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Does Making Newborn Follow-up Appointments from the Hospital Improve Compliance?

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Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To test a system of arranging the first newborn follow-up appointments made from the hospital prior to discharge.

METHODS: Prospective randomized study of 328 term healthy newborns divided into control and intervention groups. As there were multiple practices, we checked for clustering in the two groups and then compared them for patient compliance with the first newborn appointment. We also compared the control and intervention groups for compliance with regard to insurance status.

RESULTS: There was difference between the control and intervention group in timeliness for the first appointment (control, 84.9%, intervention group, 94.2%, p=0.0062). There was also improvement in privately insured patients (control 89.1%, intervention 96.5%, p=0.0263), as well as in Medicaid+noninsured patients (control 64.7%, intervention 90.2%, p=0.0245).

DISCUSSION: We conclude that arranging for follow-up appointments from the hospital is a worthwhile inexpensive intervention that could significantly improve patient compliance with the first newborn visit.

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Acknowledgements

We are thankful to our research assistants Nicole Bohach and Mandy Lentz, statistician Ron Pimentel, MS and to Amy Esman and Cory Edgecomb for secretarial help.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Michigan State University College of Human Medicine, Kalamazoo Center for Medical Studies, Kalamazoo, MI, USA

    Arthur N Feinberg MD, Daniel G McAllister MD & Suvankar Majumdar MD

Authors
  1. Arthur N Feinberg MD
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  2. Daniel G McAllister MD
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  3. Suvankar Majumdar MD
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Additional information

This work was supported by a grant from the Bronson Center for Clinical and Community Research.

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Feinberg, A., McAllister, D. & Majumdar, S. Does Making Newborn Follow-up Appointments from the Hospital Improve Compliance?. J Perinatol 24, 645–649 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.jp.7211148

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