The effect of age and chronicity on patient recall of public hospital outpatient clinic use

Abstract

This paper reports on an investigation of the effect of age and chronicity on theaccuracy of recall by allied health patients of their attendance at outpatient clinicsat a public hospital over the previous 12 months. Patients consistently under-reporteduse of outpatient clinics, when compared with hospital records. Age and chronicitywere not found to be determinants of the observed differences. Other potentialinfluences on patient recall were identified to assist future testing.