 2016

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Improving feedback from outpatient medical appointments attended by escorted psychiatric patients

"It is therefore vital that good communication channels exist between specialties and that there is a change of culture in psychiatric hospitals where patients’ physical health is considered as important as their mental health."

Improving feedback from outpatient medical appointments attended by escorted psychiatric patients in the North London Forensic Service
K McCurdy, A Croxford
BMJ Quality Improvement Reports 2015;4: doi:10.1136/bmjquality.u205791.w2356

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Multiple sclerosis outpatient future groups: improving the quality of service improvement activities

"The Multiple Sclerosis Outpatient Future Group study aimed to explore how analogies and props can be used to facilitate rich interactions between staff and patients within these activities. This paper will consider how these interactions supported participants to share experiences, generate ideas and suggest service improvements."

Multiple sclerosis outpatient future groups: improving the quality of participant interaction and ideation tools within service improvement activities
A Thomson, C Rivas, G Giovannoni
BMC Health Services Research 2015, 15:105  doi:10.1186/s12913-015-0773-8

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Does integrated care deliver the benefits expected?

"A two-year initiative by the Department of Health explored new ways of integrating patient care from different local providers."

Does integrated care deliver the benefits expected? Findings from 16 integrated care pilot initiatives in England
RAND Europe
May 2013

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Choosing the place of care

"This report has described how locations of outpatient attendance and inpatient admission have changed since the introduction of patient choice in 2006 and the expansion of independent sector treatment centres (ISTCs) from 2007 onwards."

Choosing the place of care: the effect of patient choice on treatment location in England, 2003-2011
E Kelly, G Tetlow
Nuffield Trust
November 2012

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