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Biomedical subjects

D Reekie

Publications and source records attributed to D Reekie.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1998

Preventing failed appointments in general dental practice: a comparison of reminder methods.

OBJECTIVE: To test the effectiveness of different systems of reminding patients about their appointments in order to reduce the rate of failed attendance. The expense in implementing a reminder system for patients was also estimated. DESIGN: A clinical study in a single-handed dental practice. SUBJECTS: Patients were reminded about their appointment using either postal, manual telephone or automated telephone reminders (or all three combined). A control group received no reminders. 500 patient attendances were recorded in each group. RESULTS: Patients failed to attend for 130 of the 2500 appointments considered in the study. There was a significant reduction in the failed attendance rate from 9.4% (with no reminder) to a minimum of 3% when a reminder was given to the patient before the appointment. However, there was no significant difference among the four reminder test groups, indicating that the form of the reminder made no difference to the failure rate. CONCLUSIONS: Reminding patients using postal or manual telephone techniques is effective at improving attendance. All of the reminder methods, telephone and postal, provided net cost savings rather than additional costs.

Appointments and Schedules↗
PubMed1998

The future of dentistry--the evidence revolution.

An increasing demand for evidence-based practice will transform the way we treat our patients in the next decade. This represents both a threat and a golden opportunity for GDPs. I believe that we should grasp this opportunity and in partnership with our academic colleagues, develop a national programme of general practice research.

Academic Medical Centers↗
PubMed1997

Victims of the drill.

It is now widely recognised that dentistry based mainly on the restoration of teeth has failed to deliver dental health to our patients. There is an urgent need for GDPs to face up to the full implications of this failure and implement a truly preventive practice philosophy. We must also recognise the particular plight of our patients with very heavily restored dentitions who are the real victims of the drill and fill culture of the last 40 years. There must be no more additions to their ranks.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗
PubMed1997

The prevention of failed appointments in general dental practice.

AIM: To identify those patients most likely to fail to attend dental appointments. DESIGN: Retrospective analysis of the attendance pattern of patients. SETTING: A National Health Service practice in Kent. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Dental records of 1000 patients. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Data (age, gender, plaque score, treatment planned, whether the patient was exempt from charges, distance between their home and the practice) were related to attendance history. RESULTS: 34.8% of patients receiving income support and 24.8% of children failed to attend compared with 18.6% of non-exempt adults. Differences between non-exempt adults and children [per cent difference 6.2%, CI = (0.6%, 11.8%)] and for those receiving income support [per cent difference 16.2%, CI = (6.2%, 26.2%)] were significant (P < 0.05). A significant improvement in the appointment failure rate was achieved using telephone reminders. CONCLUSIONS: Patients exempt from dental charges (mainly children and those receiving income support) were more likely to have failed to attend for their appointment. Whereas the attendance of children may be outside their control in some cases, we hypothesise that factors such as poverty in the group receiving income support may be an important influence in whether these patients feel able to attend for their appointments.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1975

Initial experience with a small dedicated computer system in a diagnostic x-ray department.

The operation of a small computer system involved in day to day management in an X-ray department is described. The system consists of the following equipment: PDP 8/F central processor with 8K core storage, 32K magnetic disc storage, High-speed paper tape reader (300 characters/s) and punch (50 characters/s), 3 Olivetti TE318 terminals with sprocket feed, paper tape reader and punch (10 characters/s). The system stores patient data relating to name, address, age, ward, referring physician, examination(s) requested, date of request, date of examination, date of report. From this data a large volume of relevant statistics is made available to the department and to the health authority. Labels for identifying record card, film envelope and X-ray films are automatically typed. During reporting coded phrases can be used by the radiologist. Interesting films can be recorded and recalled for library or consultation purposes as can research items. At report typing stage, the report heading is automatically recalled from the computer store. Coded phrases are typed automatically as is the radiologist's name and the date of the report. A 'DAYBOOK' IS TYPED AUTOMatically at the end of each working day. Problems encountered in running the system and future developments are described.

Computers↗
PubMed1975

Computer storage of pacemaker data.

An important factor in the choice of a pacemaker ought to be its reliability following implantation. Unfortunately, as the total number of patients increases, handling of basic data becomes a tedious and time consuming task. Analysis of data becomes an even more arduous task. Proposals are made for somputer storage of pacemaker data so that regulare up-dated "print-outs" can be made available. Analysis by computer then becomes a trivial task. The advantage of a single data handling centre for the whole of the United Kingdom is particularly attractive.

Computers↗
PubMed1975

Handling information in general practice--using feature cards with computers.

A two-tier system of handling information has been developed for use in general practice. Punched feature cards, with the conventional patients' record cards are used for the handling of primary data in the doctor's surgery. At the same time the feature cards provide an input to the computer using a feature card reader, converter, and paper-tape punch. This is especially useful where information has to be collected together centrally, for more advanced statistical analysis and where multiple searches of individual feature cards are required.

Computers↗
PubMed1974

New approach to information handling in general practice.

In this paper we describe the use of punched feature cards in a general practice for 18 months. Its advantages are the low cost, speed of information retrieval, visible statistics, computer compatibility, accuracy, confidentiality, flexibility, and simplicity of setting up and collection of information. The system encourages the doctor to ask questions about his practice, and could readily be adopted in other practices.

Angina Pectoris↗