Whiteboard highlights cost of missed appointments at Charlottetown clinic

An obstetric and gynecology clinic in Charlottetown is making public its missed appointments, which totalled more than 18 hours of specialists' time in the month of December.

The clinic posted the number of missed appointments on a whiteboard in the waiting room showing patients how much time is lost when appointments are missed.

"If you miss that appointment, and don't call to reschedule, it could affect your health because you may not get the care you need at the time you need it," said Carol Sellar, manager of the clinic.

There are seven gynecologists working out of the clinic on top of the their duties at the hospital. 

Each one sees between 50-70 patients a day and the clinic can see 700 patients on a busy day.

Management says the missed appointments double the workload for everyone.

"When you're coming for an appointment, the secretaries have booked it, they've pulled your chart, the nurse has prepped your chart, she's gotten the information out of the system, doctor has reviewed it, and then you don't come ... and it leaves people on that waiting list longer than they really should be," Sellar said.

There were 87 missed appointments in December and Sellar calculates that is more than 18 hours of specialists' time.

They posted the whiteboard in the waiting room in October so people could be reminded to call in if they are going to miss their appointment.

"I'd just like them to know that it could affect the outcome of the baby if they are pregnant or if it is cancer related or whatever, but you could be affecting somebody else's health by not attending because you are making everybody's wait longer," Sellar said.

"My sister died of ovarian cancer, so it's really ... you just don't want people waiting longer than they should. There are standards and we try our best to meet those standards."

The clinic is working on their phone call out system to get out more reminders.

For pregnant patients, they will receive a full print-out with all their appointments on their first visit. The document will also include all the phone and email contacts for the clinic and the office's storm policy.

• MORE P.E.I. NEWS | P.E.I. seniors upset as snowmobile 'bullies' zip past home
• MORE P.E.I. NEWS | Charlottetown man competing in international e-sports tournament