OC HIGH / STUDENT NEWS & VIEWS : Missed Appointments

Teens have a low rate of keeping follow-up medical appointments, a study at UC San Francisco found. Half of those in the study--166 people between the ages 12 and 21--failed to keep their follow-up medical appointments.

Asked during their initial visit why they might fail to keep a scheduled appointment, one-third said they might forget, while another third referred to being busy. More than half of those interviewed admitted that they would not return if the health problem disappeared. In addition, more than two-thirds admitted a history of failing to keep previous appointments.