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ORCID
https://orcid.org/0009-0003-5046-564X
Date of Graduation
12-14-2024
Semester of Graduation
Fall
Degree Name
Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
Department
School of Nursing
First Advisor
Erika Metzler Sawin
Abstract
Mental healthcare in America faces many significant challenges; this is especially true in rural regions like Southwest Virginia. When patients miss their scheduled appointments, it represents a lost opportunity to deliver the critical mental health services that other individuals in need could have benefited from. A significant access issue presents itself when patients are not able to get the mental health support they need. The lack of outpatient access leads to patients utilizing emergency rooms inappropriately for what could have been routine care visits. A multitude of factors can contribute to patients failing to attend their scheduled appointments, including transportation barriers, childcare constraints, forgetfulness, gender, age, severity of the patient’s mental illness, and even inclement weather. No shows not only create a substantial financial burden on healthcare organizations through lost revenue and decreased provider productivity but, no-shows also exacerbate the access challenges faced by those seeking mental health support. This program evaluation will examine the effectiveness of a behavioral health unit task force focused on “Reducing No-shows” within a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) situated in the rural region of Southwest Virginia. By addressing the issue of missed appointments, this initiative aims to enhance the availability and accessibility of much needed mental healthcare services for the local rural community.
Included in
Interprofessional Education Commons, Psychiatric and Mental Health Commons, Quality Improvement Commons
