Submission ID 116912
| Issue/Objective | Healthcare accessibility in Haiti is severely impacted by an ongoing socio-political crisis that has led to widespread instability, disruptions in transportation, and limited access to essential services. The crisis, marked by terrorist attacks, repeated violence against healthcare professionals, and attacks on health facilities, has significantly affected patients' ability to attend medical appointments. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of patient reminder systems in improving appointment attendance in this challenging context. |
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| Methodology/Approach | We analyzed appointment data from four healthcare centers in Port-au-Prince, covering patients aged 15 and older between January 2021 and November 2023. Appointment attendance rates for patients who received reminders via SMS, email, or both were compared to those who did not receive reminders. We performed descriptive analysis, Pearson's Chi-squared test, and multivariate mixed-effect logistic regression to assess the association between reminder receipt and attendance, adjusting for socio-demographic factors. |
| Results | A total of 14,108 appointments were registered in the reminder system, with 2,479 (17.6%) attendances. Attendance rates were higher among reminder recipients: 17.4% for email-only, 36.7% for SMS-only, and 42.2% for both SMS and email, compared to 16.7% for non-reminder recipients. The non-attendance rate among reminder recipients followed a trend similar to the evolution of fatalities from civilian targeting events. After adjusting for socio-demographic factors, reminder recipients were significantly more likely to attend appointments: email (aOR: 1.45), SMS (aOR: 2.95), and both (aOR: 2.86). Socio-demographic factors such as older age, living as a couple, and not having children were also associated with higher attendance rates. |
| Discussion/Conclusion | The study indicated that patient reminder systems can improve appointment attendance in Haiti, even in the context of a socio-political crisis. Higher attendance rates among reminder recipients highlight the potential of these systems to reduce non-attendance and enhance healthcare accessibility. Additionally, socio-demographic factors such as age, marital status, and having children were associated with attendance, suggesting the need for more personalized and inclusive reminder strategies to further improve engagement. |
| Presenters and affiliations | Marcmy Presume University of Bordeaux, National Institute for Health and Medical Research (INSERM) UMR 1219, Research Institute for Sustainable Development (IRD) EMR 271, Bordeaux Population Health Research Centre, Bordeaux, France Charles Patrick Almazor Hopital Sage Citymed Mathias Altmann University of Bordeaux, National Institute for Health and Medical Research (INSERM) UMR 1219, Research Institute for Sustainable Development (IRD) EMR 271, Bordeaux Population Health Research Centre |
