Patient absenteeism in outpatient consultations: an integrative literature review

Abstract

Objective: To identify and analyze the production of knowledge in national and international literature on patient absenteeism in scheduled medical consultations. Method: This is an integrative literature review in the databases PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, CINAHL, Medline, LILACS, Virtual Health Library of the São Paulo State Department of Health and Spanish Bibliographic Index in Health Sciences, accessed through the Virtual Health Library Portal, based on the guiding question. Results: A total of 767 articles was found and nine were selected. Forgetfulness predominated among the reasons for absence. Other findings regarding the cost to the health service and strategies for solving the problem are highlighted. Conclusion: As the focus of the studies, the concern with the quality of care, increased treatment queues and high demand, as well as the cost of absent patients, are evident. Despite the relevance of the theme for the health services organization, the literature is still scarce.