1. Research Question
Purpose
State the primary research question and objectives of the project.
Details
Primary Research Question: What patient and system factors predict the likelihood of a missed outpatient appointment in adult ambulatory care settings?
Study Aim: To develop an exploratory logistic regression model identifying the strength of association between historical missed appointments, socio-demographic indicators (deprivation quintile), appointment characteristics (lead time, appointment type), and the outcome of a missed scheduled visit.
Primary Outcome: - missed_appointment: Binary outcome (0 = Attended or Cancelled appropriately, 1 = Did Not Attend/Missed).
Key Predictors of Interest: - age: Patient age in years. - lead_time_days: Days between scheduling the appointment and the appointment date. - appointment_type: Type of consultation (e.g., Initial, Follow-up, Routine). - previous_missed: Count of missed appointments in the previous 12 months. - deprivation_quintile: Socio-economic status indicator (1 = Most deprived, 5 = Least deprived).
Awareness & Orientation: The formulation of these variables was guided by standard health services literature. No AI systems were used to determine the primary outcome or the specific predictor variables chosen.