[The influence of mail service on the incidence of absentees in a children health care center (author's transl)]

Rev Bras Pesqui Med Biol. 1977 Dec;10(6):421-6.
[Article in Portuguese]

Abstract

The authors have made a research on the influence of mailing letters on keeping up the returns in an ambulatory of health care service. The purpose of the paper was to seek a way to improve the return rate, which is usually low, and brings up difficulties to structure adequately a staff. One hundred children who had failed to come to their last appointment were studied and divided in two groups: 50 children to whose responsible were sent letters setting up a new appointment were included in group I; group II served as a control group. Out of the 97 absentees, 36 children (37.1%) returned. Their return was spontaneous in 22 cases (22.7%)--12 children of group I and 10 of group II. 14 mothers returned on the date set up by mail. Out of the 47 mailed letters, 20 (42.5%) were sent back by the post office. The authors have concluded that mailing letters was an effective method to decrease the number of children who miss their follow-up in ambulatory of health care service.

Publication types

  • English Abstract

MeSH terms

  • Absenteeism*
  • Appointments and Schedules*
  • Brazil
  • Child Day Care Centers*
  • Child, Preschool
  • Communication
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Male
  • Organization and Administration