Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1104601
7 NEWS maltatoday | SUNDAY • 14 APRIL 2019 JAMES DEBONO THE introduction of a text messaging reminder system has only reduced the non-at- tendance rate for outpatient appointments from 30% to 22%, a study published in the Medical Journal shows. Despite the decrease in no- shows since the introduction of the SMS system in 2017, the non-attendance rate re- mains "disturbing and con- tinues to negatively influence Mater Dei's logistical and op- erational arrangements and increase waiting times". The authors of the study have called for improvements to the way patients' mobile telephone numbers are added to the hospital's electronic database, saying that 39% of patients who did not attend appointments insisted they never received the text re- minder. It is estimated that the aver- age cost to provide a consul- tation visit as an outpatient is around €3.18 per minute, depending on the speciality. They are also suggesting that when patients call to re- schedule their appointments, the cancelled appointment should be re-allocated to im- prove efficiency of the clinic. The study was based on at- tendance rates at four surgi- cal outpatients' clinics where the total number of appoint- ments were documented over a period of a month. Non- attenders were contacted via a telephone call and asked to explain their non-attendance as well as being asked if they had received a text-message reminding them of their ap- pointment. Out of a total of 227 ap- pointments (205 females, 22 males), 49 patients did not turn up, representing a 22% non-attendance rate. Out of these 49 patients, 41 answered their phone and were interviewed for this study. The rest were not reached because a con- tact number was not in their physical and electronic re- cords (2 patients) or they did not answer their phone at all (6 patients). Out of the 41 contacted, 16 (39%) claimed they did not re- ceive a text message remind- ing them about their appoint- ment, whilst acknowledging that they all have a functional mobile phone and they know how to receive and read a text message. While recognising the pos- sibility that some of these pa- tients may have forgotten or were reluctant to own up, the authors insist that this should "raise an alert" that the hos- pital needs to keep mobile telephone numbers updated on the electronic records sys- tem. "Wards and outpatient clerks should be reminded to update these records after every patient visit. It might also be possible to share a da- tabase with telephone service providers if this does not con- travene data protection legis- lation." Significantly only 39% of all the non-attendees contacted the surgical outpatients de- partment beforehand and postponed their appoint- ment to another date. 22% (9 patients) did not know at all about the appointment and 12% (5 patients) forgot com- pletely about the appoint- ment. Seven patients knew about their appointment but they could not make it and did not inform anyone. The study also shows that follow-up cases had a higher rate of non-attendance com- pared to new cases. Dylan Attard, Bertha Grech, and Gordon Caruana Dingli from the Surgery Department of Mater Dei hospital authored the study. The average cost of a consultation visit as an outpatient is around €3.18 per minute Despite text reminders, 22% don't turn up for hospital appointments DAVID HUDSON THE Democratic Party has accused both major parties of using their commercial companies to support them financially apart from continuous propaganda campaigns. In a press conference outside the House of Rep- resentatives, PD leader Godfrey Farrugia said these companies had not presented their neces- sary updated submissions to the MFSA, some for many years. "It is a reality that funds are being directed by wealthy entities and their lobbies in an attempt to influence party behaviour whether in gov- ernment or Opposition, in exchange for various forms of support," Farrugia said. Farrugia said it was evident that both PL and PN are comfortable with the current state of affairs, as party financing cannot be effectively moni- tored and regulated. "In October 2018, the Constitutional Court stated that the Electoral Commission had a right to investigate party wrongdoings and present a ruling, but not to impose penalties. It was ruled that the Electoral Commission cannot act as a judge, jury and executioner all in one. Since then, Parliament has revisited the General Elections Act and has amended it twice. However, there was no attempt from government to amend this Act according to the Constitutional Court's rul- ing." Farrugia and deputy chairman Timothy Alden said the PL-PN monopoly had cultivated a po- litical culture with no accountability or transpar- ency. "Politics is not a business. We do not have to settle for begging bowl politics, where private interests take over the political direction of our country. Malta deserves better. The only way to restore politics to being a public service is by tak- ing money out of politics by reforming the party financing laws," Farrugia said. The MP also called for the replacement of par- ty-owned TV stations by a political channel run by the public broadcaster under the supervision of PBS. "This will ensure each political entity is allotted a fair share of exposure, thus substituting and replacing biased and partisan political party owned media." Farrugia also said the government was able to use unlimited public funds to advertise its perfor- mance across the internet and social media. "The system is one where taxpayers are always funding the marketing campaigns of the party in government. When the party in government calls a general election, it has the power of in- cumbency, facilitating procuring legitimate or il- legitimate favours, offering promotions at the last minute and unnecessarily recruiting personnel into public service and the public sector, and fast- forwarding the approval of building permits." PD is calling for the Electoral Commission and the Broadcasting Authority to no longer be con- stituted simply by representatives of the two ma- jor parties. PD: no party transparency without financing reforms PD MP Godfrey Farrugia and PD deputy leader Timothy Alden